United Kingdom

The UK is one of the most popular countries and destinations in the world. The UK an island nation in Europe made up of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, is home to the global center, London,the local population is tolerant and endearing and is strongly committed to their age-old customs and traditions, deeply rooted in the British culture. The UK boasts one of the friendliest business environments, first-class basic amenities, an advanced educational system, and state-of-the-art health services. The UK residency is one of the most sought-after residency visa programs by non-UK citizens across the world.

About the UK Expansion Worker route

The UK Expansion Worker route is for foreign employees who want to work in the UKon a temporary basis, and who are either senior managers or specialized employeeswho are being deployed to the UK to help with the company’s expansion. This visa route replaced the Representative of an Overseas Business route. Through this route, a branch or subsidiary of a foreign company is established in the UK and the applicant and their family can move to the UK.

Benefits

–Eligible to work in the UK in the branch of a foreign company;
–Ability to add on family members including spouse, partners, and children under 18;
–Take advantage of one of the friendliest international business environments in the world;
–Enjoy State-of-the-art amenities;

Who is eligible for the Expansion Worker route?

A person who is a senior manager or specialized employee of a foreign company;
A person who has worked for that foreign company for at least 1 year before applying.

General Requirements

Must be from a company that has not started operations in the UK;
Must establish a UK branch or wholly owned subsidiary in the same business activity as the foreign company;
Must genuinely intend, to expand to the UK and establish a UK trading presence within two years;
The Expansion Worker will need to be paid at least £42,400 (or higher depending on the job they will be doing and the occupation it is mapped to in the immigration rules);
No English Language Test requirements;
Must show proof of sufficient funds to support the branch of their foreign business and to support themselves and their family.

This route typically sees 3 stages within a 4-6 months average timeframe:

Incorporation of the UK branch
Applying for the UK Expansion Worker Sponsor License (If the Authorizing Officer and Level 1 User roles cannot be filled by a person present and settled in the UK (e.g., a British citizen), then they must be filled in by the first UK Expansion Worker);
Application for UK Expansion Worker Visa and Dependent Visas.

How can ACE help?

Contact our Immigration Advisors who will assess your personal situation and assist you in selecting the most appropriate program and program option.
Prepare your application file to be submitted to the UK Home Office and ensuring that all requirements are met.
Training and preparation for interviews required.
Post-residency visa obtainment support and business support in the UK

Expansion Worker visa does not lead to settlement. It is only issued for a period of 1 year initially, renewable for a maximum for 1 more year (2 years total). While settlement is not possible on this route, once the company is set up in the UK and begins trading, an application for Skilled Worker Visa can be done and the applicant can then switch to the Skilled Worker visa.

Disclaimer

All application fees charged by the government of United Kingdom and by ACE are subject to changes, these fees depend on the number of applicants and complexity of the process. Please contact our office if you have any question or need further information. ACE’s advisory fees are based on the number of the applicants, country of origin, residence and other retained services, as well as the services and legal fees related to the submission of the citizenship and passport application for applicants. Therefore ACE ’s fees are not mentioned on the brochures. The advisory and legal fees are non-refundable. The timeline is indicative, an estimate provided for information purposes only. Processing, time and cost will vary depending on a number of contributing factors. ACE is not responsible for any changes to the estimates; we can provide specific time and cost estimates on an individual basis. Please contact our office for more up-to-date information. Please note that any additional disbursement fees are charged to the applicant.