The attractions of doing business in the UK barely need to be emphasised for great numbers of people who would consider migrating here on a business visa. This European country off the continental mainland’s north-western coast is one of the world’s most vibrant economies, with internationally renowned strengths in almost any and every sector that one could care to mention.
For these reasons, if you have almost any level of ambition in global business, there could be a good chance that you find yourself doing business in the UK at some point during your lifetime.
But with the UK visa system having undergone significant change in recent years – including as a consequence of Brexit, the country’s formal departure from the European Union (EU) in January 2020 – are you as familiar as you should be with the business visas that are now available for the UK?
For today’s blog post, our specialists in immigration law here at Cranbrook Legal decided to take a closer look at them.
The business visas available for the UK
If you simply intend to visit the UK for the purposes of a business trip or meeting, and you will not be in the UK for longer than six months, it might be sufficient to get approved for a Standard Visitor visa.
The Standard Visitor visa would entitle you to carry out any of a range of common business activities in the UK, including, but not limited to:
- Attending interviews, meetings, conferences, and seminars
- Negotiating and signing deals and contracts
- Attending trade fairs to promote your business, provided that you do not sell things at these events
- Undertaking work-related training if you are employed outside of the UK and the training is not available in your home country
- Giving a one-off talk or a short series of talks, provided that they are not for profit or a commercial event; as a holder of a Standard Visitor visa, you would not be allowed to receive pay for this
Please note that a visitor visa would not give you the right to work in the UK.
If the ambitions that you have for your business involvement in the UK are greater than the potential activities set out above, you may need to investigate alternative business-related visa routes to the UK. Your options here could include the likes of:
- Self-sponsorship, which is the process by which someone can apply to come and work in the UK for their own business, without needing to have a separate UK sponsor other than the company itself
- The Innovator visa, which is aimed at those who wish to set up and run an innovative business in the UK; you will need to have a distinctive business or business idea that has been endorsed by an approved body, known as an endorsing body
- The Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility), which enables the visa holder to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not yet begun trading in the UK
- The Skilled Worker visa by investment, whereby this in-demand visa can be obtained through investment of at least £150,000 in an established and successful UK company
We will provide further details about some of these visa options below. If you would like to have a more tailored conversation with an expert to help determine which route might be best matched to your requirements, please feel free to call the Cranbrook Legal team now on 0208 215 0053.
How do I get a business visa for the UK?
People from around the world commonly come to the UK for any of a wide range of reasons, including in order to join family members in the country, or to study or work. If you specifically intend to visit the UK in order to do business, not all of the available visa options will necessarily be well-matched to your needs.
Nonetheless, the broad steps of obtaining a business visa for the UK can be described as follows:
- Determining whether you need a visa for your visit to the UK. Some prospective visitors to the UK from abroad may not be required to obtain a UK visa in order to be granted entry into the country. This will depend on such factors as the visitor’s nationality, for what exact purposes they intend to be in the UK, and the expected length of their stay.
- Researching the various UK visas available. Elsewhere in this blog post, we have outlined some of the potentially relevant business-focused visas available for the UK, including the likes of the Innovator visa and Expansion Worker visa. Your visa application will need to have been approved by the UK Home Office before you travel to the UK.
- Choosing a visa, and ensuring that you meet the requirements. Different requirements apply to different business visas for the UK, so you will need to carefully check the eligibility and documentation requirements for the visa you are considering applying for. Applicants for the Standard Visitor visa, for example, must be able to show that they will leave the UK at the end of their visit, and that they will be able to support themselves and any dependants during their trip (or have funding from someone else to cover their journey).
- Preparing and submitting the visa application. Most UK visas can be applied and paid for online. If you have dependants who you intend to accompany you on your trip to the UK, they will need to submit their own separate visa applications. You will also need to allow some waiting time to be approved for your UK visa, which can vary for different visa types. It may be possible to pay to get a faster decision on your visa application. It will also be necessary when you apply to prove your identity and supply documents to show your eligibility for the visa.
- Getting a decision on your visa application. You can expect the Home Office to send you a letter or an email showing the result of your application for a UK visa. If your application is refused, you will be told whether you have the right to an administrative review or immigration decision appeal. In the event that your application is successful, the conditions of your UK visa will be set out to you – for example, whether you have the right to take paid or unpaid work in the UK, or to claim benefits.
Hopefully, you will then be able to start planning for your trip to the UK, using the sticker (otherwise known as a ‘vignette’) in your passport, or your viewable immigration status online, to show that you are entitled to enter and stay in the UK for the time period stated.
The requirements for a UK business visa
The exact criteria that you will need to fulfil in order to be approved for a UK business visa, will naturally depend on the specific visa category that you choose.
The below are some of the requirements that you can expect to need to meet for some of the most popular UK business visa routes:
- If you are interested in self-sponsorship, you will need to have experience, skills, or qualifications that are of relevance to the business that you wish to establish. You will also need to have a business idea, or to have identified a pre-existing UK business to take over. Finally, you will also need to have the ability to sit and pass an approved Level B1 English language test
- Applicants for the Innovator visa, meanwhile, will need to have their business or business idea assessed by a Home Office-approved endorsing body, before they will be allowed to apply for the visa itself. Other requirements include meeting the Home Office’s English language requirement and being at least 18 years of age
- Candidates for the Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) will need to already work for the overseas business, in the capacity of either a senior manager or specialist employee. In order to be eligible for this visa, you must also have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer, in addition to doing a job that is on the list of eligible occupations, and being paid the minimum eligible salary needed for the role
- You will not be able to secure a Skilled Worker visa by investment, unless the job role that you are looking to take up in the UK is a genuine vacancy. It will also be expected that the UK-based organisation has a valid licence, and that you are competent in the English language to a minimum of Level B1. Your minimum permitted salary in your role on this visa will be £25,600.
How much money is required for a UK business visa?
Below, we have set out some of the financial amounts that candidates can expect to require when applying through various UK business visa routes:
- For the self-sponsorship visa route, you will need to have adequate resources to support your proposed business in the UK. There isn’t any specific minimum or maximum investment amount that you will require for your business venture, as this will depend on the needs of the business. As an approximate guideline figure, the required amount might be about £25,000 or more
- If you are interested in the Innovator visa and you intend to set up a new business through this route, you must have a minimum of £50,000 in investment funds. You will not require any investment funds as an applicant for this visa if your business is already established and has been endorsed for an earlier visa. Nor will you need any investment funds in the event that you have changed your business and already agreed it with your endorsing body
- As an applicant for the Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility), you will be expected to pay an application fee of £259, as well as the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £624 a year. In addition, you will need to have enough money to support yourself during your time in the UK. This normally means having a minimum of £1,270 available, unless you are exempt
- A minimum investment of £150,000 is required in an established and successful UK company, in order to secure the Skilled Worker visa by investment.
The above is not an exhaustive rundown of all the financial requirements that you might need to account for as an applicant through any of these UK visa routes. For a more detailed discussion with our specialists in immigration law at Cranbrook Legal, please don’t hesitate to call us on 0208 215 0053, or to email us to arrange a free consultation.
How quickly can I get a UK business visa?
You may see references online to various possible waiting times for a UK visa decision after you have submitted your application.
It is important to appreciate that after your visa application has been submitted online, your waiting time will begin – as far as the UK Home Office is concerned – when you either:
- Visit a visa application centre to attend an appointment and provide your fingerprints and a photograph, otherwise known as your “biometric information”, or
- Use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to verify your identity; verification using the app may or may not be an option for you, depending on which specific visa you are applying for
Your waiting time for a visa application decision will then end when you receive an email from the Home Office confirming the decision that has been made on your application. This communication will also set out the next steps you will need to take.
As a general rule, if you are applying from outside of the UK for a visa that would entitle you to work or invest in the UK, it should take no longer than about three weeks for you to receive a decision.
This three-week wait time is also the typical one for Standard Visitor visa applications, where the applicant intends to visit the UK for a business trip or meeting. However, the wait time can vary from one type of visa to the next.
Can I get a faster decision on my UK business visa application?
Yes, it might be possible to request that your UK visa application is processed faster, provided that you verify your identity at a visa application centre. Your options here could include:
- A priority service, allowing for collection of your passport within five working days from when you provide your biometric information
- A super priority service, allowing for collection of your passport by the end of the next working day from when you provide your biometric information
Taking advantage of either of these services will incur an additional cost for you as an applicant.
The priority visa service is an option for applicants in most countries. However, you are advised to check with your visa application centre to determine whether the priority or super priority service is available in the country you’re applying from.
Contact our immigration solicitors for help with your UK business visa application
Our team of experts in immigration law here at Cranbrook Legal has an excellent track record of helping people with a wide range of circumstances and needs to secure a business visa for the UK. We can project-manage your entire application for a business visa from start to finish, with predictable pre-agreed costs, so that it is easier for you to budget for your business visit to the UK.
For a more in-depth conversation about your requirements, and for advice and guidance with regard to the UK business visa that might be most suitable for you, please don’t hesitate to call 0208 215 0053 or to send us an email to arrange a free consultation.
