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Representative of Foreign Company
Lead Contacts
Efficient and experienced
The Sole Representative Category is an extremely useful and under-used category under the Immigration Rules, currently outside the Points Based System.
Key Points
- This application is for qualifying individuals to apply to establish a representative office in the United Kingdom on behalf of a foreign Corporation, which has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK at the time of the application and which intends to keep its headquarters overseas
- The individual must have been taken on as an employee of the Company outside the UK, but cannot be the owner or majority shareholder of the foreign Company
- There is no minimum capital requirement for entry as a representative, making this an extremely attractive option for foreign businesses wishing to establish representative offices in the UK for the first time
- The representative is entitled to bring his or her spouse/civil partner/unmarried partner to the UK, together with children under eighteen
Extensions of Stay and indefinite Leave to Remain
- The initial visa will be granted for a period of three years
- At the end of the initial period of three years, the representative will be entitled to apply for a further extension of stay for two years, which should be granted provided satisfactory evidence of the establishment of the business in the UK
- After five years of residence, the representative is entitled to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK, which should be granted subject to compliance with the Sole Representative Rules throughout the period of residence
