The Sole Representative Visa allows foreign companies to send a senior employee to set up a wholly owned subsidiary or branch in the UK. This enables foreign companies to get a foothold in the UK before expanding their operation in the UK.
The company’s principal place of business and headquarters must be outside of the UK. The representative can bring family members as their dependants, giving them the right to live and study in the UK.
There are various requirements that a sole representative must meet.
The visa is valid for an initial period of 3 years, after which, assuming that the representative satisfies the requirements, he can apply for an extension for a further 2 years. After residing in the UK for 5 years, the applicant and his dependants should be eligible to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (“settled status”), assuming that the requirements have been met.
Once the applicant has achieved settled status, they could be eligible to apply for citizenship and a British passport after 12 months. Please note, that the requirements to achieve citizenship are different to those needed to achieve settled status.
Gherson has a team of experts with extensive experience in advising on the Sole Representative visa. We are widely regarded as one of the leading firms in the field and have received a number of awards for our services.
Should you require any further information in respect of the above or in relation to your personal circumstances, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please don’t hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.
©Gherson 2017