- Sole Representatives Visas
- He has been employed by the parent company for some time and holds a senior position.
- He has authority to take decisions without reference to the parent company.
- He has been recruited by the parent company from outside the UK.
- He is directly employed by the parent company and not acting as an agent of the company working on commission.
- He can maintain and accommodate himself and any dependants without the help from public funds.
Some of the necessary supporting documents you will need to provide us when we are assisting you with your application are:
- Employer's Details;
- Financial Documents (Annual Accounts, Bank Statements, Tax Documents);
- Documentary evidence of the assets owned by the parent company;
- Certificate of Incorporation (In case of a Ltd. Company);
- Any published material / brochures / company information;
- Print outs of the website (If available);
- Evidence of the age of the company;
- Letter from the company stating its intention to open a subsidiary or a branch in the UK;
- Letter from the company confirming that the applicant is being appointed as the sole representative of the company, detailing his duration of the employment, salary package and job description;
- Documentary evidence of the fact that he has been working with the parent company for a considerable amount of time;
- Employment contract with the company;
- Proof of the fact that the applicant is holding a senior post in the overseas company and has been authorized with taking of decisions on behalf of the company.
This is not an exhaustive list and the British Diplomatic post may ask for further information / documentary evidence.
The maximum period for which an entry clearance for a Sole Representative could be sought is 2 years. However, once in the UK ImmigrationDirect can always apply for an extension of leave to remain in this category provided the parent company extends the employment contract.
What work is allowed under the Sole representative visa?
A Sole representative can only establish a commercial presence of the parent company in the UK, in the form of a registered branch or a wholly owned subsidiary.
What work is not allowed under the Sole representative visa?
You are not allowed to:
Do business of their own or represent any other company's interest while remaining in the UK;
take any sort of employment paid or unpaid while remaining in the UK;
A sole representative can only be a direct employee of the overseas company and therefore cannot change employments while remaining within the UK.
Important points to note, there can be only one sole representative of the overseas company who can remain in the UK at one time. If the overseas company appoints a new senior person as the sole representative then the existing sole representative can apply for a work permit.
But if the existing sole representative has at least two year's leave to remain in the UK then he does not need to seek a work permit and can remain in the UK even if a superior has been appointed in the UK by the parent company.
What is a Sole Representatives Visas
This type of visa can only be applied from a British diplomatic post overseas and a person on a different immigration category cannot switch into this category while remaining within the UK. This is not available to EEA nationals so only non-EEA nationals can apply under this immigration category.
A sole representative is someone who will establish a wholly owned subsidiary or register a branch in the UK for an overseas parent company. The firm must not already have any branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK.
Who can qualify to apply for a "Sole Representative"?
The majority shareholders of the company are not allowed to seek entry clearance under this immigration category. It is only open to the person who can provide the following:
enquiries@immigrationdirect.co.uk
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