Suppose you are a Representative of an Overseas Business visa holder (often referred to as the Sole Representative visa) currently in the UK. In that case, you must apply for an extension before your initial 3-year period ends. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you can renew your Representative of an Overseas Business visa for 2 years. After completing 5 years on this route, you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
The UK Home Office may refuse a visa application if the prerequisites and eligibility criteria are unmet. Making a mistake could result in your Sole Representative Visa Extension application being rejected, with inevitable consequences. Completing this application process on your own can be risky, time-consuming, and more complicated than you expect to provide evidence of business activities. A Y & J Solicitors can help you extend your Sole-Rep visa. We are a dedicated immigration firm providing reliable, generous and accurate legal advice and information. By guiding you in dealing with the visa application and entry process, you can feel secure knowing you will receive the best possible legal advice and solid legal representation.
The Representative of an Overseas Business visa allows holders to remain in the UK for an initial period of 3 years. After 3 years, the visa can be extended for a maximum of 2 years. After 5 years in the UK as a representative of an overseas business visa, it is possible to apply for permanent settlement (ILR). For those who have received a refusal, A Y & J Solicitors can help with every aspect of the Extension. Our experts will prepare the necessary paperwork and represent you before the tribunal if needed. Once you decide to instruct us, our lawyers will analyse the reason the visa extension was refused. We will then review your past application and supporting documentation and advise whether resubmitting a new application to UKVI would be the best and most cost-effective solution. Our immigration experts work tirelessly and diligently to ensure every case we manage achieves the best results possible. We offer excellent service to every client and have a transparent fee structure with no hidden charges or extra costs.
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If you are a Representative of an Overseas Business visa holder (often referred to as the Sole Representative visa) currently in the UK, it is important that you apply for an extension before your initial 3-year period comes to an end. As long as you meet the eligibility requirements, you will be able to renew your Representative of an Overseas Business visa for 2 years, at which point you can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR). In this article, we will explain the eligibility requirements for a Representative of an Overseas Business visa, the extension process, and some reasons for refusal to bear in mind to ensure a positive outcome.
The Representative of an Overseas Business visa originally served two purposes; 1) to enable representatives of an overseas company to come to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary, and 2) for overseas newspaper, news agency, or broadcasting organisation staff posted on a long-term assignment to the UK. The Representative of an Overseas Business visa is still open to new applications but only for overseas newspaper, news agency, or broadcasting organisation staff posted on a long-term assignment to the UK. Representatives who wish to come to the UK to set up the first branch or subsidiary of an overseas business now need to apply under the UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) scheme.
The Representative of an Overseas Business visa allows holders to remain in the UK for an initial period of 3 years. After 3 years, the visa can be extended for a maximum of 2 years. After 5 years in the UK on a Representative of an Overseas Business visa, it is then possible to apply for permanent settlement (ILR).
To make a successful application for a Sole Representative visa extension, you must be able to demonstrate to the Home Office that:
Another key consideration is that in order to make a successful Sole Representative visa extension application, you must not be a majority shareholder of the overseas business. In addition, you must not hold any other form of employment in the UK.
The application process for a Sole Representative visa extension is completed online on the Home Office website. To apply for your extension, you will need to:
Alternatively, if you are applying for an extension of your Sole Representative visa under the newspaper, news agency or broadcast category, you will need to provide a letter from your overseas employer confirming that you are still required in the same role and details of your salary/remuneration.
Once you have submitted your application, payment, and documents and attended the UKVCAS appointment, you can expect to receive a decision within 8 weeks if you are using the standard processing service. You may be able to pay an additional fee for a faster decision.
If your dependant partner and children are currently in the UK with you, they can also apply to extend their dependant family member visas. This can be done at the same time that you apply for your visa and must be done before their visas expire.
A Sole Representative visa extension may be refused for several reasons related to suitability (e.g. criminality), validity (i.e. if the correct application process has not been followed), and eligibility. Some of the possible reasons for refusal due to ineligibility include the following:
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