Representative of an Overseas Business: Extension, Settlement and the Media Route
What happened to the Sole Representative visa?
- Already hold the visa? Your extension and settlement rights are unchanged. Skip to the extension section below.
- Need to open a first UK branch now? That is the UK Expansion Worker route, not this one.
Extending your Sole Representative visa
You can extend if:
- You have established and registered the UK branch or subsidiary
- You are working full-time and supervising it
- The overseas business still has its headquarters and main trading base abroad
- Your employer confirms they still need you in the role
- You have not taken any other work or started a business of your own
You may have a problem if:
- The overseas business has moved its main base to the UK
- The company appointed someone senior above you in your first 3 years
- You want to change employer, which this route does not allow
- You now own or control more than half of the overseas business
Settling after five years
After 5 continuous years you can apply for indefinite leave to remain. The bar is higher than for an extension, and the English requirement rises.
You can settle if
- You have spent 5 continuous years in the UK on this route
- The overseas business has traded throughout, with its base still abroad
- You have worked full-time as its representative the whole time
- You meet English at CEFR B1, higher than the A1 needed earlier
- You pass the Life in the UK test
Watch for
- Absences that break continuous residence under Appendix Continuous Residence
- Any period of other work or self-employment during the 5 years
- A gap where the overseas business stopped trading abroad
The timing point that matters in 2026
The Government consulted on earned settlement in early 2026 and may raise the standard qualifying period from 5 years to 10 later this year. Nothing is law yet.
If you reach 5 years in 2026, applying as soon as you qualify is the safer course. You can apply up to 28 days before completing the qualifying period.
What documents do you need?
For any extension
An employer letter confirming they want to keep you in the same job, and evidence of the salary paid over the last 12 months.
Sole Representative, the branch
A Companies House certificate for the branch, or a certificate of incorporation for a subsidiary with the share register showing the overseas business owns it.
Sole Representative, the trading
Evidence you have generated business, mainly with UK firms, since your last grant. Accounts, invoices, or letters from those firms showing the value.
Sole Representative, supervision
A letter from your employer confirming you supervise the UK branch or subsidiary.
For settlement
The same salary and employer evidence, plus confirmation you are still needed for the foreseeable future.
For the Media route
Confirmation from the overseas newspaper, agency or broadcaster of your role and long-term UK assignment.
The Media Representative route, still open
This route is open to new applicants. It is for people working for an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcaster, on a long-term UK posting. Journalists, producers, camera crew and front-of-camera staff all qualify.
How long you can stay
3 years
First grant
2 years
Extension
5 years
Then you can settle
Your employer must keep its headquarters and main base abroad.
More than one representative
A media company can post more than one representative to the UK at the same time.
Admin staff do not qualify
Secretarial and administrative staff do not qualify, and would need a different route.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Confirm when your current visa expires and when your 5-year settlement clock started. Then confirm which application you need: an extension, settlement, or the Media route.
Before your visa expires
Collect your employer's letter, 12 months of salary evidence, the branch or subsidiary documents, and proof of business generated with UK firms.
Before you apply
Apply on form FLR(IR) from inside the UK. Pay the £1,407 fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge, then upload your documents.
Before your current visa expires
Book a UKVCAS appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken.
After you submit
The Home Office decides the application. If it is approved, you get a further 2 years on the route.
Usually within 8 weeks
After 5 continuous years, apply for indefinite leave to remain on form SET(O). You need English at CEFR B1 and a pass in the Life in the UK test.
Up to 28 days before you reach 5 years. A decision usually takes up to 6 months
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Cost Breakdown
| Extension, form FLR(IR) | £1,407 |
|---|---|
| Settlement, form SET(O) | £3,226 |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | £1,035 per year of the visa, £776 for a child |
| Priority service, optional | £500 |
| Life in the UK test, settlement only | £50 |
| Biometric enrolment | £19.20 |
In our clients' own words.
“After our ILR rejection, AY&J pursued our case through Administrative Review and Judicial Review. The team was open, honest, knowledgeable and attentive to every detail. They kept us informed at every stage, supported us throughout an extremely difficult journey and helped us regain confidence in our case.”
“Fantastic experience with our Global Business Mobility visa application. The team at AY&J guided us through every step and ensured our senior manager transfer went smoothly. Professional, knowledgeable, and responsive throughout.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Family and the media route
An initial 3 years, then a 2-year extension, then settlement after 5 years.
Family and the media route
Yes. Unlike the sole representative sub-category, the media route remains open to new applicants. An employer can also post more than one representative at a time.
Family and the media route
Employees of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcaster posted to the UK long-term. Journalists, producers, camera crew and front-of-camera staff. Admin staff do not qualify.
Family and the media route
Tell us before they travel. Leaving the UK while an application is pending can affect it, and in some cases it is treated as withdrawn. The main applicant's case can also be affected, so timing matters.
Family and the media route
Yes. Your partner and children apply for the extension and then for settlement at the same time as you. Children must be under 18 at the date of the settlement application to qualify as dependants.
Settlement
The Government consulted on earned settlement in early 2026 and may raise the period later in the year. Nothing is law yet, so applying as soon as you qualify is the safer course.
Settlement
No more than 180 days in any rolling 12-month period across the 5 years. Serious or compelling absences, such as a bereavement or a medical emergency, may be disregarded with evidence.
Settlement
English at CEFR B1, higher than the A1 needed earlier, and the Life in the UK test.
Settlement
Usually the date your visa was granted, if you entered the UK within 90 days of it. If you arrived more than 90 days later, it starts from your date of entry. This catches people out, so it is worth checking early.
Settlement
After 5 continuous years on the route. You can apply up to 28 days before you complete the qualifying period.
Extension
Possibly. The test is genuine trading activity, not a revenue figure. Meetings, contracts, trade events and operating costs can all show the branch is active. We help you evidence it.
Extension
If that happened in your first 3 years, an extension will be refused. The company can instead sponsor you to switch routes, and we can advise on that.
Extension
No. This route ties you to the business you were admitted to represent. Changing employer means switching to another route, usually Skilled Worker.
Extension
That the branch is established and trading, that you supervise it full-time, that the overseas business still trades abroad, and that your employer still needs you.
Extension
Two years, applied for on form FLR(IR) from inside the UK.
What changed
Often yes. Time on the Sole Representative route can usually be combined with Skilled Worker time towards the 5-year settlement clock. The exact position depends on your dates, so let us check them.
What changed
Yes. The Media Representative route, for overseas news and broadcast staff on a long-term UK posting.
What changed
The UK Expansion Worker route, under Global Business Mobility. It works differently. Your company needs a sponsor licence, and there is no direct settlement path.
What changed
No. Your right to extend and to settle is unchanged. This page covers both.
What changed
No. That sub-category closed on 11 April 2022. A new application would be refused. To open a first UK branch, the UK Expansion Worker route applies instead.
Sole Representative Insights
Tell us where you are on the route
