UK Expansion Worker Visa: Requirements, Cost and Process (2026)
What is the UK Expansion Worker visa?
This is a two-stage process. The business needs a sponsor licence before the employee can apply for the visa.
There is no direct route to settlement. Most workers switch to Skilled Worker once the UK business is trading.
Who can apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa?
Your business is likely eligible if:
- It has traded outside the UK for at least three years
- Your UK entity is registered at Companies House but is not yet trading
- You have a UK footprint, such as a signed commercial lease
- You have credible written plans for the UK expansion
- You can name an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and a Level 1 User
This route may not be right if:
- Your business already trades in the UK. Senior or Specialist Worker applies instead
- You need more than five sponsored workers at once
- You need a route that leads directly to settlement. You cannot complete five years on this visa, but most workers switch to Skilled Worker, which can lead to settlement
- The role does not meet £52,500 or the going rate
What documents do you need?
For the licence: proof of UK registration
Companies House registration for the new UK entity, and a signed UK commercial property lease.
For the licence: overseas trading evidence
Bank statements for the last 12 months, audited accounts, and tax records showing at least three years of trading outside the UK.
For the licence: your UK plan
A detailed UK business plan, an organisation chart showing the UK management structure, and a cover letter justifying the seniority of each sponsored role.
For the visa: the worker
Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, valid passport, job title, salary and occupation code, and the sponsor licence number.
For the visa: proof and funds
Payslips and bank statements evidencing 12 months with the overseas employer, and bank statements showing £1,270 held for 28 days.
Two separate figures apply. One is what you pay the worker. The other is the maintenance funds the worker must show they hold, unless the sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
For the visa: country-specific
A TB test certificate and a criminal record certificate, where the applicant's nationality requires them.
How do you apply?
Register the UK entity at Companies House and sign a UK commercial lease.
1 to 2 weeks, depending on how quickly the office is arranged
Appoint your key personnel: an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and a Level 1 User.
A few days, if the team is already identified
Apply for the UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence and send the supporting documents.
8 weeks standard. 10 working days with priority processing
Receive the licence, then assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to the nominated employee.
Usually within 1 working day of the licence being granted
The employee applies online, pays the fee and the health surcharge, and uploads the documents.
1 to 2 weeks
The employee attends a biometric appointment for fingerprints and a photograph.
1 to 2 weeks, depending on local availability
The Home Office decides. Priority and Super Priority services are available in some countries.
3 weeks standard. Next working day with Super Priority, where available
The employee travels to the UK and begins setting up the branch. Within 1 to 2 weeks of approval
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Cost Breakdown
In our clients' own words.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Stay, family and switching
Yes. A spouse or partner and children under 18 can apply as dependants. Each pays the visa fee and the health surcharge.
Stay, family and switching
Yes. Most workers move to Skilled Worker once the UK business is trading. Self-sponsorship is an alternative for someone running their own UK business.
Stay, family and switching
No. There is no direct route to Indefinite Leave to Remain, and time spent on this route does not count towards the five year qualifying period.
Stay, family and switching
12 months initially, extendable by a further 12 months. The maximum stay on this route is two years in total.
Costs and timing
Around three to four months on standard processing. Priority services at both stages can bring that closer to six weeks, where they are available.
Costs and timing
£340 per applicant as of 8 April 2026, and £340 for each dependant. The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 a year for an adult and £776 for a child.
Costs and timing
No. UK Expansion Worker is exempt. That is a saving of £1,320 per worker per year against the Skilled Worker route for a large sponsor.
Costs and timing
£611 as of 8 April 2026. This route uses a Temporary Worker licence, so the fee is flat and does not change with the size of the sponsor.
Worker requirements
No. This route carries no English language requirement.
Worker requirements
Normally yes. Three exemptions apply: anyone paid £73,900 or more, Japanese nationals under the UK-Japan agreement, and Australian nationals under the UK-Australia trade agreement.
Worker requirements
Guaranteed basic gross pay, plus guaranteed allowances such as London weighting. Bonuses, sign-on payments, equity and benefits in kind do not count.
Worker requirements
As of 22 July 2025, £52,500 a year or 100% of the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher. It rose from £48,500 on that date.
About the route
Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker. Each has its own criteria.
About the route
Five at any one time. That is a hard limit until the UK entity begins trading and the sponsor adds Worker licence categories.
About the route
No. The route is only for businesses that have not started trading here. If your UK entity is already trading, the Senior or Specialist Worker route applies instead.
About the route
It lets an overseas business send senior managers or specialists to the UK to set up its first branch or subsidiary. It sits within the Global Business Mobility route and replaced the Sole Representative Visa in April 2022.
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