UK Global Business Mobility – Expansion Worker Visa
 

• This visa category is for an overseas parent company that wants to send a senior individual to the UK to set up a branch or subsidiary.

• There are two steps involved before an individual can come to the UK. The first step for this application involves the UK branch/subsidiary submitting an application for an Expansion Worker – Sponsor Licence. Once the licence is granted, the individual would then need to submit a Global Business Mobility – Expansion Worker visa application from a country where they have legal residence other than as a visitor.

• As part of the Sponsor Licence application, the company will need to show the following
  1.UK footprint (Company incorporation / Bank account / Office etc.)
  2.An overseas trading presence (of at least 3 years) Credible plans to expand to the UK and establish a trading presence within the two
  3.years. The branch/subsidiary must be in the same type of business as the parent company.
  
  If the application is successful, the branch/subsidiary will be granted a ‘provisional’ licence. This means the licence will be granted for a period of four years, however in the first two years, the branch/subsidiary must establish a trading presence and also apply to add either the Skilled Worker or Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist tiers to its licence and convert the licence status from ‘provisional’ to ‘A-rated’.
  
  The individual coming to the UK would also need to convert his Expansion Worker visa to a Skilled Worker or GBM- Senior or Specialist Worker visa to extent the stay in the UK.