Sole Representative Visa vs Tier 2 (General) Visa
What is a sole representative visa?
This visa helps the person to establish that business’ first UK commercial presence. A Sole Representative visa is granted initially for 3 years, after which time you may apply for an extension.
The Senior manager arriving through sole representative visa will be allowed a legal stay in the United Kingdom for 3 years leading to an extension of 2 years and then to indefinite leave to remain visa that allows the senior manager to give application for citizenship a year after if the provisions of physical residency and others are fulfilled.
The UK government provides a great opportunity to all those businesses who have the intention to extend their businesses in the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
You have to be very careful while applying for a sole representative visa as there are some critical criteria which you have to pass otherwise your application will be refused. It must be a strong and trading overseas business and will proceed to have its main headquarters and centre of operations based outside the UK. It wishes to open and regulate a branch office or wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK.
The Business Plan should contain all the details of your business outside of the UK. You have to decide the main goals and reasons for why you want to expand your business in the UK. If you are proposing a poorly written business plan that does not address all of these critical questions are very likely to be the reason for the refusal of your sole representative application.
Which Business qualifies for a sole representative visa?
The business must –
- Be a commercial legal firm
- Propose a good business plan for business activity in the UK.
- Not have any subsidiary or branch or another representative in the UK.
- Having an Office and primary place of business is outside the UK with no goal to move to the UK.
- Aim to establish a branch or whole occupied subsidiary in the UK.
What is a Tier 2 (General) Visa?
Tier 2 visa holders also have the chance to bring their family with them. Later, they can also apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
What are the documents required –
- A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from an employer who has a valid Sponsor Licence
- Knowledge of English language and evidence that you can speak and listen in this language. You can verify by passing an English language test or having a relevant educational qualification approved by UK NARIC.
- Information about your enough personal savings so that you can finance yourself in the UK unless you get full monetary support from your A-rated Tier 2 sponsor licence holding company.
- Passport and Travelling Documents are required to finish the process. Also, you should have at least one blank page in your passport.
- Tuberculosis Test Results (if needed)
- A criminal record certificate (from a country where you have lived more than 12 years)
- If the documents spoken of above are not in English or Welsh, then you have to deliver a certified translation.
Best Immigration lawyers in the UK say that the best way to find an employer who is providing a certificate of sponsorship to work in the UK is to look-up in the “Register of Sponsors Licenced Under the Points-based System”. It is accessible to the general public. This register comprises a catalogue of all the employers who have a license to sponsor International employees.
In April 2020, 31,208 UK based companies across all sectors have Tier 2 Sponsor License, to provide jobs to skilled workers, from all over the world.
In that register, you can find different information relevant to you, which is:
- Name of the company
- Location of the company
- Tier and Sub-tier of the Visa, which a company can sponsor
- What is the rating of the company
