Search

How can we help?

Icon

Representative of an Overseas Business Visa: Choosing an appropriate representative

The Representative of an Overseas Business Visa is aimed at overseas companies intending on setting up their business in the UK. This visa allows those companies, which do not already have an active presence in the UK, to send a sole representative for this purpose.

Who to send?

The first question to ask is, who to send? This is primarily a question for the business as they may want to send someone who is capable in setting up the business for them in the UK. However, the visa requirements expressly require this individual to have:

  • Been employed by the overseas (parent) company in a senior job role
  • A track record of setting up branches for other companies, if employed specifically for this purpose
  • Authority take operational decisions once in the UK which should be demonstrated by the company hierarchy.

Overseas Companies should however note that the sole representative cannot be an agent who has been hired as a consultant to market the company’s services, neither can they be sales representative as the purpose of this representative is to have broader responsibility in setting up the business.

The Representative of an Overseas Business Visa is aimed at overseas companies intending on setting up their business in the UK

How many representatives can you send?

The route only allows one individual on this visa, but once the company is set up, the individual can then obtain a Tier 2 sponsor licence to sponsor further employees of the overseas company.

It is important to note that if during the course of this visa, the individual is no longer the sole representative, he should switch to a Tier 2 visa, provided the company has a sponsorship licence.

Can you send a shareholder?

This route is not for majority shareholder of a company, and the Home Office guidance says that applications from shareholders who own more than 50 percent of the company will be rejected.

Disclaimer
This information is for guidance purposes only and should not be regarded as a substitute for taking legal advice. Please refer to the full General Notices on our website.

Author profile

Monica Atwal

Managing Partner

View profile

+44 118 960 4605

About this article

Read, listen and watch our latest insights

art
  • 15 September 2025
  • Immigration

Sharp rise in Sponsor Licence Revocations – What employers need to know

The Home Office has reported a record number of sponsor licence revocations over the past year, as part of its intensified efforts to crack down on abuse of the UK’s immigration system.

art
  • 10 September 2025
  • Commercial Real Estate

Trouble at the Table: The Challenges Facing the UK Hospitality Sector in the run up to Christmas 2025

The UK hospitality sector, long celebrated for its vibrancy and resilience, is facing a perfect storm of economic, operational, and structural challenges in 2025.

art
  • 09 September 2025
  • Commercial Real Estate

Le bail commercial anglais: quelques points essentiels à considérer

Typiquement, les baux commerciaux en Angleterre sont de court terme, d’une durée de 5 ou 10 ans, avec un loyer de marché et des ajustements du loyer périodiques en fonction de l’inflation ou d’autres facteurs. 

art
  • 09 September 2025
  • Corporate and M&A

The Failure to Prevent Fraud Offence – be prepared to avoid criminal liability

The failure to prevent fraud offence is a new corporate offence which has come into force on 1 September 2025.

art
  • 08 September 2025
  • Employment

Can employers still make changes to contracts after the Employment Rights Bill?

The short answer is yes but it will be much more difficult for employers following the introduction of the Employment Rights Bill because their ability to fairly dismiss employees who do not agree contractual changes is being restricted. 

art
  • 05 September 2025
  • Privacy and Data Protection

When Ignoring a DSAR Becomes a Criminal Offence

On 3 September 2025, Mr Jason Blake appeared at Beverley Magistrates Court and was fined for failing to respond to a data subject access request (DSAR).