UK Expansion Worker

The UK offers several UK Expansion Worker visas for overseas workers. These visa routes aim to bring employees on a short-term or long-term basis to their UK branches. The aim of these visa routes is to simplify the process of hiring talent from outside the UK.
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What Are the Requirements For UK Expansion Worker Visa?

A UK Expansion Worker visa is among the Global Business Mobility (GBM) visas that are available to overseas workers coming to the UK for temporary work. This is a nonimmigrant visa, so you can’t use it to apply for settled status or permanent residency.

The Expansion Worker visa is aimed at senior and specialist employees who want to expand an existing overseas business in the UK. You can apply for this visa only when your current employer has no existing presence in the UK.

You must meet several to be eligible for this visa. These include being aged 18 or above, having a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, being offered a minimum annual salary, and having a minimum work history with your current employer.

If you are planning to apply for this visa type, our UK Expansion Worker visa solicitors can offer detailed help and guidance. With the help of our immigration lawyers, you can speed up the process of filing the visa application and receiving an outcome.

Salary Requirement for UK Expansion Worker Visa

The Home Office requires you to be offered at least a minimum threshold salary when you apply for an Expansion Worker visa. This amount is set as £42,400, or 100% of the going rate for the job you intend to undertake. Of these two calculations, the higher amount will apply when computing the minimum salary requirement.

Your salary for a job in the UK is calculated by considering the basic gross pay as well as any allowances you may be paid during your stay in the UK.

If your sponsor does not offer you a salary that is at or above the threshold salary, your visa application will be turned down.

If you have already been refused the visa for this or another reason, an immigration solicitor UK at Adam Bernard’s law office can help you with the process of appeal. With the help of our immigration lawyers, you can seek a review or appeal the decision.

Overseas Work Requirement

As an overseas worker seeking to come and work in the UK on an Expansion Worker visa, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Your overseas employers and your UK sponsor must be linked through common control or ownership
  • You must have worked for your overseas employer for a cumulative duration of at least 12 months before the date of your visa application

You can seek an exemption from these requirements if you meet the following criteria:

  • Your gross annual salary, based on up to a maximum of 48 hours per week, is £73,900 per year or more
  • You are a Japanese national establishing the UK location of a business that qualifies under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

If you meet either of the two criteria listed above, you don’t have to meet the overseas work requirements. With the help of some of the best business immigration solicitors in London, our law firm can help you determine whether or not you qualify for an exemption.

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Job Skill Level Requirement

To be eligible for this visa category, the job you intend to undertake must be included on the list of eligible jobs maintained by the Home Office.

In addition, the job must also meet a minimum skill requirement of RQF Level 6. This is equivalent to a job requiring graduate-level skills. You are not obliged to have a graduate degree to do the job. However, your work experience and other qualifications must deem you suitable for the role.

The Home Office considers your skills and qualifications to see if you meet the eligible job’s requirements. This is why your UK sponsor needs to choose the right occupation code when issuing you a CoS. You can consult an immigration solicitor UK to see if your CoS has the right code.

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Financial Requirements

You must show that you can financially support yourself once you are in the UK. This involves proving that you have cash funds of at least £1,270 available. You must have held these funds for at least 28 consecutive days in the 31 days immediately before your application.

You are exempt from this requirement if you are already in the UK with permission to stay for 12 months or more at the time of your application.

If any eligible dependents are to join you in the UK, separate financial requirements apply. You will need to show cash funds of £285 for your spouse or partner, £315 for one child, and £200 for each subsequent child.

You can consult some of the best immigration solicitors at London-based Adam Bernard’s law office to know the exact financial obligation that applies to your case. Our immigration lawyers offer tailored help and guidance on each case.

Get in touch with our expert UK Expansion Worker Solicitors today.

Applying for a UK Expansion Worker Visa

The application for a UK Expansion Worker visa is submitted online. You must ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements and have the relevant documentation on hand when you apply.

You can apply up to 3 months before the date you are to start your work in the UK. This date is noted on the CoS provided by your UK sponsor. It is generally recommended that you apply as early as possible. This gives you time enough to rectify any errors or handle a possible refusal from the Home Office.

As part of the application process, you will be required to submit the relevant documents. These may include:

  • Proof of identity and nationality, such as a passport or a travel document
  • Documentation to prove that you have been working for your overseas employer outside the UK for at least 1 year
  • Proof of funds such as bank statements to show that you can meet your financial obligations as noted above
  • Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed and approved A-rated UK sponsor
  • TB test certificate, depending on your country of origin
  • Biometric details such as photographs and fingerprints, depending on your country of origin

If your biometric details are required, you may have to book an appointment at your nearest visa application centre. Your biometric details will be collected on the scheduled date for which you must pay a small fee. If you’re not sure how to book your appointment, you can consult our immigration lawyers.

Visa Application Fee and Processing Time

The basic visa application fee for a UK Expansion Worker visa is £259. In addition, you must also pay a healthcare surcharge. This surcharge is charged by the year and is £624. You are required to pay it for each year of your stay in the UK.

You may also need to consider additional costs when applying for this visa. For instance, it costs a UK business £536 to apply for a Temporary Worker sponsor license. Your UK sponsor must have this license to be able to hire you as an overseas worker. The sponsor must also pay a fee of £21 to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

Once you submit your application and pay the relevant fees, the Home Office will take around 3 weeks to process the application if it was submitted from outside the UK. Applications from within the UK are processed within 8 weeks.

The actual processing time may vary depending on other factors. For instance, if your application is incomplete or the Home Office couldn’t verify the documents for some reason, you may be contacted to remedy these issues. This can cause further delays.

It is best to consult a reliable UK Expansion Worker visa solicitor before you submit your application. An experienced immigration solicitor UK will help you ensure that your application is complete so that your odds of a quick and positive outcome are significantly improved.

Adam Bernard’s law office is home to some of the best immigration solicitors in London. You can consult us for legal help, guidance, and advice.

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After Getting a UK Expansion Visa

Once you receive your visa, you have leave to stay and work in the UK for:

  • 12 months from the starting date of your UK job, or
  • 14 days after the ending date of your UK job

Of these two, the briefer period will be considered to determine the validity of your visa. You can seek a visa extension before it expires. An extension allows you to stay up to a maximum of 12 months, after which you can’t apply for further extension.

Under the UK Global Business Mobility visa rules, you can’t spend any more than 5 out of 6 years in the UK on a GBM visa. This applies to the UK Expansion Worker visa as well.

Depending on your previous record, you may not be able to live in the UK up to the maximum permitted period on your Expansion Worker visa. This is when you have already spent considerable time in the UK on other GBM visas. You can seek the advice of an immigration solicitor UK to see if you can seek an extension

How Can Adam Bernard’s Lawyers Help?

The business immigration lawyer at the London-based Adam Bernard’s law office offer tailored help and guidance for your visa application. We have some of the best immigration solicitors in London who can assist you no matter the type of company, industry, or job that applies to you.

We can help your business expand into the UK and ensure that your workers can come to the UK for work. With the help of an immigration solicitor UK, you can discern how to navigate the complicated Home Office rules, get a sponsor license, meet various requirements, and speed up the whole process.

You can get in touch with our immigration lawyers to set up a free preliminary consultation where you share the details of your case. This is where we tell you how our professional and legal assistance can aid you in getting UK Expansion Worker visas.

Call us today at 0207-100-0505 to schedule a free consultation with some of the best immigration solicitors in London.

Get in touch with our expert UK Expansion Worker Solicitors today.

0207 100 2525