The Expansion Worker visa is part of the UK’s Global Business Mobility routes. It allows senior managers or specialist employees of an overseas company to come to the UK to set up a branch or subsidiary of their business.
It replaced the old Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa. Unlike that route, the Expansion Worker visa requires a UK sponsor license from the overseas company’s UK branch.
This visa is designed for businesses that do not yet have a trading presence in the UK but want to expand operations into the country.
You may qualify if you:
Allows foreign businesses to expand into the UK market legally.
Provides a pathway for key staff to establish the new branch.
Can be used by multiple employees if more than one person is needed to set up operations.
Family members (spouse/partner and children) can join as dependents.
After the UK branch is set up and trading, workers may switch to other visas (such as Skilled Worker) for longer-term settlement routes.
Mei Ling, a senior operations manager from China, is sent by her company to London to open their first UK branch. She applies under the Expansion Worker visa to oversee the new office setup.
Carlos, an IT director from Brazil, moves to the UK to launch his company’s new Manchester subsidiary, bringing his wife and children as dependents.
Up to 12 months initially, with the possibility to extend for another 12 months. The maximum time allowed is 2 years.
No. Time spent on an Expansion Worker visa does not directly count toward settlement. However, once the UK branch is trading, you may be able to switch to a different work visa that leads to settlement.
Yes. Your spouse/partner and children under 18 can apply as dependents.
Yes. The overseas business must have a linked UK entity with a sponsor license to issue certificates of sponsorship.
No. You may only work for your sponsoring employer.