2022 – Documents required for UK Expansion Worker Visa

The UK recently announced a new category of business visas known as the UK Global Business Mobility visas. The category has 5 visa routes under it, that enables business owners, senior managers and other types of enterprises to enter the UK, contribute to the economy and enhance their businesses.

One of them is the UK Expansion Worker visa. This business route has replaced the old route, suitable for expansion after the closing of the UK Sole Representative visa. Hence, the UK Expansion Worker visa is an option for a refused UK Sole Representative visa application.

Our team in India – Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru have received many queries on the documents required for UK Expansion Worker Visa from India and what the route is. Here’s our team answering these questions, at a glance.

The UK Expansion Worker visa is for foreign nationals who are taking on work assignments in the UK. The expansion worker must work for that foreign company as a senior manager or an expert and looking to go to the UK for projects related to expanding the overseas business in the UK.

There are many benefits of the UK Expansion Worker visa, for the company as well as the employee. The route not only allows you (your business) to expand to the UK and enter an international market, but the applicant can also stay in the UK for 12 months and extend for another year and expand the business and then extend your visa (if you are eligible) for an additional year. A business can send up to 5 employees as expansion workers. The visa holder can bring their partner and children (if they are eligible). The route also allows you to travel abroad and return to the UK. It gives you complete access to healthcare in the UK and free education for children.

In a UK Expansion Worker visa application, the applicant must prove to the Home Office that they can meet all the requirements and have adequate paperwork and documents required for UK Expansion Worker Visa. The Home Office analyses the documents they want to see in expansion worker visa applications according to the job being applied for and other details of the applicant and the business. The application fee costs £259.

Your UK Expansion Worker visa application form must be filled out carefully and submitted along with the fee.
You can either use the app to prove the identity, or you will have to visit the visa application centre for a biometric appointment. The processing time depends on where you’re applying from, it can take up to 3 weeks if you’re applying from outside the UK and 8 weeks if you’re applying from inside the UK.

A certificate of sponsorship refers to a digital document issued by an employer/a business for any UK business sponsored visa routes.

For an overseas hire to be eligible to submit a legitimate visa application as a directly supported employee, a UK employer must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

The Home Office adheres to tight guidelines regarding the timing and application of a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). If the employer doesn’t follow these guidelines, the Home Office may suspend or cancel their sponsor licence.

• Wishes to sponsor the worker,
• Are certain that the worker can comply with all immigration procedures;
• Are qualified to sponsor the person on the appropriate route and
• Agree to the terms and conditions set forth in the SMS (Sponsorship management System)

• Your company will provide you with your certificate of sponsorship reference number,
  Your full name, position, and annual income
• The occupation code for your job
• The name of your employer and their sponsor licence number.
• Proof that you have adequate personal savings to maintain yourself in the UK, such as bank statements.

One thing the applicant will need to understand is the documents required for UK Expansion Worker Visa and how these documents can prove that you have sufficient funds to meet the financial requirement for the Expansion Worker visa route.

• Maintenance funds – The applicant must have at least £1,270 in your bank account for minimum 28 consecutive days. You can show your updated and recent bank statements.
• If the partner is coming along – If your partner and children are coming along as dependants, your bank statements will need to prove that you have –
  • £285 for your partner
  • £315 for one child
  • £200 for each additional child
• You must hold all funds for at least 28 consecutive days.
• You can also include payslips from the employer dating back at least 12 months, to prove you have been an employee of that organization for at least 12 months.

According to the UK immigration rules, the UK Home Office has a list of countries that need to provide a TB-negative certificate. If you are from a country mentioned in the list, you will need to provide a TB certificate.

It can be fairly simple to meet this requirement as most of the essential information is covered in the Certificate of sponsorship; like your – employer, job details, salary, etc.

There is no English language requirement, so many applicants will only need to provide an ID.

A valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality – You will need to submit your valid (current) passport or other valid documentation to show your identity and nationality

Proof of your relationship with your partner or children if they’re applying with you – It is recommended that you submit the birth certificates of any children you share with your partner along with your application. This will support your case for commitment throughout the long term and the duration of your partnership. The genuine relationship requirement may also be met by providing evidence of shared financial obligations.

To prove this, you can provide your payslips from your employer dating back at least 12 months.

– If part of your job requires conducting PhD-level or higher research on a sensitive topic, you will need an ATAS certificate.
– All international students whose immigration to the UK is subject to UK immigration control and who intend to study certain “sensitive” courses there, are subject to the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS).

If you need to give your biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph) at a visa application centre. You’ll be told if you need to do this when you apply.

– This includes evidence you’ve worked for your employer outside the UK for atleast 12 months,
– Other supporting paperwork like bank statements, letter of employer, bank, etc.

If you try applying for a UK Expansion Worker visa yourself, especially if you have a complex business or immigration background, it is advisable to hire an immigration lawyer. Our UK-qualified immigration lawyers are well-versed with the UK business immigration rules and know exactly what the UK Home Office expect from an application. Contact us to book your first consultation.

– Earning over £73,900, or
– Are a Japanese national doing work for a Japanese company expanding to the UK
– If you’re asked, you’ll need to show you’ve been paid by your employer over this time period – online or printed payslips (hard copy), online pay slips with a letter from the employer showing you have been paid in that period

It is essential to meet the eligibility criteria UK Expansion Worker visa, since not meeting these requirements can lead to a refusal of the visa application. Here are the 4 main eligibility criteria for UK Expansion Worker visa.

• A valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer
• Have worked for your employer outside the UK
• Do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• Meet Salary requirements

A rejected application for a UK Expansion Worker visa may result from a lack of understanding of the requirements. Hence, it is crucial to fulfil the conditions for a UK Expansion Worker visa. Here are some types of requirements for UK Expansion Worker visa you will have to meet to qualify for the visa:

• Business Requirements
• Sponsor Requirements
• Period Requirements
• Qualification Requirements
• Salary Requirements
• Financial Requirements
• Language Requirements
• Health Surcharge Requirements

Yes, you can apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa from outside the UK.
Your application’s format will depend on:

• Whether you reside abroad or not (looking to enter the UK)
• You are in the UK (extending your current visa)
• Whether you are within the UK or changing from another route

As part of your application, you must submit identifying documentation. There are many ways to do this, depending on your passport type and place of origin.

£259 – Application fee
£624 – Health surcharge
£1,270 – Cost of living in the UK (unless you are exempt)

Yes. A UK Expansion Worker visa can be extended for up to 1 year if you are eligible. If you have spent time in the UK before on a different visa, you might not be able to stay for as long.

If all the following are true, you can qualify for an extension:

• You continue to work in the same organization as when you were initially granted permission to enter or remain in the UK,
• You were previously granted permission to enter or remain in the UK under the same occupation code.
• You continue to be employed by the company that issued you your most recent sponsorship certificate

To extend their visa, your partner or kids will have to submit a separate application. They can submit an application either at the same time as you or whenever their existing visa expires. The expansion worker can also extend their stay by switching to the UK Skilled Worker visa.

You can bring your children as dependants under the UK Expansion Worker visa route. They will have to make individual applicants and be eligible for the route. If they are eligible, they can fly with the main applicant, to the UK