UK Expansion Worker Visa 

Expansion Worker Visa Guidance – What is the UK Expansion Worker visa?

The UK Expansion Worker visa is one of the Global Business Mobility visa routes. The Global Business Mobility visa routes allow foreign workers to take a temporary work assignment in the UK. In the case of the UK Expansion Worker visa, it is meant to enable senior managers and/or specialist employees from abroad to set up a branch of their business in the UK —provided that such business is not already trading in the UK.

This UK worker visa lets applicants reside in the UK for 12 months after the start date of the job on the certificate of sponsorship or the time given on it plus 14 days —whichever is shorter.

UK Expansion Worker visa requirements

This UK worker visa requires the applicant to sum 60 points between:

• A valid certificate of sponsorship for the job they will be doing in the UK (20 points). 
• The job must be on the list of eligible occupations (20 points).
• A minimum eligible salary that’s required for that kind of job, not including other pay and benefits (20 points).

While fulfilling the points requirement is mandatory in all the Global Business Mobility visa routes, the UK Expansion Worker visa also has non-points requirements, such as:

• The financial requirement. If the applicant has not been previously living in the UK for at least 12 months, they must show funds of at least £1,270 on a 28-day period. 
• The overseas work requirement. Applicants for this UK worker visa must have worked for the sponsor and/or any linked businesses outside the UK for at least one year.
• The maximum length of assignments requirement. The maximum length of time an applicant can hold permission in the Global Business Mobility visa routes is 5 years in a 6-year period.

Moreover, applicants for the UK Expansion Worker visa must have a tuberculosis certificate if they are from certain countries.

Conditions of grant of the UK Expansion Worker visa

Applicants for this UK worker visa can only have the job for which they’ve been sponsored, plus voluntary work. Applicants must not have access to public funds and are not eligible to settle in the UK permanently. 

UK Expansion Worker visa fees

Applicants will be told exactly how much they have to pay when they apply for this UK worker visa, but in general, UK Expansion Worker visa fees involve:

• An application fee of £259.
• An Immigration Healthcare Surcharge of £624 per year (normally).

Furthermore, applicants must have personal savings of at least £1,270 for 28 days in a row. Evidence of this will be requested so that applicants can show that they can support themselves when they arrive in the UK.

How to apply for the UK Expansion Worker visa

UK Expansion Worker visa application can be carried out online. If they are eligible, the applicant’s partner and children can be included in the application, too. 

Required documents for the UK Expansion Worker visa

• Certificate of sponsorship, including the name of the applicant’s employer and their own sponsor license number.
• Valid passport or other documents to prove the applicant’s identity. 
• Job title and annual salary. 
• Job’s occupation code.
• Bank statements or other financial evidence that show the applicant’s personal savings.
• Proof of relationship between the applicant and their spouse and/or children (if they are applying with him or her).
• Tuberculosis certificate.

Translation of documents

All the Global Business Mobility visa routes require documents to be in English or Welsh. If that’s not the case, the applicant must provide a certified translation from a professional translator or a translation firm that the Home Office can verify.

If the translation can’t be certified and verified, the documents won’t be accepted.

How to extend the UK Extension Worker visa

The UK Extension Worker visa can be extended for 12 months. The UK Expansion Worker visa extension can be requested if:

• At the time of expiration, the applicant is still doing the same job for the same employer who provided the previous certificate of sponsorship.
• The job has the same occupation code. 
• The applicant has not reached their maximum total stay in the UK, which is 2 years for this visa.

The applicant’s family must apply for the renewal of this visa separately. 

Required documents for the UK Expansion Worker visa extension include biometric information and other supporting documents that prove the applicant’s identity. 

In order to do this, applicants can scan their identity document in the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or provide their fingerprints and a photograph at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS). This depends on the applicant’s nationality and the type of passport that they own.

How to switch to the UK Extension Worker visa

People living in the UK with another visa may be able to switch to the UK Extension Worker visa, as long as they are not on immigration bail and do not currently have the following types of visas:

• A visit visa
• A seasonal worker visa
• A short-term student visa, or a visa for parents of a child student
• A domestic worker in a private household visa
• A special permission to stay in the UK outside normal UK immigration rules, such as on compassionate grounds.

Receiving decision on the UK Extension Worker visa

Once applicants submit their application and required documents, they can expect to receive a decision within 8 weeks if they are in the UK and 3 weeks if they are abroad. (Note: The UK Government has warned that currently, it could take longer to get a decision for people applying from abroad).

The decision on a UK Expansion Worker visa application is usually communicated via email or letter. Successful applicants will receive a sticker (called “vignette”) to put in their passport (if they provided biometric information at a visa application center) or access to their immigration status information online (if they proved their identity through the app). 

Applicants will also be informed about the duration and conditions of their UK Expansion Worker visa. 

Rejected applicants can ask for an administrative review or appeal the decision (if they have the legal right to do so). They will be informed about their options in the decision letter or email. 

Frequently asked questions about the UK Extension Worker visa

1. The company I work for is already trading in the UK. Can I still apply for the Expansion Worker visa?

• No, you should try a Senior or Specialist Worker visa instead.

2. Can my partner and children join me while I’m in the UK under the Expansion Worker visa scheme?

• Yes, but they have to be eligible and submit their own applications. Plus, they need to prove that they’re related to you and that they can support themselves while they’re in the UK. Partners should demonstrate that they have a marriage, a civil partnership, or a 2-year period of cohabitation with you. Children over 16 years old must live with you and depend financially on you to qualify. 

3. I have previously resided in the UK with another visa, will that time count when I’ll renew the UK Expansion Worker visa?

• Yes. You can live in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in a 6-year period under the intra-company Graduate Trainee visa, intra-company Transfer visa, and other Global Business Mobility visa routes. The time that you’ve spent in the UK under these visas will be taken into account when you apply for the UK Expansion Worker visafor the first time or to obtain an extension. 

4. Is there a time limit to apply for the UK Expansion Worker visa?

• You can apply for this visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. 

5. Can I travel abroad while I’m in the UK with the Expansion Worker visa?

• Unless you are waiting for a decision regarding a visa extension, you can travel abroad and return to the UK as you wish with the Expansion Worker visa.