Immigration Services UK

A representative office is often used as an interim step before establishing a branch office; it can only be set-up when your legally established company does not already have a branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK. If the company has a legal entity in the UK, but this does not transact business, you may still be able to come here as its sole representative.

To come to the UK as an overseas parent company's sole representative, you must be a senior employee (but not a majority shareholder in the company) who intends to establish a commercial presence for the company in the UK. This may be a registered branch or a wholly owned subsidiary concerned with the same type of business activity as the parent company.

You must have full authority to take operational decisions on the company's behalf. To show why you have been appointed, you must be able to demonstrate a very good track record in the same or a closely related field of work.

If the company has previously employed a sole representative here, who has left the UK at an early stage before the UK branch or subsidiary has found premises or started to trade, you may be allowed to come here as a replacement sole representative.

You must also be able to demonstrate your English language ability.

Our Service will include

• Supplying a checklist for all documents to be submitted
• Confirmation of the office where documents must be submitted
• Streamlining supplementary documents
• Handling legal questions received from the authorities
• General advice/instruction during the application process

A QUICK AND SIMPLE WAY FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO MOVE TO THE UK

Introduction

The opportunity exists to move to the UK now and to facilitate this we offer entrepreneurs a flexible package of services to manage all or some of the following:-

• Immigration services for the entrepreneur and their dependants
• UK Company Formation and tax authority registration
• Bank account set-up
• Introduction of existing businesses seeking investment

Overview

If you are a non-EU citizen wanting to move to the UK and you have £200,000 to invest, the Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa is an extremely interesting opportunity.

The Entrepreneur visa is ideal for a non-EU business person who wishes to start a business or to invest in an existing business in the UK. This should be of great interest to experienced business people who wish to move to the UK with their dependants.

Who Can Apply?

The application can be made by either one Non-EU entrepreneur or an entrepreneurial team of two business partners.

Requirements

You will have to demonstrate to the authorities that you have £200,000 available to invest in a UK company as well as sufficient funds to support yourself and any family members that move with you to the UK and be able to demonstrate proficiency in English.

You must invest £200,000 directly into a company in the UK and during your first three years must employ two additional full time staff for at least 12 months each.

Another important requirement is that you must be actively involved in the business and registered as a Director or as Self-Employed.

What Permission Will You Receive?

If you application is successful you will receive permission to reside for an initial period of up to 3 years and 4 months. This will include permission for dependants (spouse/partner, and children below the age of 18)

Towards the end of this initial term you can apply for an extension. At this point the authorities will check to see if you have fully met the conditions of your visa such as the investment of £200,000 and employment of two resident workers. If you are meeting all of the conditions and a visa extension is granted you will receive an extension of two years

After five years of living and working in the UK you will be eligible to apply for permanent residency with the opportunity to become a citizen after six years.

Benefits

• A visa can be granted in a matter of weeks
• This is a route to permanent residence after five years and citizenship after six years if you continue to meet the criteria
• There is an early route to permanent residence if you create ten or more full time jobs for settled workers or if the business is generating at least £5 million of income

Our Service

• Supplying a checklist for all documents to be submitted
• Confirmation of where documents must be submitted
• Streamlining supplementary documents
• Handling legal questions received from the authorities
• General advice/instruction during the application process

The Tier 1 Investor category is for high-net-worth individuals who want to make a substantial financial investment in the UK and live there.

You do not need a job offer to apply in this category. The UK authorities will assess your application based on your ability to invest £1,000,000 in the UK.

If you successfully apply for a visa under Tier 1 (Investor) from outside the UK, you can come to the UK for a maximum period of 3 years and 4 months. Towards the end of this period, you must apply to extend your stay if you want to continue living there.

If you successfully apply to extend your stay under Tier 1 Investor, you will receive permission to stay for a further 2 years.

Exemption from English language and maintenance requirements

Most other applicants under the points-based system must demonstrate their English language ability and show that they have enough money to support themselves. You will not need to meet these requirements.

Our Service will include

• Supplying a checklist for all documents to be submitted
• Confirmation of the where documents must be submitted
• Streamlining supplementary documents
• Handling legal questions received from the authorities
• General advice/instruction during the application process

If you have been offered a skilled job in the UK and your prospective employer is willing to sponsor you, you can apply to come or remain to do that job.

The Tier 2 (General) category is for foreign nationals who have been offered a skilled job to fill a gap in the workforce that cannot be filled by a settled worker.

Limit on Tier 2 General workers applying from abroad

For the year from 6 April 2011 to 5 April 2012, a maximum of 20,700 skilled workers can come to the UK under Tier 2 (General) to do jobs with an annual salary below £150,000.

There is no limit on the number of workers coming to the UK to do jobs with an annual salary of £150,000 or above.

Sponsorship

You must have a licensed sponsor, who will assign you with a certificate of sponsorship before you can apply to come to the UK to work.

How long can you stay in the UK?

If you successfully applied from outside the UK, you can come under a Tier 2 General for a maximum of 3 years plus 1 month, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 1 month, whichever is shorter. This period must begin no more than 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.

If you were already in the UK and you successfully applied to switch into Tier 2 (General) from another immigration category, you can remain for a maximum of 3 years, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. This period will begin on the start date given on the certificate of sponsorship. If your application was

decided early, you can stay in the UK between the date of thek decision and the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.

You may be able to apply for settlement in the UK when you have been here for some time.

This category is for employees of multinational companies who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a UK branch of the organisation, either on a long-term basis or for frequent short visits. There are 4 sub-categories:

Long-term staff

For established, skilled employees to be transferred to the UK branch of their organisation for more than 12 months to fill a post that cannot be filled by a new recruit from the resident workforce

Short-term staff

For established, skilled employees to be transferred to the UK branch of their organisation for 12 months or less to fill a post that cannot be filled by a new recruit from the resident workforce

Graduate trainee

This route allows the transfer of recent graduate employees to a UK branch of the same organisation, as part of a structured graduate training programme which clearly defines progression towards a managerial or specialist role

Skills transfer

This route allows the transfer of new graduate employees to a UK branch of the same organisation to learn the skills and knowledge required to perform their job overseas, or to impart their specialist skills or knowledge to the UK workforce.

You must demonstrate that you have enough funds to support yourself and any family members that accompany you.

When your permission to stay expires, you must leave the UK. You will not be able to apply to return here under Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) for 12 months after your permission expires.

When can you come to the UK?

You can enter the UK up to 14 days before the job's 'start date', which was given by your sponsor in your certificate of sponsorship.

Conditions of your stay

If you are given permission to stay in the UK, the only work you are allowed to do is: the job described in your certificate of sponsorship, working for your sponsor; and

an extra job in the same sector and at the same level, provided that you do not work more than 20 hours per week in that job; voluntary work.

Changing your job

You will need to make a 'change of employment' application if you want to start a new job with a different employer.

A 'change of employment' application is treated in the same way as an initial application under Tier 2. You must have a new certificate of sponsorship and you must meet all the points requirements - this means that your sponsor will need to carry out a new resident labour market test unless your new job is on the shortage occupation list or you are applying in the Tier 2 (Intra Company Transfer) category.

If your job ends

If your job ends before your permission to stay expires, it is likely that your permission to stay will be limited to 60 days. If you want to stay in the UK beyond that time, you will need to make a new application.

The UK authorities will not limit your permission to stay if your permission to stay will expire in less than 6 months anyway.