A UK expansion worker visa allows an overseas business to establish its presence in the UK by deploying individuals to the UK to work on the business’ expansion. This visa route has replaced the previous sole representative of an overseas business route where an individual was not required to be sponsored.
The main requirements to be met are as follows:
- Unlike the previous sole representative of an overseas business route, the individual being deployed to the UK must be sponsored by the business, and complete the said job in the UK, per their Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Such individuals must be senior personnel of the business and must be working for the business overseas.
- The individual must be paid the minimum eligible salary required for the job.
- The business must not be trading in the UK prior to the individual being deployed. If the business does have UK presence and is already trading in the UK, the business should consider alternative routes such as the Senior or Specialist Worker route.

The maximum time you can stay in the UK on a UK expansion worker visa is 2 years.
Under the UK expansion worker visa, you can bring eligible family members (dependant partner and dependent children) with you.
The Expansion Worker visa route does not lead to settlement. That said, you may extend your visa by 12 months. However, you will not be permitted to stay in the UK on this visa for anytime longer than 2 years.
If you are switching into this route and you are already in the UK, then the time you have already spent under the following routes will be included in your maximum total stay calculations:
- Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
- Intra-company Transfer visa
- Graduate Trainee visa
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa
- Service Supplier visa
- Secondment Worker visa