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The UK business visitor visa allows foreign nationals from non-EEA countries to travel to the UK to perform certain business activities. There are a range of business visas available for UK travel, but the business visitor visa specifically falls under the standard visitor visa category. This means that you are allowed to travel to the UK for a short term stay, usually for a period of no longer than six months, for a specific range of business-related activities.
There is a range of different work and business visas available to non-EEA nationals, so it’s important to be clear on whether the visa application you’re submitting will allow you to perform the business activities that you’re travelling to the UK for. For instance, the Skilled Worker Visa allows you to come to the UK for paid work, and the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa will enable you to come to the UK for the purpose of starting and running a business.
The standard visitor visa (business visa) won’t allow you to perform these business activities while staying in the UK. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of all the UK visitor Rules for business persons. Here at the Immigration Advice Service, we always recommend visiting the gov.uk website to check whether the business visitor visa UK will cover your needs.
Permitted activities that you can complete during a short-term stay under the UK business visa include allowing you to:
Attend business appointments such as conferences, meetings, training, seminars, and interviews. As long as you’re not applying for your short-term travel visa for paid or unpaid work, you’ll abide by the conditions of the business visa in UK immigration rules.
Perform either a one-off or short series of talks and speeches. As with all other business activity under the business visitor visa, you can’t perform paid work. As long as your activity is promotional work only, is not organised as commercial events and doesn’t make a profit for the organiser, you’ll be staying within UK immigration laws.
Negotiate and sign business deals or contracts. Agreeing and negotiating trade agreements and other deals for yourself or an overseas employer while travelling to the UK under the business visit visa is permitted under Home Office immigration rules.
Checking international goods and services. If conducting business on behalf of an overseas employer, overseas company or international business, you can take a short term visit to the UK to check goods and services. As long as you plan to receive international business payments for services and trade conducted overseas, you are free to visit the UK to check international goods beforehand.
Attend trade fairs for business purposes, as long as you’re doing so for promotional purposes. You can’t directly sell or make a profit.
Conduct research and gather information for the benefit of business purposes overseas. Activities such as market, industry or technological research are permitted.
Carry out site visits and inspections. For international projects and businesses, there’s often a need to travel overseas for general assessment and evaluation. This is allowed under the business visitor visa.
Liaise with UK customers. Provided that any gainful employment is performed overseas, the UK government allows business visitors to travel to the UK for briefing on UK-based customer requirements or needs.
Search for funding for a UK business. If you’re looking to start, take over, join or run a business in the UK, the business visitor visa will allow you to travel to the UK to search for the funding you need. However, it doesn’t allow you to actually perform these business duties during your short-term stay here – for that, you’ll need the tier 1 innovator visa.
Perform academic research or accompany international students on a study abroad programme. Provided you don’t seek gainful employment whilst in the UK; you’re allowed to travel under the standard visitor visa(business category) to perform unpaid academic work.
Take an exam such as the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) or the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). If you’re planning on coming to the UK as a foreign non-EEA national to live and work as a professional such as a doctor or dentist, you’ll need to prepare in advance. While the short-term business visitor visa won’t let you come to the UK to work, you will be able to visit to sit any necessary examination in preparation.
The business visa UK falls under the standard UK visitor visa and, as such, carries many of the same limitations. UK immigration laws are very strict, and it’s important that you have clarity when putting together your visa application.
If you don’t provide sufficient evidence of your eligibility and intent for travelling to the UK, you risk having your application refused by the Home Office, or being turned down by immigration authorities when you arrive.
While it may seem comprehensive, the UK business visitor visa rules have strict limitations on the business duties you can perform during a short term stay in the UK with the visa.
There is a wide range of different work visas and business visas available for people coming to the UK from the United States, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Australia, and other non-EEA regions, so it’s important to know which visa application is right for you.
Some of the things you can’t do with a business visitor visa include:
Doing paid or unpaid work during your stay. While there are a lot of business activities you can complete with a standard business visa, you can’t perform gainful employment, whether voluntary or not. If you’re working for an overseas company, you need to know that there’s a strict limitation on the work you can do during a short term stay in the UK.
Live or work in the UK for a long period of time. As a category of the standard UK visitor visa, the business visa has a strict restriction on the amount of time you can spend in the UK.
Generally, the business visitor visa doesn’t allow you to stay for any longer than six months, although there are options for overseas nationals who need to visit more frequently, such as long-term visit visas. However, when you make an application for the standard business visa, it’s important to note that this doesn’t cover you for frequent or successive visits.
Receive any public funds. While performing a short term business stay in the UK, you’re not permitted to access any benefits, grants or bursaries from the UK government.
You’ll need to prove evidence of sufficient funds to support your stay and you won’t be able to apply for any business grants or bursaries – even if you’re planning on eventually running, taking over, or joining a UK business.
We know that it can be overwhelming when attempting to decipher which visas allow you to perform which business duties in the UK. You can contact us for support.
Get In Touch To Discover More About The UK Business Visitor Visa
The list of business activities you can and can’t perform under the standard visitor visa (business visitor visa) is long and can be a little confusing. If you’re still unsure as to which work or business visa will cover your needs, the expert immigration lawyers here at We Manage Your Visas are always on hand to provide advice and assistance.
Just get in touch to discover more about how we can help – we provide a fantastic advice package for those needing a guiding hand, and our application package means you’ll get a thorough and comprehensive service with a dedicated caseworker who will help you to collate and strengthen your visa application with supporting documents.
If you’re planning on a business trip to the UK, you should submit your business visitor visa application forms between three months and 48 hours before you expect to travel. The earliest you are allowed to apply is three months before you travel, and we always think the earlier, the better.
Whether you’re applying from outside the UK via a local embassy or through an online application, visa nationals travelling from countries such as India, Pakistan, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and other non-EEA nations should expect a decision on their visa within around three weeks of applying. We have a guide available that shows you on how to track your visa status during the processing period.
However, the visa processing time can be sped up if necessary. If you’ve got an urgent appointment in the UK such as a business interview or conference and you’re willing to pay extra costs in order to make sure you make your appointment, there are priority services available. You could choose either:
The Priority Service, which allows you to ensure that you can collect your decision within five working days of applying. This service isn’t available in every country, so it’s worth checking with your local visa application centre to make sure it’s available if you need it.
The Super Priority Service, which ensures a decision is made within 24 hours of applying. This is a premium service that comes with an additional cost, but is a fantastic option if you’re in a rush to get your visa application approved as quickly as possible. As with the Priority Service, it’s worth checking that this is available in your country by visiting your local embassy or visa application centre first.
If you’re struggling with putting your business visitor visa application together and you’ve got an urgent business appointment in the UK that you can’t afford to miss, our qualified lawyers here at the Immigration Advice Service can help.
We understand that the entire process can be frustrating and overwhelming – that’s why we offer our Fast Track Application Service. We’ll help you to put together a comprehensive application and check all your supporting documents are correct, book you one of the Home Office’s Same-Day Premium slots, and write a supporting Letter of Representation to emphasise the merits of your case. Get in touch with us to find out more.
To be eligible for the UK business visitor visa, it’s important to show the Home Office several general UK business visa requirements:
For your visa application to have the best chance of success, you’ll need to provide a portfolio of supporting documents that prove your eligibility and travel intent.
First and foremost, you’ll need to provide details of your current passport or other valid travel identification. It’s important that you have the right to travel to the UK, but beware that any required documentation you provide will need to have a certified translation if it isn’t in either English or Welsh.
You may also need to provide:
Making sure you have a strong portfolio of supporting documents that emphasise the merits of your case is crucial to a successful visa application. If you’re confused or unsure about how to proceed, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the team here at We Manage Your Visas. Our qualified lawyers have dealt with all aspects of immigration law and are best placed to give you the guidance and assistance you need.
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All standard visitor visas share the same visa fees, and this includes the Business Visa. The cost for a six month short term stay UK visa is £100. However, should you wish to apply for one of the long-term visit visas, the cost will depend on the length of time you wish to stay for:
Generally speaking, all standard UK visitor visas, including the business visitor visa, are limited to short term stays of no longer than six months. UK immigration rules also restrict you from using short term visas to make frequent or successive visits, although once you have a business visa, you can enter and leave the UK as many times as you would like within your six month visa. However, there are options that allow you to remain in the UK for longer if you need to.
For instance, long-term visit visas are available. These can be obtained for durations of two years, five years or ten years at an extra cost. These allow you to enter and leave the UK without having to reapply for a new visa in this time. But it’s worth noting that you’re still limited to a maximum stay of six months for each individual visit – you’re not permitted to stay in the UK for long term single visits, even with a long term visit visa. UK immigration rules are very strict on this.
If you’re an academic visitor using the business visa in order to come to the UK for research, it’s possible that you might be able to stay for up to twelve months. For academic visitors from non-EEA regions such as America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America and Australia, it’s possible to apply for a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). This will allow you to stay for up to twelve months instead of the usual restriction of six months. It will still be necessary to provide the required documentation proving that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay, and you won’t be able to access public funds while in the UK.
Academic visitors in the UK who choose to stay for longer than six months must still prove that they are highly qualified in their field or industry. You still can’t engage in gainful employment, whether through paid or unpaid work. You’ll need to prove that you’re either carrying out your own research, assisting someone else’s, or taking a temporary and unpaid teaching role in the UK.
If you’ve used the UK business visitor visa to travel to the UK to search for funding or investment, it’s likely that you’re planning to set up a new business in the UK. However, the standard visitor visa (business category included) is a short term visa that only permits you to stay for six months and doesn’t allow you to perform paid or unpaid work while in the UK. If you want to establish a new UK business, you’ll have to take the new innovator route.
Announced by the UK government in April 2019, the tier 1 entrepreneurship visa has been replaced by the tier 1 innovator visa scheme. The new tier 1 innovator visa allows both new and current business owners to either start a new business or move an existing business to the UK. If you’re a current business owner in the United States, China, India, Australia, the Middle East or other non-EEA region and you want to establish yourself in the UK, this is the route for you.
The other main difference between the entrepreneurship visa and the innovator visa is the financial requirement. Before, you needed to prove sufficient funds of £200,000 or more to be eligible, which has since dropped to £50,000. To go ahead with this visa application, you’ll need endorsement and sponsorship from a governing authority. Unlike other visa applications, applying for the tier 1 innovator visa will put your business idea and model under scrutiny. The Home Office will examine and assess your business’s innovation, viability and scalability before making a decision. You’ll also need to meet an English language requirement to at least a B2 level.
If you want further guidance about how best to strengthen your case and give yourself the chance of visa approval, here at We Manage Your Visas we have qualified lawyers experienced in immigration law capable of providing assistance and advice.
If you’ve been invited by and received international payment from a UK business to visit as an expert in your profession, you may be wondering whether the business visitor visa is applicable to you. In fact, there’s a specific visa category that suits your needs – the permitted paid engagement visa. This is a short term visa that allows you to travel with invitation to perform gainful employment in the UK.
Often used by professionals such as academics, performers, researchers and artists, the permitted paid engagement visa allows experts to travel and work in the UK for a short period of time. You may need to provide an invitation letter as part of your visa application. The PPE visa allows you to stay and work in your field for a one month period. If you’re a visiting professor, an overseas scientist or other academic visitor from the United States, South America, Australia, Asia, or other non-EEA regions, the PPE visa will cover you for a one month period of paid or unpaid work.
The permitted paid engagement visa is limited in that it doesn’t allow visitors to bring dependents such as family or friends, receive public funds, or extend their visa beyond the one month period. While staying in the UK under the PPE visa, you are strictly limited to only performing the work in the industry, profession or field for which you have been invited – you can’t undertake any extra work duties while visiting, even if you receive an additional invitation from a UK business. When your visa application forms have been filled in, the visa processing time is concluded and your application has been approved, you’ll receive a clear and definite outline of the work you are allowed to do while visiting the UK.
The exact criteria for applying for the permitted paid engagement visa includes:
You have received an official invitation from a UK-based business, organisation or client. As an expert in a profession such as medicine, dentistry, music, academia, or other similar fields, you may receive a request to visit the UK to perform contract work over a short period of time. This is where a visa application for the PPE visa is applicable. This is an alternative route to being sponsored under the points-based visa system.
You are a foreign visa national from a country outside the EEA (European Economic Area) or Switzerland. If you receive an invitation to visit and work for a UK-based business and you’re a citizen of a European nation within the single market, you won’t need to apply for the PPE visa. However, if you’re a visa national travelling from a non-EEA country such as the United States, China, India, or Australia to perform contract work and business in the UK, you’re eligible for the PPE visa.
You can prove your eligibility and intent to travel to the UK in your visa application. You can check the PPE visa eligibility requirements on the gov.uk website. These include being over 18, intent to travel and remain in the UK for one month only, being able to prove sufficient funds to support and house yourself, as well as proving that you can pay for both your inward and outward journeys
If you’re a visa national who has recently graduated with an undergraduate degree or postgraduate qualification in business such as finance and accounting, economics, marketing or analytics, you’re probably looking for your next step. If you’ve been studying in the UK under a student visa in particular, you might be tempted to try and start a new business in the UK. Fortunately, there’s a specific visa path that is suitable for your needs.
You may be eligible to apply for a visa that allows you a one-year window in which to execute your plan and set up a new business. This is called the startup visa, which recently replaced the tier 1 graduate entrepreneur visa and is available to all recent graduates. The visa can also be extended for a year if your plans prove to be a success.
This is a premium route only available to 2,000 candidates each year, so it’s important to make sure that your visa application is as strong as possible. The startup visa also benefits from a zero required investment compared to standard entrepreneur visas. If your application is a success and your new UK-based business does well, you may be able to apply for a tier 1 entrepreneur visa or tier 1 innovator visa in order to extend your stay in the UK. If you’re successful, these visas grant you an extra 3 years to live and work in the UK, nurturing and growing your business.
If you’re planning to visit the UK in order to invest a large sum of money into a UK business, there’s an alternative route to the standard visitor visa (business category). Instead, you can apply for a tier 1 investor visa, which allows you to enter the UK if you’re investing at least £2 million into UK businesses. This is a high-value migration route, meaning that you don’t need to have a job offer or sponsorship. Your visa application will mainly rely on your ability to provide evidence and supporting documents that prove your ability to invest at least the required amount within three months of receiving your visa.
You won’t need to prove any English language ability either, making the tier 1 investor visa a great option for investors, and opens up the possibility of securing British citizenship in the future. With the investor visa, you’re permitted to work and engage in business activities in the UK, with a restriction on property development.You won’t be able to invest in companies engaged in property development or management, and you won’t be able to access public funds while in the UK. You’re eligible for the tier 1 investor visa if you:
When putting together your investor visa application, you’ll need to prove you have sufficient funds for investment and that these funds are free to be transferred to the UK.
Unlike the standard visitor visa (business visa), the investor visa is a long term option, allowing you to stay in the UK for a maximum of three years and four months, although this can be extended for an additional two years. After this period, you’ll have the option to settle permanently in the UK with further investment.
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