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Inpiduals who wish to visit the UK to undertake permitted business activities on a short-term basis can look at the Business Visitor Visa. It is a form of Standard Visitor Visa. Before coming to the UK to carry out business activities as a visitor, you may wish to check what activities are permitted and what activities are prohibited.
This post explains the UK Business Visitor Visa requirements and the activities that are permitted when travelling to the UK as a Business Visitor. If you need more information about visiting the UK for the purpose of tourism or leisure, we have prepared a post on UK Visitor Visa (tourism and leisure) FAQs.
1. UK Business Visitor Visa Requirements
When applying for a UK Business Visitor Visa, you must meet the following requirements:
- Be genuinely seeking entry to the UK for a purpose that is permitted under the Visitor route;
- Not undertake any prohibited activities;
- Will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
- Not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home;
- Have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs of your visit;
- Not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.
The Home Office may consider your previous immigration history and your family and economic ties. In our previous post, UK Visit Visa: How to Prove That You Are a ‘Genuine Visitor’, we explored the type of documents that might assist in proving that you are a genuine visitor.
2. What Activities Are Permitted on a UK Business Visitor Visa?
Prior to coming to the UK on a Business Visitor Visa, it is important to be aware of the type of activities you are permitted to carry out so that the Home Office does not think that you are making the UK your main place of work. The permitted activities are set out in Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities.
A visitor holding the UK Business Visitor Visa may work remotely for their overseas employer, such as replying to emails and participating in remote meetings whilst in the UK. Remote activity in the UK must not be the primary reason for the trip to the UK.
There are different permissible business activities, and you may wish to seek legal advice to ensure that you will not be carrying out prohibited activities.
General Business Activities
A Business Visitor Visa allows you to attend conferences or seminars. This can include attending trade fairs and carrying out site inspections. The Home Office guidance states the reasonable length of a conference to be:
“There is no restriction on the duration of a conference, but it would be reasonable to expect the activity to last no more than a couple of weeks. Where a conference is longer, you should check that it does not amount to work.”
Intra-Corporate Activities
As an employee of an overseas-based company, you may be able to come to the UK to support UK employees on a specific internal project. This includes advising and consulting as well as sharing skills and knowledge.
If you are coming to the UK as an internal auditor, you may carry out regulatory or financial audits at a UK branch of the same group.
Manufacturing and Supply of Goods
Where there is a contract between a UK company and the overseas company, an employee of the overseas company may visit the UK to carry out installation and servicing if the overseas company is the manufacturer or supplier.
Clients of UK Export Companies
To fulfil a contract, an overseas company may send its employees to its client in the UK to oversee delivery of the contract. The two companies must not be part of the same corporate group.
Overseas Roles Requiring Specific Activities in the UK
The Immigration Rules also set out specific activities that are permitted and this includes translators, personal assistants and journalists.The Rules also provide provisions for drivers on an international route and seafarers working on a vessel.
3. Activities Not Permitted on a UK Business Visitor Visa
Business visitors coming to the UK are prohibited from undertaking paid or unpaid work, and this includes activities that amount to employment, self-employment or doing an internship. Activities that include filling a role or providing short-term cover for a role in a UK company are not permitted. You must not receive payment for any activities undertaken in the UK unless it falls under the specified circumstances, such as reasonable expenses to cover travel and subsistence, or permitted paid engagements which we have set out in further details below.
4. UK Business Visitor Visa Application Process
An application for a UK Business Visitor Visa must be made online.You can select the validity for a period of six months, two, five or 10 years. However, the maximum time you can spend in the UK on each visit is up to six months. The application fee is £135 for a standard six-month visa, and the published processing time for a Business Visitor Visa is three weeks.
5. Electronic Travel Authorisation for Business Visitors
If you are a non-visa national, you must apply for the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before arriving in the UK. An ETA is a digital permission to travel for non-visa nationals. An ETA costs £20 and allows multiple journeys to the UK. You must apply online and receive an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK. An ETA lasts for two years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.
Visa nationals listed in section VN 1.1 of Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list must obtain entry clearance before travelling to the UK as a visitor.
6. Permitted Paid Engagement
The Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visa allows professionals to come to the UK to carry out specific paid activities, which must be completed within 30 days of arrival in the UK. These professionals include visiting lecturers, qualified lawyers and sporting professionals.
To be eligible, the engagement must be pre-arranged before travelling to the UK and declared in your visa application or when seeking to enter the UK. The paid engagement must be supported by a formal invitation and related to your area of expertise.
7. Alternative UK Business Visa Routes
If you are looking for visas to work in the UK, we have published various posts on the following business visas, as well as a post on recent UK immigration rule changes:
- Innovator Founder – entrepreneurs and inpiduals who are seeking to establish a business in the UK can consider this route if they have an innovative, viable and scalable business idea, supported by a business plan. You must obtain endorsement from an approved Endorsing Body. Read our recent Innovator Founder Route Guide for more information.
- Skilled Worker – this route allows inpiduals who have a job offer from a UK employer with a sponsor licence to work in the UK.
- Scale-Up Visa – this visa is for highly skilled inpiduals who will be working for a UK Scale-up Sponsor, which is an eligible fast-growing business.
Companies that wish to send their overseas employees to carry out work in the UK for a specified period of time may consider the Global Business Mobility route. This route does not lead to settlement.
8. Contact Our Immigration Barristers
For expert advice in relation to a UK Visit Visa application, contact our immigration barristers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form.
9. Frequently Asked Questions: UK Business Visit Visa
What is a UK Business Visitor Visa?
A UK Business Visitor Visa is a form of Standard Visitor Visa for inpiduals coming to the UK for permitted short-term business activities.
What activities are permitted on a UK Business Visitor Visa?
Permitted activities may include attending conferences or seminars, attending trade fairs, carrying out site inspections, certain intra-corporate activities and specific activities linked to manufacturing, supply or UK export contracts.
Can I work remotely in the UK as a business visitor?
A business visitor may undertake remote activities relating to their overseas employment while in the UK, provided this is not the primary purpose of the trip.
What activities are prohibited on a UK Business Visitor Visa?
Business visitors must not undertake paid or unpaid work, employment, self-employment, internships, or activities that involve filling a role or providing short-term cover for a UK company.
How long can I stay in the UK on a Business Visitor Visa?
A Standard Visitor Visa may be valid for six months, two, five or 10 years, but each visit to the UK is limited to up to six months.
Do non-visa nationals need an ETA for a UK business visit?
Non-visa nationals must apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation before arriving in the UK, unless an exemption applies.
What is a Permitted Paid Engagement?
A Permitted Paid Engagement allows certain professionals to come to the UK for specific paid activities that are pre-arranged, formally invited and completed within 30 days of arrival.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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