Business visits to the UK can be crucial for building and maintaining relationships with clients, partners, and suppliers. However, ensuring that your representatives have the right visas can be a complex and time-consuming process. If you are planning to send employees to the UK for meetings, negotiations or to promote your business, contact our immigration lawyers for guidance on applying for Business Visit Visas.
how can lexus law help?
- Assess which of your employees require a visa: The Home Office maintains a list of published nationalities that require a visa before arrival; all other nationalities are classed as ‘non-visa nationals’ and can normally enter as a visitor on arrival. We can help you to determine which of your employees fall into either category.
- Prepare your employees for their stay: For any employees requiring a Business Visit Visa, we will assist with the application with speed and efficiency. We can also support non-visa nationals to ensure they have all documentation required for a smooth entry to the UK without a visa.
- Advise on what your staff can do while in the UK: Individuals visiting the UK on a Visitor Visa are prohibited from doing any work (paid or unpaid) for UK companies or as a self-employed person. We can verify whether the tasks you intend your employees to execute will be covered by a Standard Visitor Visa, or if a work visa will be required instead.
Speak to our team
If you are planning to send employees to the UK to conduct business on your behalf, contact us to find out how we can help you get the right visas quickly and efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which visa will my staff need to apply for?
This will depend on a number of factors including the employee’s nationality, how long they intend to stay in the UK, and the activities they plan to conduct while here. In most cases a Standard Visitor Visa will be sufficient for stays of less than six months.
Who needs to apply for a visa before arriving in the UK?
The Home Office publishes a list of nationals who must apply for a visa before travelling to the UK. Click here to access the visa national list.
All other nationalities can usually seek entry as a Visitor on arrival to the UK; please see the link above for exceptions stipulated by the Home Office. If you’re planning to obtain a visitor visa on arrival, you must make sure you’re eligible before travelling and you’ll need to have the required documentation ready to present to border enforcement officers. With this in mind, you may still wish to seek legal advice to make sure that you have everything you need for smooth entry into the UK.
What activities can Business Visit Visa holders undertake?
The following business activities are permitted by UKVI on a Standard Visitor Visa:
- Attend meetings, interviews, conferences, and seminars
- Give a one-off or short series of non-commercial talks and speeches; neither yourself (the visitor) nor the business can make a profit for these activities
- Take part in negotiations
- Sign deals and contracts
- Attend trade fairs (direct selling is prohibited, so trade fairs must only be attended for promotional purposes)
- Carry out site visits and inspections
- Take part in work-related training (only if the training is not available in your home country)
- Deliver training to UK employees of your overseas organisation
While in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa, you must not undertake any paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or as a self-employed person.
Our Process
01.
Contact us to book your complimentary consultation.
If you need trustworthy legal advice regarding immigration in the UK, we would be pleased to help. Fill in our contact form with a brief overview of your situation and we will be in touch as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation with our immigration law experts.
02.
Let us review your circumstances and provide a quotation.
During your free consultation, we will provide guidance on how we can support you with your immigration needs. Once we have assessed your current situation and objectives, we will advise on the best course of action and will supply a quotation for our recommended services.
03.
Leave the complex legal matters to our dedicated immigration lawyers.
Once you have approved the quote, we will supply you with our full terms of business. After the terms have been agreed to, we will work closely with you (or on your behalf where appropriate) to achieve your immediate and long-term UK immigration goals.