UK Expansion Worker Visa
The UK Expansion Worker route allows an eligible senior manager or specialist employee of an overseas business to come to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary. The UK business must not yet have started trading and must satisfy the relevant sponsorship requirements.
Who This Visa Is For
You may qualify for this visa category if you are:
Overseas businesses that have not yet established an active, trading presence in the UK and want to send a senior employee to set one up
Senior managers or specialists being assigned by their overseas employer specifically to lead UK market entry
Businesses that have already used this route and are now extending it while establishing full trading operations
Companies planning their longer-term UK structure, including the eventual switch to the Senior or Specialist Worker route once trading begins
Routes That Do Not Currently Permit New Dependants
It's important to check this before assuming eligibility. As things stand, new dependants generally cannot be added under:
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Health & Care Worker Visa holders sponsored as care workers or senior care workers (unless the worker has held that visa continuously since before 11 March 2024)
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Standard Visitor and other short-term visit routes
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Most Student Visa holders below PhD/research level, or on courses under 9 months
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Youth Mobility Scheme, Seasonal Worker, and other temporary worker routes
If you're unsure which category your family falls into, this is worth checking with us directly — the cut-off dates for transitional arrangements differ by route and are easy to get wrong.
Eligibility Requirements
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The proposed sponsor and worker must meet the requirements for this route. Relevant matters include the overseas business, its UK expansion plans, the worker’s role and employment history, a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, and the applicable salary and financial requirements. Exceptions to particular requirements must be assessed against the current rules.
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Be under 18 at the time of application (in most cases — a child already in the UK as a dependant who turns 18 during their parent's visa period may, in some circumstances, be able to extend)
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Be the biological, legally adopted, or step-child of the sponsoring parent, with documentary evidence of the relationship
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Not be married, in a civil partnership, or leading an independent life
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Normally live with the sponsoring parent, other than where away at boarding school or university
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Have consent from both parents to relocate to or remain in the UK — unless the sponsoring parent has sole parental responsibility, evidenced by a custody order, court order, or written confirmation of the other parent's absence or incapacity
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Be adequately accommodated and financially supported without recourse to public funds
How We Help — Our Process
Free Initial Consultation
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Financial & Accommodation Evidence
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Application Submission
Ongoing Support
Key Facts
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Visa length: Permission is temporary and may be granted for up to 12 months initially, with a possible extension up to the route’s overall two-year maximum. This route does not lead directly to settlement.
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Immigration Health Surcharge: payable per child, per year of the visa, alongside the application fee
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Processing time: around 3 weeks for applications made outside the UK, or around 8 weeks for in-country applications on work routes; priority services may be available
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Work and study: children can attend UK state or independent schools; there are no work rights for children under 16, and standard part-time/holiday work rules apply from 16
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Settlement: children generally become eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain alongside the sponsoring parent after 5 years of continuous residence, provided they still meet the dependant requirements at that point
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We assess the proposed instruction before confirming whether we can assist with the business sponsorship or worker application. Complex matters requiring representations beyond our authorisation are referred appropriately