A sole representative is someone who will establish a wholly owned subsidiary or register a branch in the UK for an overseas parent company. The firm must have no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK. If the firm has a legal entity in the UK but this does not employ staff or transact business then they could have a sole representative in the UK.

A person must apply for entry clearance as a sole representative before travelling to the UK. Of course, if they are an EEA national or already hold a valid UK immigration status that allows unrestricted working, they do not need to apply for this status.

At first a person will be given permission to stay for 12 months. They can apply for an extension of stay for up to another 3 years. If the sole representative needs to bring a colleague with them to work in the UK a work permit needs to be applied for (unless they are an EEA citizen or qualify to work under another immigration category.

Evidence required for a sole representative visa

A person needs to provide the following:

-  A full description of the parent company's activities with details of assets and accounts;

-  Their job description, salary and contract of employment

They may also need to show evidence that hey:

-  have been recruited and taken on as an employee outside the UK as a representative of a firm which has its headquarters and main place of business outside the UK and which has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK

-  are seeking entry to the UK as a senior employee with full authority to take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas firm for the purpose of representing it in the UK by setting up and operating a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of that overseas firm

-  intend to be employed full-time as a representative of that overseas firm

-  are not be a majority shareholder in that overseas firm

-  are not intend to take employment except as set out above

-  are able to support themselves and any dependants and live without help from public funds.

Sole representative activities

They can - establish a commercial presence for the company in the UK in the form of a registered branch or a wholly owned subsidiary

They cannot - do business of their own or represent any other company's interests.