The UK Business Visitor Visa is a form of Standard Visitor Visa for people who want to come to the UK for permitted short-term business activities. It can be used for specific business-related visits, but it does not allow the visitor to work in the UK, fill a UK role, or make the UK their main place of work.
Main requirements
A person applying as a UK business visitor must show that they:
- are genuinely seeking entry to the UK for a permitted visitor purpose;
- will not undertake prohibited activities;
- will leave the UK at the end of the visit;
- will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits or make the UK their main home;
- have enough funds to cover the reasonable costs of the visit;
- do not fall for refusal under Part Suitability.
The Home Office may consider the applicant’s previous immigration history, family ties, and economic ties when assessing whether they are a genuine visitor.
Permitted business activities
Permitted activities are set out in Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities.
A business visitor may carry out some remote work for an overseas employer while in the UK, such as replying to emails or joining remote meetings. However, remote work must not be the main purpose of the trip.
Permitted business activities can include:
- attending conferences or seminars;
- attending trade fairs;
- carrying out site inspections;
- supporting UK employees on a specific internal project as an employee of an overseas company;
- advising, consulting, or sharing skills and knowledge within the same corporate group;
- carrying out regulatory or financial audits at a UK branch of the same group as an internal auditor;
- installation or servicing where there is a contract between a UK company and an overseas manufacturer or supplier;
- overseeing delivery of a contract where an overseas company sends employees to a UK client, provided the two companies are not part of the same corporate group;
- specific activities for certain roles, including translators, personal assistants, journalists, drivers on international routes, and seafarers working on a vessel.
For conferences, Home Office guidance states that there is no fixed restriction on duration, but it would generally be reasonable to expect the activity to last no more than a couple of weeks. If a conference is longer, it may need to be checked to ensure it does not amount to work.
Prohibited activities
Business visitors must not carry out paid or unpaid work in the UK unless it falls within a permitted exception.
Prohibited activities include:
- employment;
- self-employment;
- internships;
- filling a role in a UK company;
- providing short-term cover for a role in a UK company.
A visitor must not receive payment for activities undertaken in the UK unless the payment falls within specified permitted circumstances, such as reasonable expenses for travel and subsistence, or a permitted paid engagement.
Visa length, fees, and processing
A UK Business Visitor Visa application must be made online.
The visa can be issued for:
- six months;
- two years;
- five years;
- 10 years.
Even where the visa is valid for multiple years, each individual visit to the UK is limited to a maximum of six months.
The application fee for a standard six-month visa is £135.
The published processing time is three weeks.
Electronic Travel Authorisation for non-visa nationals
Non-visa nationals must apply for a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before arriving in the UK, unless an exemption applies.
An ETA is a digital permission to travel. It costs £20 and allows multiple journeys to the UK.
Applicants must apply online and receive confirmation by email before travelling.
An ETA lasts for two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.
Visa nationals listed in the Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list must obtain entry clearance before travelling to the UK as a visitor.
Permitted Paid Engagements
A Permitted Paid Engagement allows certain professionals to come to the UK for specific paid activities.
The paid activity must be completed within 30 days of arrival in the UK.
Eligible professionals may include:
- visiting lecturers;
- qualified lawyers;
- sporting professionals.
To qualify, the engagement must be:
- arranged before travel to the UK;
- declared in the visa application or when seeking entry;
- supported by a formal invitation;
- related to the visitor’s area of expertise.
Alternative routes for working in the UK
People who want to work in the UK may need a different visa route rather than a Business Visitor Visa.
Possible alternatives include:
- Innovator Founder, for entrepreneurs seeking to establish an innovative, viable, and scalable UK business with endorsement from an approved endorsing body;
- Scale-Up Visa, for highly skilled individuals working for an eligible fast-growing UK Scale-up Sponsor;
- Global Business Mobility, for companies sending overseas employees to the UK for a specified period.
The Global Business Mobility route does not lead to settlement.
Practical caveats
A UK business visit should be structured around permitted short-term activities only.
The main risk is that the Home Office may view the visit as work, disguised employment, or an attempt to make the UK the visitor’s main place of work or home.
Visitors should be especially careful where the planned activity involves:
- long stays;
- repeated trips;
- work for a UK company;
- payment from a UK source;
- covering a role in the UK;
- extensive remote work while physically in the UK.
Immigration rules and Home Office policy can change, and requirements may vary depending on the visitor’s circumstances.
Source article: immigrationbarrister.co.uk
