The Sole Representative visa category is suitable for a senior employee of an overseas business that wishes to set up and run a UK branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of the overseas parent company in the UK.
To qualify for this visa, the overseas parent company must be an active and trading overseas business with its headquarters and principal place of business outside the United Kingdom. The overseas parent company must have no other active branch, subsidiary or representative in the UK. The subsidiary company that is setup under the Sole Representative visa must trade in the same business activity as the overseas business, although the overseas parent company must maintain the centre of its operations overseas.
To qualify for this visa, the applicant must be an existing senior employee of the overseas business and recruited outside of the UK. The applicant also needs to have the skills, experience and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role of sole representative in the UK. They must have full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business, and either a majority stake in, ownership or control of the overseas business, whether that be by means of a shareholding, partnership, sole proprietorship or any other agreement. The applicant must not engage in business of their own or work for any other business during their time in the UK.