People coming to the Uk under a business visitor visa can enter the UK for six months for short-term business purposes. Unlike a temporary work visa, a business visitor visa has no option for extension.
Suppose you are a business visitor visa holder. In that case, you can attend business appointments, sign business contracts, do site visits, attend trade fairs, perform short speeches, or gather information for possible overseas employment for your company. Under this visa, you may also look for funding to start a business but are not allowed to perform the actual business duties.
One of the requirements of business visitor visas is proof that you will be leaving the UK as soon as the visit ends. However, the application may be refused if the Home Court recognizes that the applicant has no intention of leaving. To ensure that the preparation and process of the visa are successful, you can hire an Immigration lawyer Newcastle to review your documents before you submit them.
Table of Contents
General Requirements for Business Visit Visa Eligibility
Before applying for this visa, you need to check if you can meet the requirements for eligibility. You need proof that you can support your entire visit in the UK, covering the costs of the return and onward journey and other expenses you spend during your visit.
You should be able to provide details of the business-related activities, including a legal invitation from a legitimate company with whom you are conducting your business. These activities should also comply with the regulations of Visitor visas.
Remember that you cannot do any paid or unpaid work under this visa, and you should not receive any public funds during your visit. You are not allowed to receive any grants from the UK government.
Documents Needed When Applying for a Business Visit Visa
As long as you are eligible, you can start your application by preparing the necessary documents such as a passport, other travel documents, previous immigration records, proof of legal residence from your home country, a legal invitation from the company, accommodation details, and a financial document that can prove that you can support the expenses during your visit.
All documents not in the English language should be translated by an accredited translator before they are submitted. However, the applicant should still provide the documents in the original language.
How Long Will The Application Process Take
Usually, the application process will take up to three weeks as long as all the documents are complete. It is recommended to complete the application in advance to have appropriate time should the immigration officers have issues with the documents submitted.
If you need the visa to be completed in a few days, you can use the priority or super-priority service, which costs £500 and £800, respectively, on top of the visa fees. With this service, the application can be completed within three days for the priority service and within the day for the super-priority service.
Visiting The UK Multiple Times for Business
A long-term business visit visa that lasts for 2, 5, or 10 years if you need to visit the UK regularly for business. However, each visit still allows you to stay for six months per visit.
Business Visit Visa Restrictions
A business visit visa holder is not allowed to participate in any work in the UK, accept employment from a UK company, or receive any payments from a UK source for business activities done during the visit.
Under this visa, you are also not allowed to practice business as a self-employed individual or establish a business in the UK. They are only allowed to do the activities related to your employment overseas. The primary purpose of the visit is to do specific activities and not work remotely from the UK.
You can take job interviews, but once the employment is confirmed, you must leave the UK and apply for a different working visa.
Permitted Activities
Since you are only allowed to do activities relating to your overseas employment, the Home Office shall review your pre-determined activities. Aside from the generally permitted activities, inter-corporate activities such as auditing a UK branch of your company or you are employed as a journalist who needs to gather information for overseas content are allowed.
Conclusion
Previously called a standard visitor visa, the immigration and Home Office is quite strict for individuals who hold a business visit visa. Not following the permitted activities may ban you from re-entering the UK.
