Business Visitor Visa

What is Business Visitor Visa?

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When you visit the UK to conduct business activities, travellers from some countries must obtain a UK Standard Visitor Visa prior to entry. This visa permits you to conduct business activities subject to relevant conditions and represent a foreign business in the UK for a period of up to six months. It also permits attendance to study for up to 30 days if desired.

Academics coming to the UK on a sabbatical are permitted to remain up to 12 months, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. It is recommended that the visa application is prepared diligently because at times, visas are getting refused for even a small error.

If your business requires you to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, you can apply for a visa that lasts two, five, or ten years.  However, you can only stay for a maximum of six months on each visit.

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Permitted Activities Under a Business Visit Visa

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The UK Business Visitor Visa allows foreign nationals to engage in various short-term business activities during their stay in the UK, typically up to six months. The permitted activities under this visa include, but are not limited to, the following:

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• Attend activities essential for maintaining and developing business relationships, such as conferences, meetings, training sessions, seminars, and interviews.

• Give one-off or short series of talks and speeches, provided these are not organized as commercial events and do not generate profit.

• Negotiate and finalize business deals or contracts, including trade agreements, on behalf of yourself or an overseas employer.

• Carry out market, industry, or technological research to gather valuable information for your overseas business

• Carrying Out Site Visits and Inspections: Perform site visits and inspections, which are crucial for overseeing projects and assessing business conditions.

• Liaising with UK Customers: Meet with UK-based customers to understand their requirements, ensuring that any subsequent work is completed outside the UK.

• Advising, Consulting, and Troubleshooting: Advise, consult, and troubleshoot on specific internal projects with UK employees within the same corporate group. These activities should not involve direct client interaction

• Provide training and share skills and knowledge with UK employees, focusing on internal projects within the same corporate group. This activity should support internal development and not involve direct client work.

• Perform regulatory or financial audits at UK branches within the same group of companies. This includes ensuring compliance with internal policies and regulations.

• Engage in client-facing activities, such as advising or consulting, provided these are incidental to their overseas employment. This is allowed if the activities are necessary for delivering a project or service managed by the UK branch and not directly by the overseas employer to the UK client.

Restrictions of a Business Visit Visa

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Despite the Business Visit Visa permitting various business activities, certain restrictions apply to ensure the visa is used strictly for short-term business purposes and not as a means to gain employment or establish a long-term presence in the UK.

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• Prohibited Employment and Work Activities: You cannot work for a UK company or be self-employed, except in the case of a permitted paid engagement. This includes taking employment, doing unpaid work, or engaging in a work placement or internship.

• Directly selling goods or services to the public is also prohibited. This includes attending trade fairs with the intention to sell products.

• Business visitors are not eligible to receive public funds, business grants, or bursaries. This rule applies even if you plan to eventually run, take over, or join a UK business. You must demonstrate sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay without recourse to public funds.

• Frequent or successive visits intending to establish residency or work in the UK for extended periods are not permitted. This can lead to visa refusal if the immigration authorities suspect such intent.

• There are no strict restrictions on the duration of attendance at conferences. However, the activity should not be considered work, and conferences are generally expected to last no more than a couple of weeks.

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Who Can Apply for the UK Business Visitor Visa?

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You can apply for a UK Visitor Visa for business purposes if you are:

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• Coming to the UK for a conference, meeting or training

• Taking part in a specific sports-related event

• An artist, entertainer or musician and coming to the UK to perform

• An academic and are doing research or accompanying students on a study abroad programme

• A doctor or dentist and are coming to the UK to take a clinical attachment or observer post

• Taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

• Seeking to obtain funding or investment to start, take over, join, or run a business in the UK

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To apply for a UK Business Visit Visa, you need to prove the following:

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• You will conduct business activities in the UK for less than six months, and have planned to leave the UK after this time

• You have money to support and accommodate yourself and your dependents without relying on any public funds in the UK

• You can pay for your onward journey

• You are conducting permitted business activities only

• In the case of long-term UK Standard Visitor Visa, reasons that you are required to frequently visit the UK for permitted business purposes

How Do I Apply for the UK Business Visitor Visa?

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Applications for a UK Business Visitor Visa are made online, unless you are from North Korea.  You will need to have your biometric information such as fingerprints and photograph taken at your local Visa Application Centre. Our lawyers have proven record of success getting Business Visitor Visa for clients and they will guide you through every process.

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What Documents Will I Need to Provide for the UK Business Visitor Visa?

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Failure to submit the correct documentation is one of the most common reasons for a UK Visitor Visa being refused.  Our immigration lawyers can assist you with collating and submitting the required documents, which include (this list is not exhaustive):

• A valid passport or travel document

• Bank statements which show you can support yourself

• Evidences of your purpose of the visit

• Evidences that you will leave the UK at the end of six months

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The Business Visit Visa is an excellent route for international business professionals seeking to engage in short-term business activities in the UK. KP Immigration has assisted many individuals and companies in obtaining these visas, with our team of immigration lawyers offering expert legal guidance to ensure that your application is thorough and compliant with UK Visa and Immigration regulations.