If you need to visit the UK from overseas for business purposes, you will need the right type of visa. UK business visit visas will allow you to carry out certain business activities, provided you do not work for a UK company or as a self-employed person.
The UK business visit visa will authorise you to stay in the UK for up to six months. You need to apply for the visa before you travel.
At Halliday Reeves, we regularly prepare business visit visa applications for clients coming to the UK. We can check that this is the right visa for your needs and that you are eligible. We will also make sure that you have the right documents to accompany your business visit visa application.
We deal solely with visas and immigration, meaning we have a high level of expertise in this complex area of law. We can give you the advice you need for a successful application and make sure that the activities you will be undertaking are permitted under the conditions of your visa.
If you would like to discuss how we can help you secure a business visit visa for the UK, call us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form and we will be happy to help.
“Karim was an excellent lawyer, very pleasant to work with and very knowledgeable of the law. I feel the success I’ve had in my application was due to the clear guidance that he provided. There was also a refreshing pace to which he was able to get things done. For any future applications I will happily seek his guidance again.”
Our UK Business Visit Visa Services
We offer a full service in securing a business visit visa, including:
- Advice on whether a business visit visa is the best option for your circumstances
- Preparing business visit visa applications
- Collating documents in support of a business visit visa application
- Advice on other possible visa options open to you
Eligibility For A UK Business Visit Visa
You need to ensure that your purpose for needing to be in the UK means that you are eligible to apply for a business visit visa. Eligible activities include:
- Attending meetings and conferences
- Negotiating contracts and signing deals
- Attending trade fairs to promote your business (but not to sell products)
- Site inspections
- Work-related training that is not available in your home country
- Training UK employees of the overseas company for which you work
- Servicing or advising on equipment, to include computer software and hardware, if your overseas employer has a UK contract
You can also carry out certain activities if your overseas job is included on the government’s list of acceptable professions. This includes if you are employed as a:
- Driver
- Internal auditor
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Market researcher
- Personal assistance
- Professor
- Scientist or researcher
- Sportsperson
- Translator or interpreter
Under a business visit visa you cannot carry out work, either paid or unpaid, for a UK company, nor can you work in a self-employed capacity.
Applying For A UK Business Visit Visa
When you submit your business visit visa application, you will need to provide evidence of the following:
- You have a valid passport or travel document that will be valid for the whole of your stay
- You intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit
- You have sufficient funds to support yourself and any dependants who will be accompanying you
- You have sufficient funds to pay for your return trip
- You do not intend to live in the UK for long periods by making continued visits
We can work with you to identify the right paperwork to supply with your application to demonstrate the above.
Your application for a business visit visa should be made online before you travel to the UK. We can prepare the application on your behalf up to three months before the date on which you intend to travel.
You will need to go to a visa application centre to provide the documents that show you are eligible and to have your photograph and fingerprints taken.
Your application will need to be accompanied by the government’s fee of £115.
UK Visas and Immigration aims to provide a decision within three weeks.
Contact Us For UK Business Visit Visas
Our business visit visa solicitors have wide experience of securing visas for clients in a wide range of circumstances. We can advise you as to eligibility and prepare the strongest possible business visit visa application on your behalf.
We provide business visa advice and representation from our offices in Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Wakefield and Nottingham. To speak to one of our experts, ring us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form.
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