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Apply for Extension of Sole Representative Of An Overseas Business Visa

: Written by: Arshad Mahmood; Last Updated: 01 May 2026

You can apply for an extension of your sole representative of an overseas business visa from inside the UK if you are already in the UK as the sole representative of an overseas business. An application for the extension of a sole representative of an overseas business visa is made using the online FLR (IR) application form. As a result of a successful application for extension of sole representative of an overseas business visa, the applicant is granted further leave to remain as a sole representative for a further period of 2 years. An application for a sole representative of an overseas business visa can only be submitted through the standard service, as the Home Office UKVI does not offer the Priority or Super Priority Service for extensions of this visa. An application for the extension of a sole representative of an overseas business visa is normally decided by UKVI within 3 to 6 months.

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Free Immigration Advice for Representatives of Overseas Business Visa Extension

Our specialist team of work visa solicitors can provide a one-off, free 5-minute immigration advice session regarding your sole representative visa application. Ask a question online to our specialist team of work visa solicitors for free immigration advice online, or book an appointment online for detailed immigration advice and consultation with one of our work visa solicitors concerning your application under the representative of an overseas business visa route.

Requirements for Sole Representative Visa Extension

To succeed in your application for extension of sole representative visa, you must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

Valid application: You must submit a valid application from inside the UK to extend your sole representative visa.

Age requirement: The applicant must be aged 18 or over on the date of application.

Suitability requirement: The applicant must not fall for refusal under Appendix Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

Work requirement: The applicant must meet the work requirement as set out in Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business of the Immigration Rules.

Senior employee requirement: The applicant must be a senior employee of the overseas business with the skills, experience, and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role, and must have full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business.

Not having a majority stake or otherwise owning or controlling a majority of the overseas business: The applicant must not have a majority stake in, or otherwise own or control a majority of the overseas business they represent, whether that ownership or control is by means of a shareholding, partnership agreement, sole proprietorship or any other arrangement.

Established registered branch or wholly owned subsidiary: The applicant must have established the registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of the overseas business for which they were last granted permission under this route;

Full-time employment: The applicant must be engaged in full-time employment, must supervise the registered branch or wholly owned subsidiary they have established, and must be required by their employer to continue in that role.

Evidence of generating business: The applicant must provide evidence of business that has been generated, principally with firms in the UK, on behalf of their employer since their last grant of permission, in the form of accounts, copies of invoices or letters from businesses with whom the applicant has done business, including the value of transactions.

Registration with Companies House: The applicant must provide a Companies House certificate of registration as a UK establishment (for a branch), or a certificate of incorporation (for a subsidiary), together with either a copy of the share register or a letter from the overseas business’s accountant confirming that the UK business is wholly owned by the overseas business.

Letter from employer: The applicant must provide a letter from the applicant’s employer confirming that the applicant supervises the UK branch or subsidiary and is required to continue in that employment.

Salary requirement: The applicant must provide evidence of salary paid by the employer in the 12 months immediately before the date of application and details of the remuneration package the employee receives.

Genuineness requirement: The applicant must meet the genuineness requirement as per Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business of the Immigration Rules.

Financial requirement: The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant can, and will, adequately maintain and accommodate themselves, and any dependants in the UK, without access to public funds. Funds must be shown as specified in Appendix Finance of the Immigration Rules.

Not in breach of immigration rules: The applicant must not be:

in breach of immigration laws, except that where the Exceptions for overstayers section of Part Suitability applies, that period of overstaying will be disregarded; or
on immigration bail.

Work Requirement

The overseas business that the applicant represents must be active and trading outside the UK, with its headquarters and principal place of business remaining outside the UK.
The applicant must have been recruited and taken on as an employee outside the UK by the business they will represent.
The applicant must intend to work full-time as the representative of the overseas business or media organisation and must not intend to undertake work for any other business or engage in business of their own.
An applicant must be a Sole Representative who already has, or was last granted, permission as a Sole Representative and is a senior employee of an overseas business, who is assigned to the UK to establish and supervise a branch or subsidiary of an overseas business, where that branch or subsidiary will actively trade in the same type of business as the overseas business.

Genuineness Requirement

The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant is a genuine Representative of an Overseas Business. The decision maker must not have reasonable grounds to believe that the overseas business is establishing a business in the UK, or that the applicant has been appointed as a representative of the overseas business, mainly so the applicant can apply for entry clearance or permission to stay.

Financial Requirement

The decision maker must be satisfied that the applicant can, and will, adequately maintain and accommodate themselves, and any dependants in the UK, without access to public funds. Funds must be shown as specified in Appendix Finance.

Additional Business Requirements

Where the applicant is applying as a Sole Representative on the Representative of an Overseas Business route, the applicant must meet the additional business requirements set out in ROB 8.2. to ROB 8.6 of Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business:

The applicant must be a senior employee of the overseas business with the skills, experience and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role, with full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business.
The applicant must not have a majority stake in, or otherwise own or control a majority of the overseas business they represent, whether that ownership or control is by means of a shareholding, partnership agreement, sole proprietorship or any other arrangement.
The applicant must have established the registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of the overseas business for which they were last granted permission under this route; and
The applicant must be engaged in full-time employment and must supervise the registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary which they have established, and must be required by their employer to continue in that role; and
The applicant must provide evidence of business that has been generated, principally with firms in the UK, on behalf of their employer since their last grant of permission, in the form of accounts, copies of invoices or letters from businesses with whom the applicant has done business, including the value of transactions; and
The applicant must provide a Companies House certificate of registration as a UK establishment (for a branch), or a certificate of incorporation (for a subsidiary), together with either a copy of the share register or a letter from the overseas business’s accountant confirming that the UK business is wholly owned by the overseas business; and
The applicant must provide a letter from the applicant’s employer confirming that the applicant supervises the UK branch or subsidiary and is required to continue in that employment; and
The applicant must provide evidence of salary paid by the employer in the 12 months immediately before the date of application and details of the remuneration package the employee receives.

Period and Conditions of Grant

The applicant will be granted further leave to remain as a sole representative for a period not exceeding 2 years.

The grant will be subject to all the following conditions:

no access to public funds; and
no work permitted other than working for the overseas business which the applicant represents; and
study is permitted, subject to the ATAS condition in Appendix ATAS.

How Can We Help With Sole Representative Visa Extension?

Our specialist team of work visa solicitors can provide expert immigration advice and legal representation for your application to extend your sole representative of an overseas business visa. We can fully represent you in your extension application and carry out all the work until the Home Office UKVI makes a decision. The immigration casework to be carried out by our immigration solicitors on your extension application will entail the following:

Our work visa solicitors will assess your eligibility for extension of your sole representative of an overseas business visa by considering all the relevant eligibility requirements.
Our work visa solicitors will advise you on the documents to submit in support of the sole representative visa extension application.
Our work visa solicitors will assess the documentary evidence to ensure that the documents you provide are in line with the Home Office UKVI requirements for renewal of a sole representative visa.
Our work visa solicitors will complete the online FLR (IR) application form for the extension of a sole representative of an overseas business visa.
Our work visa solicitors will prepare a detailed cover letter in support of your sole representative visa extension application to explain in detail how all the relevant requirements for the extension of the sole representative visa have been satisfied by the applicant.
Our work visa solicitors will submit the sole representative extension application online, pay the Home Office UKVI fees for the sole representative visa extension, and book the applicant's appointment with the application centre for biometric enrolment.
Our work visa solicitors will upload all the supporting documents online in support of the sole representative visa extension application.
Our work visa solicitors will carry out all the follow-up work, including responding to any queries raised by the Home Office UKVI, until a decision is reached on your sole representative visa extension application.

Specialist Immigration Solicitors for Representative of Overseas Business Visa

Our immigration solicitors are specialists in Representative of Overseas Business visa extension applications. As one of the best immigration solicitors, we have an excellent track record of helping clients successfully extend their Representative of Overseas Business visas. Our highly experienced and fully qualified immigration solicitors can provide fast, friendly, reliable, and fixed-fee immigration advice and legal representation for your Representative of Overseas Business visa extension application.

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At Premium Solicitors, our strength lies in the expertise, dedication, and unwavering commitment of our immigration solicitors in London. We understand that immigration matters are life-changing events, and our team is here to guide you through every step of the Representative of Overseas Business visa extension application process with professionalism and care.

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