The company must have no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK. If the company has a legal entity in the UK, but this does not employ staff or transact business, applicant may still be able to come here as its sole representative.

Applicants can be admitted as a Sole Representative after a branch is established in the UK, as long as that branch exists only as a legal entity, has set up a bank account, and/or has identified and set up premises. 

Dependants (including children under 18 years of age or husband, wife, civil partner, unmarried partner or same-sex partner) will be eligible to live and stay in the UK with the main applicant. They can live and work in the UK without any restrictions. They will be granted leave in line with the expiry date of the main applicant’s leave.

Dependants will have the following conditions attached to their leave:

• No recourse to public funds; and
• Registration with the police, if applicable;

Applicants will have the following conditions attached to their leave:

• No recourse to public funds;
• Registration with the police, if applicable;
• Not to do business of their own, or represent any other company's interests.

Foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area making certain applications to the Home Office must apply for a biometric residence permit. This applies to both postal applications and in-person applications (known as ‘premium applications’). The biometric residence permit contains a migrant’s biographic details (name, date, and place of birth) and biometric information (facial image and fingerprints), and shows their immigration status and entitlements while they remain in the UK. As a result, UK visas will no longer be stamped in applicants' passports, and all applicants will be issued a new biometric visa card instead. These cards resemble a (pink) UK driving license but have a microchip on the back.

For applicants wishing to extend their stay in the UK by post, the Home Office will send a letter requesting them to enroll their biometrics after receiving their application. Applicants can enroll their biometric information at one of the Post Offices offering this service across the UK using their walk-in service.

For applications submitted overseas, applicants must provide their biometric enrollment at one of the Visa Facilitation Centres. Successful applicants will receive a 30-day ‘vignette sticker’ in their passport instead of a vignette with the full grant of leave. This 30-day visa will correspond to the date they indicated as their intended travel date in their visa application. Upon arrival in the UK, applicants must collect their BRP from the Post Office branch detailed in their decision letter within ten days. The Post Office branch is linked to the postcode submitted in their visa application. The BRP card can then be used as proof of the right to work, study, and access public services in the UK.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) was introduced by the Home Office on 6th April 2015. Non-EEA individuals coming to the UK for more than six months must pay this surcharge as part of their immigration application to contribute towards the National Health Service (NHS).

Offshore applicants must pay the health surcharge if applying for a visa longer than six months, while onshore applicants must pay the charge regardless of the visa length.

The surcharge is £150 per year for students and £200 per year for all other visa and immigration applications. Dependants usually need to pay the same amount as the main applicant. The exact amount depends on the length of leave granted. For grants less than six months, half the yearly amount is due, and for grants over six months, the full yearly amount is payable.

Visa applications will be denied if the healthcare surcharge is not paid, and applications will be delayed if the correct amount is not paid.

Exemptions from the IHS include:

• Applicants for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa and their dependants
• Applicants under 18 who have been taken into care by a local authority
• Nationals of Australia or New Zealand
• Dependants of a member of the UK’s armed forces
• Dependants of a member of another country’s forces who are exempt from immigration control
• Relevant civilian employees employed by NATO or the Australian Department of Defence in the UK and their dependants