With the Sole Representative visa closed to new applicants since 2022, many overseas companies are scrambling to keep senior staff in Britain. Glasgow-based immigration advisers Five Star International have published a step-by-step guide—dated 14 June—explaining how firms can switch incumbents onto the Skilled Worker route before their current leave expires. Key points include securing a Sponsor Licence (which can take eight weeks plus preparation time), meeting the post-2024 salary threshold of £38,700 or the occupation ‘going rate’, and ensuring the UK entity has a PRA- and FCA-regulated bank account—often a stumbling block for new subsidiaries. The time already spent in the UK under the Sole Representative route counts towards the five-year residence requirement for settlement, a detail many employers overlook. Although a firm-authored note rather than official guidance, the article condenses the latest Home Office policy changes into a practical checklist, timely for mobility managers overseeing branch-establishment projects. With Skilled Worker application volumes surging, advisers urge companies to start licence applications early or budget for the £1,476 priority service. The briefing underscores a broader shift: the UK is channelling corporate transfers away from individual-led visas toward sponsor-based routes under the Global Business Mobility umbrella. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing key personnel or breaching immigration compliance.
Source: Five Star International
