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.
![Law-firm briefing: how overseas ‘Sole Representatives’ can stay in the UK via the Skilled Worker route]()
At this juncture, companies without in-house immigration teams may benefit from external support: VisaHQ’s corporate specialists can manage everything from Sponsor Licence filing to scheduling biometric appointments, helping employers stay ahead of Home Office deadlines. Full details of their UK offerings are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
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.
At this juncture, companies without in-house immigration teams may benefit from external support: VisaHQ’s corporate specialists can manage everything from Sponsor Licence filing to scheduling biometric appointments, helping employers stay ahead of Home Office deadlines. Full details of their UK offerings are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
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.
