The Business Visit Visa is categorized as part of the Standard Visitor pathway, which is intended for individuals who wish to make a temporary visit to the UK for a duration of no more than 6 months. It's important to note that this route does not provide a pathway to settlement in the UK, and all visitors, including those traveling as part of a group, must submit individual applications.

Business Visit Visa Requirements

To be eligible for a Business Visit Visa, you must demonstrate to UK Visas & Immigration that:

• You hold a visa for entry into the UK (a non-visa holder can typically enter as a Visitor upon arrival at the UK border)
• You are genuinely intending to enter the UK for a purpose allowed by the visitor routes
• You will not engage in any prohibited activities
• You have enough funds to cover all reasonable expenses related to your visit (including living and accommodation costs) without working or using public funds
• You must depart from the UK upon the conclusion of your visit.
• You will not reside in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or establish the UK as your primary residence
• Your application does not meet the criteria for refusal under the general grounds for refusal
• You have obtained an Electronic Travel Authorisation, if necessary.

The specific criteria you must meet could differ based on your individual situation. It may be beneficial to consult with a professional immigration solicitor for specialized guidance.

Requirement for Visa Nationals

A visa national is an individual who, due to their nationality, needs a Visit Visa to enter the UK as a Visitor. Visa nationals are generally required to apply for a Visit Visa before traveling to the UK.

The Home Office has released a list of nationalities that must apply for a Visit Visa before traveling to the UK as a Visitor. This list contains some exceptions, allowing certain visa nationals to request entry as a Visitor upon arrival in the UK.

Non-visa nationals are typically able to seek entry as a Visitor upon reaching the UK. However, non-visa nationals still need to meet the requirements for entry as a Visitor and should be ready to explain, for instance, the purpose of their visit, how they will be supported and accommodated in the UK, and their return travel plans upon arrival.

EU citizens are considered non-visa nationals and can request entry as a Visitor upon arrival in the UK without having to apply for a Visit Visa.

In addition to assisting visa nationals with Visit Visa applications, our barristers frequently help non-visa nationals meet the requirements for entry as a Visitor upon arrival in the UK.

Permissible Activities for Business Visit Visa

In order to qualify for a Business Visit Visa, you are required to show UK Visas & Immigration that your reason for entering the UK is in line with the allowed purposes under the visitor routes, and that you will not partake in any forbidden activities.

Typically, the Home Office will require a connection between your business activities in the UK and your employment outside the country. It is essential that the duration of your business activities does not exceed 6 months and is arranged in advance whenever feasible.

Holders of Business Visit Visas are authorized to participate in a variety of permitted activities during their stay in the UK.

General Business Activities 

Business Visit Visa recipients are authorized to participate in the following general business activities:

• Attend meetings, conferences, workshops, and interviews.
• Deliver one-time or brief talks and speeches, as long as they are not profit-making events for the organizer
• Engage in negotiations and sign agreements and contracts
• Visit trade shows for promotional purposes only, without engaging in direct sales
• Conduct site visits and inspections
• Collect information for their work abroad
• Obtain guidance on the requirements of a client from the United Kingdom, ensuring that all services provided to the client are conducted beyond the borders of the UK.

The Home Office will evaluate the credibility of the requested leave period based on the activities you intend to engage in during your visit.

Activities within the corporation

Overseas company employees working on a designated internal project alongside UK employees from the same corporate group are eligible to apply for a Business Visit Visa for the purpose of:

• Offer guidance and recommendations.
• Identify and solve problems.
• Conduct training sessions.
• Exchange expertise and information.
• Collaborate and communicate effectively.

Internal auditors are authorized to conduct regulatory or financial audits within a UK branch of the same group of companies as the employer of the Business Visitor from abroad.

Intra-corporate activities are required to be brief and related to a specific project. The Home Office will anticipate that the individual will primarily operate from their company's UK offices rather than client locations.

Business visitors engaged in intra-corporate activities may interact with clients, but any client-facing tasks should be secondary to their primary employment abroad and should not result in the outsourcing of a project or service to their foreign employer.

Production and Distribution of Goods in the United Kingdom

If you are employed by a foreign company, you are allowed to carry out tasks such as installing, dismantling, repairing, servicing, or providing advice on machinery, equipment, computer software, or hardware in the UK. It is allowed as long as there exists a contract for purchasing, supplying, or leasing with a company or organization based in the UK.

The foreign company must either be the manufacturer, supplier, or part of a contractual agreement for after-sales services that was agreed upon at the time of the sale or lease, including any warranty or service contract related to the sale or lease.

The Home Office might ask for the contract between the overseas and UK companies, detailing the agreements for post-sales services.

Typically, the Home Office expects these visitors to stay in the UK for less than one month to carry out their duties, as they are employed by a foreign company.

Customers of British Export Firms

In the event that you are a customer of a UK export firm, you might be assigned to the UK firm to supervise the specifications for products and services being delivered under contract by the UK firm or its affiliate, as long as the two firms are not affiliated within the same group.

The Home Office will require a service agreement between the two firms for the UK firm to supply products or services to the foreign firm.

Specialised Tasks Abroad in the United Kingdom

If you work outside of the UK, you are allowed to travel to the UK to engage in the following activities related to your overseas employment.

• Translators and interpreters have the opportunity to be employed by a foreign company while working in the UK.
• Personal assistants or bodyguards can assist overseas business persons in authorized activities, as long as they are employed by the business person outside the UK and attend the same events.
• Tour group guides hired by a company located overseas are permitted to enter and exit the UK alongside the tour group.
• Journalists, correspondents, producers, or cameramen can visit the UK to gather information for an overseas publication, program, or film.
• Archaeologists can visit the UK for a one-time archaeological excavation.
• Professors from foreign academic institutions accompanying students to the UK as part of a study abroad program can provide limited teaching at the host organization, as long as it does not constitute a permanent teaching position.
• Market researchers or analysts can conduct research for a company located outside the UK.

If you are a driver traveling on an authentic international route connecting the UK with a country other than the UK, and you are working for or under contract with an operator registered in a foreign country, or if you are a self-employed operator and driver located outside the UK, you are permitted to transport goods or passengers from a foreign country to the UK and engage in cabotage activities. The operator must possess an International Operators Licence or be conducting operations on an own account basis.

Business Visitors under the Business Visit Visa can engage in activities allowed in other sub-categories of the Standard Visitor route. This encompasses permitted paid engagements, as long as they are arranged prior to entering the UK and are finished within 30 days of arrival in the country.

Requirement for a Business Visit Visa when Planning to Depart from the UK

Apart from demonstrating to the Home Office your genuine intention to enter the UK for an authorized reason, you must also prove that you will depart the UK after your visit and will not reside in the UK for prolonged periods by frequently visiting or making it your primary residence.

When evaluating your application, the Home Office will take into account various factors such as:

• Your immigration background, such as past visits to the UK and other nations, will be taken into consideration.
• Your financial situation, along with your family, social, and economic history, will also be evaluated.
• The connections you have, both personal and economic, to your current country of residence will play a role in the decision-making process.

The Home Office may question the authenticity of your visit if you lack strong connections to your home country, have numerous family members in the UK, have a history of trying to mislead the Home Office in immigration matters, or if there are inconsistencies between your statements and those of your sponsor.

Financial Requirement for Business Visit Visa

You must have enough money to pay for all reasonable expenses related to your visit (such as travel, living, and accommodation costs) without needing to work or use public funds.

Your funds must be kept in an authorized financial institution.

A third party may cover your travel, living, and accommodation expenses if they have a genuine professional or personal relationship with you, are not violating immigration laws, and can support you during your entire visit as a Visitor.

English Proficiency Requirement for Business Visit Visa

Business Visit Visa applicants are not required to meet an English language proficiency criteria.

Duration of Validity for Business Visit Visa

Should you plan to visit the UK for business purposes, you may choose to submit an application for a Visit Visa which can have a validity of 6 months, 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years.

You are allowed to travel in and out of the UK multiple times while your Visit Visa is valid, unless it is specifically marked for single or dual entry.

Please note that each visit to the UK should not surpass 6 months.

Work Entitlement on Business Visit Visa

Business visitors are prohibited from participating in any work-related activities or receiving compensation from a UK entity for any tasks performed in the UK, unless under certain limited circumstances.

Business Visitors are prohibited from taking up employment, starting or managing a business as a self-employed individual, working for a company or organization in the UK, participating in a work placement or internship, or selling goods or services in the UK.

Since the Business Visit Visa falls under the Standard Visitor category, Business Visitors may engage in other activities permitted under different sub-categories of the Standard Visitor route. This includes participating in paid engagements, as long as the engagement is arranged prior to traveling to the UK and is completed within 30 days of arrival.

While in the UK, Business Visitors are allowed to work remotely, but remote work should not be the main purpose of their visit. The primary reason for visiting the UK should be to engage in a permitted activity, rather than solely working remotely.

Additionally, Business Visitors can come to the UK to search for employment and attend job interviews. However, if offered a job, they must leave the UK and obtain the necessary entry clearance before starting work.

Application fees for Business Visit Visa

The present charge for a Business Visit Visa application for a brief stay of up to 6 months is £115. If you choose a Business Visit Visa valid for 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years, the relevant Home Office application fees are £400, £771, or £963.