UKExpansionWorkerVisa

Advising UAE-based founders and companies on business immigration from our Dubai office.

Overview

The UK Expansion Worker visa lets an established overseas business send a senior manager or specialist employee to the UK to set up its first UK branch or subsidiary. It is one of the Home Office's Global Business Mobility routes.

The rules are specific. The overseas business must not yet be trading in the UK, the UK branch or subsidiary must hold a sponsor licence, and the worker must be paid at least £52,500 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. The route allows a maximum of two years in the UK in total, and it does not lead to settlement.

For an Indian or UAE company that has decided to open in the UK, it is the most direct way to put a trusted senior person on the ground to build the UK operation.

Who the route is for

The business

• It must be actively trading outside the UK.
• It must have no active trading presence in the UK. A business that is already trading here cannot use this route.
• It must have established a UK footprint for the expansion, as the Home Office puts it. XIPHIAS checks what your business already has in place against the sponsor guidance before any application is made.

The worker

• A senior manager or specialist employee who will set up the UK operation.
• At least 12 months' service with the overseas business. Three groups are exempt from this requirement: workers earning more than £73,900 a year; Japanese nationals, under the UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement; and Australian nationals and permanent residents, under the UK–Australia Free Trade Agreement.
• A UK salary of at least £52,500, or 100% of the going rate for the occupation if that is higher. No going-rate discount applies on this route.

How the sponsor licence works

The UK branch or subsidiary applies to the Home Office for an Expansion Worker sponsor licence. The licence is granted as a provisional licence rather than an A-rated one, and the first Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned to the Authorising Officer, the senior person responsible for the licence. The worker then applies for the visa using that certificate.

Costs: official Home Office fees

Fee	Amount
Sponsor licence application	£611
Certificate of Sponsorship	£55 per worker
Visa application fee	£340
Immigration Health Surcharge, adults	£1,035 per person, per year
Immigration Health Surcharge, children under 18	£776 per child, per year
Immigration Skills Charge	Not payable on this route

The Immigration Skills Charge applies only to the Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker routes, so an Expansion Worker sponsor does not pay it. XIPHIAS confirms the licence fee that applies to your organisation before filing.

Company formation, UK accountancy and XIPHIAS professional fees are separate from the Home Office fees above; we quote them for your case.

Timeline

The process runs in two stages, each decided by the Home Office: first the sponsor licence, then the visa. The visa application can only be made once the licence is granted and the Certificate of Sponsorship has been assigned. XIPHIAS confirms the current processing position for both stages when we plan the move.

Family

The worker's partner and children can apply to join as dependants. Each pays their own visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge: £1,035 per adult and £776 per child, for each year of the visa.

How long you can stay, and settlement

The route allows a maximum of two years in the UK in total. Expansion Worker does not lead to settlement: holders cannot apply to settle permanently on this route.

If the business will need the worker for longer, plan the next step early. The worker would have to qualify separately under another route, for example Skilled Worker, which requires a degree-level (RQF 6) role, a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate if higher, and English at B2, and which carries its own fees.

Risks and compliance

• Two-year limit. The route is built for the set-up phase only. Plan who will run the UK business after two years, and under which route.
• No UK trading before the application. A business that has already started trading in the UK needs a different sponsorship route.
• A genuine expansion. The Home Office expects both the role and the UK expansion to be genuine. A thin or unsupported plan puts the licence and the visa at risk.
• Sponsor duties. The provisional licence carries the usual sponsor duties: accurate records, reporting changes to the Home Office and cooperating with compliance checks.
• Changing figures. UK salary thresholds rose on 22 July 2025 and Home Office fees on 8 April 2026. XIPHIAS checks every figure on the date we file.

Fees and rules on this page reflect the official sources listed below as at 1 October 2026.

Talk to our United Kingdom business immigration consultants in Dubai

XIPHIAS Immigration has advised families and businesses since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Dubai will take you through the requirements, costs and timeline for your specific case.

• Book a consultation
• Verify an immigration consultant
• Second passport for UAE residents

Sources

• GOV.UK — UK Expansion Worker visa
• Immigration Rules — Appendix Global Business Mobility routes
• Home Office — Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, Part 1 (apply for a licence)
• Home Office — Immigration and nationality fees
• GOV.UK — Immigration Health Surcharge
• GOV.UK — Immigration Skills Charge