UK Business Visa

UK Business Visit Visa:
Business Visit Visa is for the purpose of conducting business on behalf of the overseas employers. There are certain restrictions on the work that Business visitors are allowed to conduct while remaining on the Business visit visa, which we shall discuss in detail. In order to be eligible to apply successfully for a Business Visitor visa one has to complete certain requirements of the immigration rules.

Rule And Regulations:

a) Intention To Leave
A person requirements to establish his intention of leaving the UK after a particular period of time which can be done by showing strong financial, social and family ties in his / her home country.
The following documents are normally acceptable to establish strong ties of a person in his / her home country.

• Evidence of ownership of property
• Evidence of an established business oversees
  
• Evidence that the candidate has got family living in his / her home country. The entry clearance officer normally takes into a/c only close family members of the candidate (e.g. spouse, other children) while ascertaining strength of family ties.
  
• Personal or employer’s Bank Statements showing sufficient amount of money.
  
• Evidence that the applicant has got memberships of professional bodies or social groups would be sufficient to prove social ties.
  
• Letter from the employer which confirms his official visit to the UK
  
• Senior position with the existing employer
  
• Length of period with the existing employer
  

b) No Intention to Study
Business Visitors are not allowed to study or switch their immigration status to any other status.

c) Not Intention to take employment
Business visitors are in fact paid workers of their existing employer and are not expected to involve in any act / representation which constitutes employment in the United Kingdom. The candidate needs to prove that he neither needs nor intends to take employment whether full time or on a part time basis. Business visit visa is normally issued on the basis of the assumption that the candidates would not take employment during their stay in the UK and if such persons engage themselves in any sort of employment whether paid or unpaid, full time or part time then their leave to remain may be shortened by the Immigration Authorities and they may be removed from the country.

d) No Intention to Produce Goods / Provide Services to public
The candidate needs to prove that he neither needs to nor intends to produce goods or provide services directly to public whether full time or on a part time basis. Business visit visa is normally issued on the basis of the assumption that the applicants would not engage themselves in these business activities during their stay in the UK and if such persons do take such risks their leave to remain may be curtailed by the Immigration Authorities and they may be removed from the country. 

e) Able to maintain & accommodate himself and any dependants without option to public funds
The applicants need to establish that they can maintain and accommodate without recourse to public funds or any employment. It can be proved by providing sufficient availability of funds either in Bank Statements or by some other form of evidence.
Able to meet the costs of the return or onward journey It can be proved by providing sufficient availability of funds either in Bank Statements or by some other form of evidence like purchase of a return ticket.

Duration of Visa
A Business visit visa is normally issued for a maximum period of six months. Visas issued for longer than 6 months does not mean that the person has got leave to remain till the end of their visa. This is in fact leave to enter for 6 months from the date of arrival/influx in the UK and permission to make any following visit to the UK for another period of six months till the validity of visa.

As a Business visitor one may

• Go to meetings, trade fairs, conferences and seminars;
• Buy things, and negotiate contracts with United Kingdom businesses;
  
• Undertake fact finding missions, check details or examine goods; and
  
• Receive training through observation and classroom instruction only.
  
• In addition to the above, a business visitor may also enter the UK to:
  
• Deliver goods from abroad; for example, if you are an international lorry driver;
  
• Come as a representative of a foreign IT company to install, service or modify their product;
  
• Come as a representative of a foreign machine manufacturer to install, service or repair machinery; (As part of a contract of purchase and supply, you may install machinery that is too large to be delivered in one piece)
  
• Come as an adviser or consultant to a UK firm; (You must be employed abroad, either directly or under contract, by the same company or group of companies that the client firm belongs to. Advisers must not get involved in project management.)
  
• Come to give certain kinds of training; (The training must be for a specific purpose, not go beyond classroom instruction and must not be readily available anywhere else in the United Kingdom.)
  
• Come as a guest speaker at a conference or seminar; (This must be a single or occasional event and not a commercial venture that you are part of.)
  
• Come to run a conference or seminar; (Events must last no more than five days, and be single or occasional, involving a specialist subject that attracts a wide audience, including people from outside the United Kingdom.)
  
• Come as an expert to talk to United Kingdom businessmen about overseas export requirements; or
  
• Come as a sports person or entertainer for trials or auditions, or for personal appearances which do not involve performances.
  

Works Not Allowed
Business Visitors are not allowed to take any employment, enter self-employment, set-up a business or join another business as a director or partner while remaining in the UK on this visa.