UK Expansion Worker Visa Checklist
A UK Expansion Worker visa lets you come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. You must already work for that business as a senior manager or specialist employee. This checklist sets out the documents and the stay rules. Based on the official GOV.UK pages (gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa).
Three quick facts
- 12 months, extendable by 12. Stay for whichever is shorter of 12 months after the job start date on your CoS, or the CoS time plus 14 days. You can extend by 12 months, to a maximum of 2 years.
- Maximum 5 years in any 6. Time on this and the other listed Global Business Mobility / Intra-company routes counts towards a 5-year-in-6 cap.
- You must already work for the overseas business and be coming to set up a UK branch that has not started trading in the UK yet.
The checklist — what to prepare
| Certificate of sponsorship (CoS) | You must have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer, with information about the work you will do in the UK. |
| Proof you already worked for the employer overseas | You must already work for the overseas business - as a senior manager or specialist employee - before applying. Keep the evidence your sponsor asks for. |
| Eligible occupation | You must do a job that is on the list of eligible occupations. The specific eligibility depends on the job; check the Home Office list. |
| Minimum salary evidence | You must be paid the minimum eligible salary required for your job. The exact figure depends on the occupation, so check the official pages. |
| Personal savings evidence | You, your partner or children will each need to prove you have enough personal savings. The exact amount is not stated on the visa page, so it is not asserted here. |
| Healthcare surcharge | You, your partner or children will each need to pay the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay. |
| Family (dependants) evidence | Your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your dependants if they are eligible. |
| Identity and documents | You must prove your identity and provide your documents as part of the application (allow extra time if an appointment is needed). |
What the visa is for
A UK Expansion Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. You must already work for the overseas business, as either a senior manager or a specialist employee. If you represent an overseas business and are not setting up a first UK branch, the older route is the Representative of an Overseas Business visa instead.
How long you can stay
You can stay for whichever is shorter of 12 months after the start date of the job on your certificate of sponsorship, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days. If you want to stay longer you can extend your visa by 12 months; the maximum time on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years. If you have spent time in the UK on this or the other listed visas, you may be able to stay less: a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period applies to the Intra-company Graduate Trainee, Intra-company Transfer, Graduate Trainee, Secondment Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Service Supplier and UK Expansion Worker visas.
You can apply up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work. Decisions usually take 3 weeks from outside the UK or 8 weeks from inside; you may be able to pay for a faster decision. For the wider UK picture see the UK visa documents checklist, and check the photo with the UK passport photo page and the passport photo checker.
What you can and cannot do
| Can | Work for your sponsor in the job described in your CoS; study; bring your partner and children as dependants if eligible; travel abroad and return; do unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body or statutory body. |
| Cannot | Apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension; change jobs unless eligible and you update your visa; have a second job; apply to settle permanently in the UK. |
What is not published
The exact personal-savings amount, the application fee and the healthcare surcharge rate are not published on the visa page, so not asserted here (it links out to a separate cost page). Check the official pages for the current position.
Common reasons an application fails
- Job is not on the eligible occupations list.
- Salary below the minimum required for the job.
- 5 years in any 6 already used — the cap applies across the listed GBM / Intra-company routes.
- Not already working for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee.
- No valid certificate of sponsorship or the wrong sponsor type.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay on a UK Expansion Worker visa?
Whichever is shorter of 12 months after the job start date on your certificate of sponsorship, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days.
Can I extend it?
Yes - you can extend your visa by 12 months. The maximum time you can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years.
How does the 5 years in any 6 year period rule work?
If you have spent time in the UK on this or other listed visas - Intra-company Graduate Trainee, Intra-company Transfer, Graduate Trainee, Secondment Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Service Supplier or UK Expansion Worker - you can only stay a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period.
Can I bring my family?
Yes - your partner and children can apply to join you or stay in the UK as your dependants if they are eligible.
Do I need to have worked for my employer before applying?
Yes - you must already work for the overseas business, as a senior manager or specialist employee, and you must do a job on the list of eligible occupations.
Can I switch to this visa from inside the UK?
The GOV.UK page sets out separate routes for extending your current visa and for switching from a different visa while inside the UK. Check those pages for your circumstances.
Sources: GOV.UK - UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility): overview, eligibility, apply, extend and switch pages (gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa), retrieved 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position before you apply.