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Representatives of overseas business

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Documents required

This page describes the documents that you will need to make an application as a representative of an overseas business.

Sole representative of an overseas company

You must provide:

  • a full description of the parent company's activities, including details of assets and accounts; and
  • your own job description, contract of employment and salary details.

You must also provide evidence that:

  • you are directly employed by the parent company and not acting as an agent marketing its goods;
  • you have been employed by the parent company for some time and hold a senior post, with full authority to take operational decisions on its behalf without reference to the parent company;
  • you were recruited to the parent company outside the UK and intend to work full-time as a representative of that company in this country;
  • you are not a majority shareholder in the parent company;
  • you do not intend to carry out any other work while you are in the UK;
  • you can maintain yourself and any dependants without recourse to public funds; and
  • you are competent in the English language to the required standard (such as your degree or test certificate, or your passport to prove that you are a national of a majority English-speaking country).

Employee of an overseas newspaper, news agency or broadcasting organisation

You must provide:

  • full details of your employer;
  • confirmation from your employer that they require you to undertake a long-term posting in the UK as a representative of their organisation;
  • confirmation that you will be employed full-time by your current employer while you are in the UK; and
  • documents to demonstrate that you are competent in the English language to the required standard (such as your degree or test certificate, or your passport to prove that you are a national of a majority English-speaking country).