UK Immigration Rules for Business Visitors: Flexibility and Controversies
The UK’s immigration rules have changed significantly in the past five years and have introduced greater flexibility for non British/ Irish nationals who wish to visit the UK as business visitors. Although there is no specific business visit visa, the Standard Visitor visa enables visa nationals to engage in a broad range of business activities, such as attending non-pre-arranged meetings and working in the UK office of their overseas employer, provided they do not directly deal with clients.
A Standard Visitor visa, or entry if you are a non-visa national, is typically granted for six months. However, visitors planning to undertake business activities over a longer period can apply for visas valid for two, five, or ten years. It is important to note that despite the visa’s longer validity, the maximum duration of each stay in the UK is six months.
Visitors must demonstrate that they are genuine visitors coming to the UK to conduct permitted activities. They must not intend to live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits.
While in the UK as a business visitor, you can:
Attend meetings, conferences, seminars, and interviews.
Give a one-off or short series of talks and speeches.
Negotiate and sign deals and contracts.
Gather information for employment overseas.
Be briefed on the requirements of a UK-based customer, provided the work for the customer is performed outside the UK.
Employees of overseas companies with a presence in the UK can visit to carry out intra-corporate activities. However, the activity must be of short duration and linked to a specific project, and the visitor must not work directly with or for clients.
Controversies Surrounding Permitted Activities
Despite the flexibility, there have been controversies regarding what constitutes permitted activities for business visitors. Some businesses and visitors have faced challenges when determining the fine line between permissible business activities and those requiring a different visa type. UKVI compliance officers have sometimes scrutinised visitors, leading to disputes about whether their activities adhere to the rules. It is crucial for businesses hosting visitors to maintain a clear business visitor policy and ensure compliance to avoid penalties and disruptions.
We recommend that businesses accommodating visitors implement a business visitor policy to ensure both the visitor and staff are aware of what activities are permissible. If visited by UKVI compliance officers, businesses must demonstrate that the visitor was conducting a permitted activity on their premises.
Our business immigration lawyers are well-versed in immigration rules and often collaborate with businesses to draft policies that ensure continuous compliance. If you have any questions, please contact our Immigration team, who would be happy to help.