Your company already wins in the UAE. Clients trust you, the team is strong, and the next big market is calling: the United Kingdom. The question every founder and board asks is the same: how do we put our own people on the ground in London before we have a UK office trading?
The answer is the UK Expansion Worker visa, part of the UK’s Global Business Mobility (GBM) family. It is designed for one bold moment: sending a senior manager or specialist from your overseas business to set up your first UK branch or subsidiary. Here is exactly how it works, based on the official rules.
What the Expansion Worker visa is for
The visa lets a worker come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. The worker must already work for that business as a senior manager or specialist employee.
If your company already trades in the UK, this is the wrong route. The official guidance points such businesses to the Senior or Specialist Worker visa instead.
Two approvals: the company and the person
Think of the process as two locks that open one after the other.
Lock 1: your company becomes a licensed sponsor
Before anyone can apply, your business needs a sponsor licence for the Expansion Worker route. According to the Home Office sponsor guidance for Global Business Mobility:
- your overseas business must have been trading for at least 3 years; if it has traded for less, you can usually sponsor only one worker;
- you need a UK footprint: either UK premises, or registration of a UK branch or subsidiary with Companies House;
- you must have a credible plan to establish a trading presence in the UK within 2 years, doing the same type of business as overseas;
- businesses that exist only to hold or manage investments are not eligible;
- you can sponsor up to 10 workers on this route at the same time.
Your Authorising Officer can be based overseas at this stage. A new Expansion Worker sponsor typically starts with a limited allocation of certificates of sponsorship and a provisional rating. The licence lasts 4 years, and once your UK branch starts trading, you can apply to add routes such as the Skilled Worker visa.
Lock 2: your worker gets the visa
Once licensed, you assign the worker a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), an electronic record of the role. The worker then has 3 months from receiving it to apply, and can apply up to 3 months before the start date on the certificate.
Not sure this route fits you?
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Who can be the Expansion Worker?
To qualify, the worker needs to:
- hold a valid certificate of sponsorship from your business;
- do a job that is on the list of eligible occupations;
- be paid at least £52,500 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher;
- have worked for your business outside the UK for at least 12 months, unless they earn over £73,900 a year (special exceptions also exist for some Japanese and Australian companies).
The employer must also make sure the job pays at least the UK minimum wage and follows UK working-time rules, or the application will be refused.
What it costs: the official fees
These are UK government fees only:
| Item | Official fee |
|---|---|
| Sponsor licence (Temporary Worker) | £611 |
| Optional faster licence decision | £750 (target 10 working days, where available) |
| Expansion Worker visa application | £340 per person |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | usually £1,035 per person, per year |
| Personal savings (unless the sponsor certifies maintenance) | £1,270, plus amounts for dependants |
A standard sponsor licence decision usually takes under 8 weeks. A visa decision usually takes 3 weeks from outside the UK, or 8 weeks from inside.
How long can your team stay?
The first grant is up to 12 months. It can be extended by another 12 months, to a maximum of 2 years on this visa. There is also a wider cap: time on any GBM or Intra-company route counts towards a limit of 5 years in any 6-year period.
Know the limits before you plan: the Expansion Worker visa does not lead to settlement, the worker cannot take a second job, and they cannot change jobs without updating the visa. On the upside, they can bring a partner and children as dependants, study, travel, and do unpaid voluntary work.
The smart path for UAE companies
- Check the 3-year trading history of your UAE company and gather proof.
- Secure a UK footprint: register a UK branch or subsidiary, or arrange premises.
- Apply for the sponsor licence and nominate your Authorising Officer.
- Assign the certificate of sponsorship to your chosen senior manager or specialist.
- Visa application, then arrival and setting up the branch.
- Start trading, then move your team onto longer-term routes such as the Skilled Worker visa once you are eligible.
Frequently asked questions
Can a company licensed in a UAE economic zone (such as DMCC or DIFC) use this route?
The rules focus on whether the overseas business is genuinely trading, has done so for long enough, and plans to trade in the UK in the same line of business. Being licensed in an economic zone is not listed as a bar, but the evidence of trading matters.
Is there a minimum investment for the Expansion Worker visa?
The official rules set no fixed investment amount. The focus is on a genuine overseas business, a UK footprint and a credible UK expansion plan.
Can the Expansion Worker apply for indefinite leave to remain?
No. Time on this visa does not lead to settlement. Businesses usually plan a move to another route once the UK branch is trading.
How many people can we send?
Up to 10 Expansion Workers at a time, or only one if your overseas business has traded for less than 3 years.
Who decides, and how does Baker & Co help?
The Home Office makes the licence and visa decisions. Our part: Straight answers on your best route, and an application prepared to the highest standard.
Find out in 2 minutes if you qualify
Take our Complimentary Eligibility Check: no obligation, completely confidential. A Baker & Co adviser will walk you through the official requirements and your best route.
Get my Complimentary Assessment Complimentary Eligibility Check Call +971 4 584 9553 WhatsApp +971 50 706 6734
Visit us: Office 102, Dubai Supreme Court Complex, Umm Hurair 2, Dubai.
Related reading: UK Innovator Founder visa from the UAE; our UK Global Business Mobility service; all UK business visas.
Sources
- GOV.UK, UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility): https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
- GOV.UK, UK Expansion Worker visa: eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa/eligibility
- GOV.UK, Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker (sponsor guidance, 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsor-a-global-business-mobility-worker
- GOV.UK, UK visa sponsorship for employers (licence fees and processing): https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers
- GOV.UK, Pay for UK healthcare as part of your immigration application: https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
- GOV.UK, Visa fees (Home Office immigration and nationality fees): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table
Rules and fees checked against GOV.UK in October 2026. Sponsor guidance is updated frequently; confirm current requirements before applying.
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