Immigration
Expansion Worker Visa.
Two Years to Open a Branch. Then a Decision.
This visa cannot lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain. It runs two years at most, and reaching settlement means switching to another visa and starting that route's clock from the beginning.
The Global Business Mobility route for sending a senior manager or specialist to set up a UK branch of a business that has not traded here yet. Twelve months, renewable once — and it is the one UK route that cannot lead to settlement, however long you hold it.
The Right Tool, For One Job.
Judged as what it is — a way to put a trusted person on the ground while a UK branch is stood up — this route is well made and quick. Judged as a way to move to Britain, it is a cul-de-sac. Both statements are true and the source only makes the first one loudly.
Residency in the United Kingdom
The right to live in a country with among the highest living standards in the world, and to work or run a business there.
Healthcare and Education
Access to premium healthcare and education once UK residency is granted.
Spouse and Children Included
The principal applicant brings a spouse and children onto the same route, subject to their meeting the criteria.
Business Opportunities
A solid banking system, real financial services, and markets to expand a business into across Europe.
A Route to British Citizenship
After holding Indefinite Leave to Remain for at least a year, and five years' residence, citizenship can be applied for.
No Route to Settlement
This visa cannot lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Getting there means switching to another visa first and starting its clock.
Where This Route Ends
It ends. Twelve months, one renewal, and that is the whole of it. The source states this in its own list of benefits, under a heading that reads "Permanent Residency" — which is a strange place for a reader to discover that there isn't one. If settlement is the goal, plan the switch to another visa at the start rather than in year two.
The exemption is worth knowing. The requirement to have worked a job on the eligible-occupation list for at least twelve months falls away entirely if the salary is above GBP 73,900 a year. Below that, the twelve months of prior service is a hard gate.
Two Years, Watched Closely
On a route this short the dates matter more than usual: the renewal window, and the decision about what comes after it. The Bayat Group panel keeps both in view, guided by Pathinnova AI and reviewed by our legal team.
£259 to Apply. The Surcharge Costs More.
This is the cheapest UK route to apply for, and the Immigration Health Surcharge at £624 a person a year is more than double the visa fee itself.
Non-binding estimate
There is one fee on this route, so what changes is how long you hold the visa — and the surcharge follows it.
The full run of this route. It renews exactly once, and then it is over — there is no third year.
All in pounds, so these do add up — but one figure below is not a payment.
The household must be able to show GBP 1,270 for the principal applicant, plus £285 for a spouse, £315 for a first child and £200 for each child after that. This is money you evidence in an account, not money anyone takes. It is deliberately outside the total below.
This visa cannot lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Whatever the total below, it buys two years and then a decision about a different visa. The salary floor is GBP 45,800 a year, or the published going rate for the role where that is higher; the requirement to have done a job on the eligible-occupation list for at least twelve months falls away above GBP 73,900 a year. The applicant must already work for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee, and that business must not yet be trading in the UK. The extension fee is assumed to match the initial application fee, which the source does not state separately. Decisions typically take about three weeks from outside the UK and eight from within, with paid priority options depending on location. The source does not state an English-language requirement for this route. Legal and professional fees are additional. Figures are indicative, non-binding, and confirmed during due diligence.
Five Steps, and an Honest Fifth
Select a step to see what happens. Step five is where this route differs from every other on the site.
Internal Due Diligence and Qualification Assessment
Bayat Group's compliance team conducts an internal due diligence check — a background security screening of the applicant, preparation of KYC (Know Your Client) documentation, and a qualification assessment against the program's requirements.
Talk It Through. Then Begin.
Our concierge answers your Expansion Worker questions in minutes — and will tell you plainly if what you actually want is one of the other two routes.
Sending opens your secure Bayat Group account, where an advisor picks the thread up.
Assessed against your own circumstances, in about five minutes.
- It asks about your circumstances, not your paperwork
- It names the trade-offs before you commit to a route
- It ends with the programs you actually qualify for
A scripted example. Your own assessment is private, and takes about five minutes.
Assessment
An adviser that reads your circumstances, then the rulebook.
40+ official programs, each with its own arithmetic. The assessment maps those rules to your situation in a short conversation and tells you where you actually stand.
- It asks about you, not about paperworkWhere your family is going, what your work needs, what you would not give up. Navigating the rules is our business, not your burden.
- Clear, unbiased reasoningWhen options pull in different directions, it calls out the compromise, detailing what each path costs you before you decide.
- A shortlist tailored to youNo generic marketing. Just the programs your profile actually unlocks, with realistic timelines and capital commitments.
Step one of three
Where should we send your code?
One address, one five-digit code. No password to invent, and nothing sent to you that you did not ask for.
Step two of three
Check your email
We sent a 5-digit code to . It expires shortly, so it is worth doing now.
Setting up your assessment…
One moment.