UK Expansion Worker Visa Fees and Financial Requirements in 2025

A UK expansion worker visa allows you to set foot in the UK and help set up a branch of an overseas business that has not yet started operations in the country. You must be already employed by the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee when you apply for this visa. 

To be eligible for a UK expansion worker visa to must have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer. You also should be able to show proof that you have been working for your employer outside of the UK. You should also be able to show evidence that you are on the list of eligible occupations and are paid a minimum salary for the job as stated by the visa office.

Financial Costs for Applying for a UK Expansion Worker Visa

When you apply for a UK expansion worker visa, you must be able to pay the 298 pounds application fee. You also have to pay the healthcare surcharge which amounts to 1035 pounds per year. You must be able to support yourself when you arrive in the UK and need to have at least 1270 pounds available unless you are exempt.

You must be able to pay for the surcharge when applying and show that you have 1270 pounds in your bank account. You must be able to provide for yourself in the UK. You need to have the money available for at least 28 consecutive days. The end date of the 28 days should be within 31 days from the date you have applied for the visa. 

Your partner and children can also apply or join to stay with you in the UK as your “dependents”. If your partner’s visa is successful, their visa will end on the same date as yours. If a child’s parents have different expiry dates, the child will have his or her visa expire at an earlier date. A dependent partner or a child is someone who is:

• Your husband or wife, unmarried partner, or even a civil partner

• Your child must be under 18 years of age and be born in the UK during your stay

• Your child must be over 18 and have permission with a “leave to enter” or a “leave to remain” in the UK and be ed as your dependent.

• You must be able to provide evidence of your relationship with the Home Office when applying for a UK expansion worker visa.

Your partner and children must have a said amount of money in the bank to be able to support themselves while they are in the UK. This is 285 pounds for your partner, 315 pounds for one child, and 200 pounds for every additional child you may have. You or your partner or child need to have 600 pounds – 285 pounds for your partner and 315 for your child when applying for the UK expansion worker visa. You also need t270 to support yourself on your application. 

You will need to show proof of this when you apply unless all of you have been in the UK on valid visas for at least 12 months. In case, your partner or child is applying at a different time in comparison to you, you must be able to show you have money to support yourself if you have been in the UK for less than a year.

Financial Eligibility for UK Expansion Worker Visa 

To be eligible for the UK expansion worker visa or the Global Business mobility visa, you need to have a certificate of sponsorship from your present employer. Your employer must be able to pay the minimum wage as stated by the UK government, depending on the number of hours you work in a week. If your employer is not able to furnish these details, your application will then be refused.

Your employer is also known as your sponsor and needs to give you a certificate of sponsorship with information about your position in the UK. This is an electronic record and is not a paper document. You need a particular reference number from this “certificate of sponsorship” for your visa application. You should be able to apply for your visa within 3 months of obtaining your certificate of sponsorship. 

If your employer is not currently approved to sponsor workers in the UK, they can apply for a sponsor licence and meet eligibility requirements. 

You must be able to show that you have been working for your employer outside of the UK for at least 12 months or you meet the following criteria:

1. You earn more than 73900 pounds annually

2. You are a Japanese national doing work for a Japanese company that has expanded to the UK

3. You are a permanent resident or national of Australia involved in working for the company that is expanding to the UK.

4. You also must be paid at least 48500 pounds per year or the “going rate” for the employment you are in depending on whichever is higher.

UK Expansion Worker Visa: The Final Call

Remember that consulting a good immigration lawyer in London is a must when you are applying for a UK expansion worker visa. Your legal point of contact would inform you about the certificate of sponsorship you would need from your employer along with its reference number. You also need a valid passport and other identity proofs that show your nationality and place of residence. Your job title and annual salary slips, along with the job’s occupation codes are also must. You must also undertake a tuberculosis test and furnish the results along with your application for the UK expansion worker visa. 

Showing proof of your relationship with your partner and children when they are applying with you is also mandatory. You must also ask your employer for a copy of your certificate of sponsorship if you don’t have one. If you are the authorizing officer for your organization, the sponsor management system will retain your certificate.