UK Expansion Worker Route and the Role of Self-Sponsorship

The UK remains one of the most attractive destinations for global entrepreneurs and businesses seeking to establish a presence in Europe. With its stable legal framework, international reputation, and access to a highly skilled workforce, the UK continues to welcome overseas businesses through carefully structured immigration routes. One such pathway is the UK Expansion Worker visa, which is specifically tailored for companies that wish to establish their first branch or wholly owned subsidiary in the UK. The UK Expansion Worker route is not just another work visa. It is designed for a very particular stage in a company’s international growth journey, the point at which an overseas business is ready to move into the UK but has not yet begun trading there. Through this visa, senior employees or specialists from the overseas parent company are permitted to relocate to the UK to set up operations, oversee the establishment of the branch, and lay the groundwork for long-term business activity. This makes it an important tool for international businesses at the early stage of their UK market entry.

Self-Sponsorship

When discussing this visa route, many people come across the term “self-sponsorship.” While it is not a formal legal category in UK immigration law, self-sponsorship has become a widely used shorthand to describe the situation in which an entrepreneur or business owner sets up a UK company, secures a sponsor licence for that business, and then uses the licence to sponsor themselves for a visa. This approach is most often associated with the Skilled Worker visa route, where an already-operating UK company has the ability to directly sponsor its founder or key personnel. However, the UK Expansion Worker route differs in some important respects. Here, the sponsor licence is not based on the newly created UK company acting independently. Instead, the licence is tied to the overseas parent company that is sending the Expansion Worker to the UK. This distinction matters because it prevents the UK entity from being fully operational at the time of application. In other words, the UK branch should not already be trading; the Expansion Worker’s role is to establish that branch in the first place. For overseas entrepreneurs or business owners, this means that self-sponsorship under the Expansion Worker route is possible, but only under certain conditions. The individual applying must genuinely be employed by the overseas parent company, not just in name but in substance, with a demonstrable role within the business. They must also be the person chosen to come to the UK to open the new branch. In practice, this means that a founder or senior executive of the overseas business could indeed be sponsored as the Expansion Worker, but the sponsorship itself arises from the overseas parent company, not the fledgling UK entity.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility criteria for the visa are relatively strict, reflecting the UK government’s focus on ensuring that this route is used by genuine businesses with real international operations. To qualify for the UK Expansion Worker route, an applicant must:

• be sponsored by an eligible overseas business that has obtained a sponsor licence;
• hold a Certificate of Sponsorship confirming their intended role in the UK;
• have worked for the overseas business for at least twelve months, although there are exceptions for high earners and for certain employees of Japanese businesses under the UK–Japan trade agreement;
• must meet the skill and salary thresholds.

The overseas company cannot have a fully trading UK branch at the time of the application.

Limitations

It is equally important to understand the limitations of the UK Expansion Worker route. This visa is temporary in nature, lasting up to two years at first and extendable to a maximum of five years. Crucially, it does not provide a direct pathway to settlement in the UK, known as Indefinite Leave to Remain. For many businesses, the Expansion Worker visa is best understood as a stepping stone as it provides the opportunity to establish a UK presence, but once the branch becomes fully operational and begins trading, the company will usually need to transition to a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. At that point, the business can continue sponsoring employees long-term, including potentially the original Expansion Worker, who may then pursue settlement through the Skilled Worker route. This staged approach reflects the UK government’s broader policy objectives. By allowing overseas businesses to send senior staff to establish a UK branch, the Expansion Worker route ensures that companies can expand into the UK in a controlled and legitimate way. At the same time, by limiting its duration and excluding settlement rights, the system encourages businesses to quickly move into full trading activity and integrate into the Skilled Worker framework once their UK operations are properly underway. In summary, the UK Expansion Worker route provides a valuable opportunity for overseas businesses to take their first steps into the UK market. For entrepreneurs and business owners, the concept of self-sponsorship under this route is viable, but only insofar as they are genuinely employed by their overseas company and are being transferred to the UK as part of its international expansion. While it does not offer immediate settlement, it acts as a bridge, allowing businesses to establish themselves and then transition into long-term sponsorship and immigration arrangements under the Skilled Worker visa. For those willing to take a staged approach, it remains one of the most effective routes to building a sustainable business presence in the UK. Clarkslegal’s immigration lawyers are here to help. For further information or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our immigration lawyers.