Previously, if a person wanted to come to the UK for business purposes, they would have travelled under a business visitor visa. But in recent years that has been updated, and now all business visa immigrants apply to come to the UK under a Standard Visitor visa. This visa is not solely for business, it also permits people to travel to the UK for leisure purposes, to see family and friends or if there’s another reason, such as receiving private medical treatment in the UK.

The terms of a visitor’s visa can be quite specific. Consultants, advisers and trainers are allowed to travel as long as they are employed abroad by the same company to which the client firm in the UK belongs. Travelling under a Standard Visitor visa for business purposes means that the migrant is not allowed to offer actual project management or to give consultancy or advice services specifically to clients of the company in the UK. If a migrant is in the UK for training, then it should be for a one-off purpose and not something which is either readily available in the UK or which goes beyond classroom tuition level.

Business visa visits and Simply.Law

Seeking expert legal advice about travelling to the UK under a visa for business purposes is essential to secure the best outcome. Simply.Law has many immigration application solicitors in the UK who are able to give solid, expert advice to those looking to make a visa application. You can choose a lawyer from the list on this page yourself, or you can send your details directly to Simply.Law and we will use the Simply.Law Match function to identify the best immigration application solicitor for you, based on an assessment of your circumstances.

Travelling to the UK for business

There are certain activities which are permitted for someone travelling under a Standard Visitor visa for business reasons. These include:

• attending a particular sports related event
• being an academic doing research, or accompanying students on a programme when they are studying abroad
• being a dentist or doctor and travelling to the UK to observe treatment or take up a clinical attachment
• attending training, a conference or a meeting
• being an artist, musician or an entertainer who is in the UK to perform
• seeking funding to run, join, start or takeover a business in the UK
• sitting the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) or taking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB)

On the Standard Visitor visa a businessperson is permitted to:

• study for a maximum of 30 days, providing that this is not the main reason for the visit
• participate in an educational visit or exchange programme – as long as they are under 18
• convert a civil partnership to marriage

However, there are also a number of things which are not permitted under this visa and these include:

• any paid or unpaid work
• living in the UK for long amounts of time by way of visiting frequently
• receiving public funds
• registering of a civil partnership, marrying or giving notice of civil partnership or marriage

The immigration application solicitor that you choose from Simply.Law will be able to explain in detail all of the relevant points. In addition to these provisions, there are further conditions in place for computer software companies. A person is permitted to travel on the standard visa if their computer software company needs someone to enhance, debug or install any of their products. Representatives of an overseas business can also travel to be advised of the requirements of a customer in the UK.

Having these regulations in place allows a lot of flexibility for in-house training and also gives freedom to employees who are part of a multi-national company and are representing an overseas business.

Contact Simply.Law today for further advice and information about travelling to the UK for business purposes.