To qualify for this visa, the overseas parent company must:

• Be an active and trading overseas business;
• Have its headquarters and principal place of business outside the United Kingdom;
• Have no other active branch, subsidiary or representative in the UK;
• Intend to establish a registered branch or wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK that will actively trade in the same business activity as the overseas business;
• Not be established or the sole representative appointed mainly for the purpose of facilitating the entry or stay of the sole representative;
• Intend to maintain the centre of its operations overseas.

In addition, the representative applying for the Sole Representative visa must:

• Be a genuine Representative of an Overseas Business;
• Be an existing senior employee of the overseas business;
• Have been recruited and taken on as an employee of the overseas business outside of the UK;
• Have the skills, experience and knowledge of the business necessary to undertake the role of sole representative of the overseas business in the UK;
• Have full authority to negotiate and take operational decisions on behalf of the overseas business;
• Intend to work full-time as a representative of the overseas business;
• Not intend to engage in business of your own or work for any other business;
• Not have a majority stake in, or otherwise own or control, a majority of the overseas business, whether that ownership or control is by means of a shareholding, partnership agreement, sole proprietorship or any other arrangement;
• Show English language ability to at least CEFR Level A1 (speaking and listening);
• Show they can adequately maintain and accommodate theirself and their dependants in the UK, without recourse to public funds.