The employer – and not the prospective employee – may apply to obtain a work permit for an overseas employee. There are several, more or less stringent requirements, among others a certain minimum level of remuneration. The ease of obtaining work permits varies with the actual economic situation in the United Kingdom. There are special provisions for entertainers, sports people and fashion models.

  Sole Representative of a Company

You may apply as the representative of an overseas company that has no branch, subsidiary or other representative in the United Kingdom. The sole representative has to be an existing employee of the overseas firm, and the overseas firm must be a legitimate organisation already operating for some time. Unlike applications for work permits (see below), there is no need to show that there is no member of the resident labour market who could do the job. There is also no need to invest a significant amount of money, and applications are usually dealt with relatively quickly.

  Business-Investor and Innovator

You can be granted entry as a businessman if you propose an acceptable business plan in the case of a new business. A minimal investment of GBP 200,000 is required, unless an application is made under the new "Innovator" category.Where a person takes over or joins an existing business it is necessary to provide audited accounts for that business. If your investment is considerable and creates local employment, then authorities are likely to be less stringent with the other requirements and the application can usually be completed more quickly.

 Investor

If you invest GBP 750,000 in British stocks and hold additional funds of at least GBP 250,000,you may be granted residence. Your main home must be in the United Kingdom and you must be able to support yourself without working (other than self-employment). The main attraction of this category is that the procedure is straightforward and applications are quickly approved once the requirements are met.

  Retirement

If you are 60 years old and have an investment or rental income of not less than GBP 25,000 per year you may be granted residence if you can also show close connections to the United Kingdom. This may be for example close relatives, previous residence or business connections in the United Kingdom or a strong sense ofidentity with the United Kingdom.

  UK Ancestry

Commonwealth citizens who have a grandparent born in the United Kingdom may enter the United Kingdom for a period of four years to work there. After four years one is normally granted permanent residence. If you are not a Commonwealth citizen but you meet the ancestry requirement, it may be possible to acquire Commonwealth citizenship through an Economic Citizenship Programme (for example through the Economic Citizenship Programmes of the Commonwealth of Dominica or Grenada).

  Irish Ancestry or EC Citizenship

Irish Ancestry maybe an interesting option in certain cases; in particular US nationals are often surprised to find that they can claim Irish nationality. This may be through a parent or grandparent. Since Ireland is a member of the European Community, being Irish will permit to work, start a business, study etc. quite freely. This, of course, applies to any EC Citizen and their dependants.

  Permanent Residence and British Citizenship

In the investor, business related or full work permit categories, permanent residence is usually granted after four years. After being granted permanent residence, you may apply for British citizenship after a further period of one year. It is thus possible to become British citizen after only five years of legal residence in the United Kingdom.

Henley & Partners are recognised as the world's leading consulting firm for exclusive private residence solutions - Residence of Choice^SM

We also specialise in international tax planning for private clients, and we provide independent advice on trust and corporate structures worldwide. A powerful combination of expertise and experience.

We advise onall aspects of moving your personal residence to another country. This not only involves immigration law, but also international private law, taxation, insurance, and more. We specialise in the world's top locations for private residence in view of personal taxation, the business environment, and the overall quality of life.

We will analyse your situation, inform you of the options open to you, develop a plan of action to help you achieve your goal and then make it happen. We deal with government procedures quickly and efficiently on your behalf, based on professional expertise and years of experience. Depending on the case, top specialists from around the world will work for you and assist you in every respect, and you will only have to deal with one partner: Henley & Partners.

To establish yourself or your business in a new country will require securing relationships with key partners such as government officials, bankers and corporate professionals. You need experienced consultants to build a network of contacts and help you to become established in your new environment.

The specialised services of Henley & Partners are a resource and complement to major law and consulting firms. We can help other firms and their clients with the unique and specific details required by the immigration and business relocation process and related tax planning.

Further Information

Please contact us for more information on residence in the United Kingdom, corporate relocation and direct investment possibilities for investors and financially independent individuals, or to arrange for an initial personal consultation.