Which short-term UK visa is applicable for a remote independent contractor working outside of the UK for a UK company?
I have been working for a UK-based company as a remote independent contractor for the last 3 years. I want to do a short-term visit to the UK to meet the team and work from there for a few weeks. The company will reimburse me for my stay/travel expenses. Which visa do you think is applicable for this?
From what I can see from the gov.uk website, there are two kinds of visas that I may be eligible for:
- Standard Visitor visa
- Permitted Paid Engagement visa
Which one of the two do you think is the right category of visa for me?
Best Answer
You want a Standard Visitor Visa.
You are allowed to:
- attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars
- get work-related training if you’re employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country
- deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas
Meeting the team and exchanging information with them is covered by that. Do NOT say that you are going to "work there for a few weeks", either when applying or when you arrive. You are there to attend meetings with your colleagues, train them and receive training, plan and review work. You are not going to "work" according to the definition used by UK immigration.
Permitted Paid Engagement is for academics, artists and recognized experts in their field.
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Do you need a visa to work remotely for a UK company?
Do you need a visa to work remotely for a UK company? No, If the worker is entirely remote and not physically working in the UK, they will not need work authorisation or a visa to carry out work for any company based in the UK.Can I work remotely from another country UK?
Practical steps for employers At a minimum, employees should be prohibited from working remotely from a location outside of the UK without having first sought their employer's written permission.Is Tier 2 visa a temporary visa?
Applicants who are granted temporary residence under the Tier 2 - General visa are permitted to live and work in the UK for the duration of their employment for a maximum three (3) year period, or the period stated on their certificate of sponsorship, whichever is shorter.Do I need visa for remote work?
You must be engaged and work for a foreign company, not a business in your host country. It allows for mostly remote work professionals to stay longer than traditional tourist visas. The normal stay period is around six months to a year, however some can be up to two years.Working outside the UK and delivering contracts in Europe post-Brexit (08.06.2021)
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