WEB 2113 Expansion Worker: an overview

Level: Beginner – Intermediate

Description:

The UK Expansion category, targeted at businesses outside the UK which are seeking to expand their presence within the UK, was introduced on 11 April 2022 (as one of the five new Global Mobility routes) and has replaced the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business category. This session will summarise areas of similarity between the new route and the one it replaces, key changes and how practitioners can best support their clients in navigating the new category.

Topics will include:

• Strategic assessment – when to use the Expansion Worker route
• Requirements for businesses seeking to obtain a licence to sponsor on this route
• Eligibility criteria for migrant worker
• Documents required in support of the application
• Practical considerations
• Tips on making a successful application
• Case studies
• Periods of grant and long term planning to remain in the UK

Audience:

The session is aimed at practitioners who have a basic knowledge of the category.

T utors: Aisha Choudhry, Bates Wells and Sacha Wooldridge, Birketts LLP

Aisha is Senior Associate in the Immigration Department at Bates Wells and specialise in corporate immigration. She primarily deals with skilled worker visas involving sponsor licences, mergers and acquisitions, strategy and compliance. She is also experienced with sole representative of overseas business applications.

Prior to Bates Wells, Aisha worked at EY.

Aisha is passionate about well-being in the workplace and is a trained Mental Health First Aider. Aisha is a co-founder and co-convenor of the ILPA Well-being Working Group. Aisha has been a trustee of ILPA since 2020.

Sacha is a Partner at Birketts, specialising in UK immigration and nationality law. Admitted to the roll of solicitors in September 2013 and with almost 10 years’ experience working with some of the world’s largest global businesses and their international employee mobility programmes, Sacha specialises in supporting business with their employee visa applications, immigration compliance and global mobility strategy.

Sacha provides practical, commercial advice that is well integrated with other key considerations including tax, social security and employment law. Sacha has a wealth of experience supporting businesses from start-ups to FTSE 100s across all sectors including financial and professional services, engineering, FMCG, energy and technology. Sacha provides end-to-end immigration support for business with a deep personal commitment to providing a friendly and personable point of contact with the highest quality service and technical advice – recognising that moving people internationally is both critical for business and can be a challenging time for individuals and their families. Sacha is also able to support business through its key growth milestones – advising on the immigration implications of mergers and acquisitions, restructuring and TUPE transfers and helping business navigate the latest geopolitical challenges including Brexit and Covid19.