Case Study – Business Visits and UK entry requirements

Entering the UK as a Visitor comes with strict limitations, particularly for business-related activities. Whether you are a non-visa national requiring an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), or a visa national who must apply for prior Entry Clearance, the rules are precise.

In some cases, even non-visa nationals should consider applying for Entry Clearance in advance – for example, where there is any adverse civil, criminal, or immigration history. This reduces the risk of being refused entry at the border.

Permitted Business Activities

The Visitor Rules set out what activities may be undertaken for business purposes. In general, visitors can:

1. Attend meetings and interviews.
2. Attend conferences or seminars – typically formal, speaker-led events lasting a few days on a specific topic or sector. Longer visits for conferences must not cross into ‘work’.
3. Give a one-off or short series of talks, provided these are not organised as commercial events and do not generate profit for the organiser.
4. Negotiate and sign deals and contracts.
5. Attend trade fairs for promotional work (but not direct selling).
6. Conduct site visits and inspections.
7. Gather information for their overseas employment.
8. Be briefed on the requirements of a UK-based customer, provided any actual work for the customer is carried out overseas.
9. Undertake activities relating to their overseas employment remotely from within the UK – provided this is not the main purpose of the visit.

However, there are important exceptions, particularly where the individual is part of a multinational group with UK branches or subsidiaries.

One advantage of a visitor visa is that the application does not carry salary thresholds, English language requirements or high visa fees associated with sponsored routes – but it must be used strictly within the permitted scope.

Breaches of the rules can lead to refusals, reputational damage, and civil penalties for illegal working of up to £60,000 per worker.

Intra-Corporate Activities (PA 5.1 – 5.2)

Under the Visitor Rules: Permitted Activities (PA 5.1 – 5.2), employees of an overseas company may:

• Advise and consult.
• Troubleshoot.
• Provide training.
• Share skills and knowledge –

but only in connection with a specific internal project involving UK employees of the same corporate group.

Until January 2024, these activities could not be carried out directly with clients. A new rule now allows this, provided it remains incidental to the visitor’s overseas employment and does not amount to offshoring a service to the overseas employer.

PA 5.2 confirms that employees may undertake client-facing activities if:

1. The movement is within an intra-corporate setting, and any client-facing activity is incidental to their overseas role; and
2. The activities support the UK branch in delivering a project/service and are not part of a service being delivered directly to the UK client by the overseas company.

Payment rules: the overseas employee must remain employed and paid by the overseas company. They cannot receive direct payment from the UK entity.

Case Study – How We Helped a Multinational Corporation

We recently advised a multinational corporation with a major UK project. Their Spanish entity needed to send staff to the UK to provide training and knowledge transfer to local employees.

The project was time-critical and scheduled to last more than two months. Six workers were required – four Spanish nationals (non-visa) and two visa nationals.

Although the company already held an A-rated Sponsor Licence, sponsorship was not the appropriate route for this short-term project. Instead, we explored the Visitor Rules, specifically the intra-corporate training provisions.

Our work included:

• Coordinating with the client’s UK, German and Spanish offices.
• Preparing detailed legal submissions and tailored letters of support.
• Advising the two visa nationals on their Visit Visa applications, ensuring all requirements were met (funding, ties to Spain, intention to return).
• Organising certified translations of supporting evidence.
• Managing communication across multiple teams and jurisdictions to meet tight deadlines.

The visa applications were prioritised, and decisions were received within two days – well ahead of the scheduled flights. Meanwhile, we prepared supporting documents for the four Spanish colleagues in case they were questioned at the border on arrival.

Thanks to this meticulous preparation, all six employees entered the UK smoothly, the project launched on time, and the client successfully met its contractual obligations.

Final Note

This case highlights the importance of correctly assessing whether a short-term business visit falls within the Visitor Rules – or whether sponsorship is required. The rules are tightly drawn, and mistakes can have serious consequences.

If your business is planning to bring overseas employees to the UK for training or client projects, we recommend seeking early legal advice to identify the safest and most cost-effective route.

For tailored advice on visitor visas, sponsorship routes, or compliance support, contact Branch Austin McCormick’s Immigration Team today.