WEB 3095 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.

Tutors: 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.

Winner of Management Today’s 35 Women under 35 in 2024 and recognised as a Leading Partner in Legal 500, Sacha is a partner and head of the Immigration team at Birketts. Admitted to the roll of solicitors in September 2013, she has more than 12 years’ experience working with some of the world’s largest global businesses and their international employee mobility programmes. Sacha supports organisations across a diverse sector base and business size. Sacha specialises in supporting companies with executive and employee visa applications, immigration compliance and global mobility strategy whilst navigating the increasingly complex geopolitical landscape Sacha provides practical, commercial advice that is well integrated with other key considerations including tax, social security and employment law . In 2022 she secured the first ever Home Office issued Expansion Worker licence and visa.

Sacha also supports high net worth private individuals and their families relocate to the UK for work, study and leisure and is adept at working discreetly with high profile individuals with very complex requirements.

Sacha is pro-actively engaged with stakeholders at Westminster on the development of a broad aspect of immigration policy.