A sponsor licence is not always necessary for certain short-term after-sales work project in the UK. The most common alternative is something referred to as “rule PA7”.
WORKING ON A VISITOR VISA
Working in the UK on a visitor visa is normally prohibited, but some specific types of work are permitted, provided workers are not paid in the UK.
Rule PA7 (or more specifically, paragraph PA 7 of Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities), enables overseas manufacturers and contracted after sales suppliers to send employees to work in the UK for up to six months.
An employee of an overseas company can enter the UK as a visitor to install, dismantle, repair, service or advise on machinery and equipment that was manufactured by their employer, where there is a contract of purchase, supply or lease with a UK company or organisation.
Even if the overseas company is not the manufacturer or supplier, it is still possible to use this rule where the overseas company is part of a contractual arrangement for after sales services agreed at the time of the sale or lease, including in a warranty or other service contract incidental to the sale or lease.
Example
A German company manufactures warehouses. A Greek company specialises in the installation of those warehouses. A UK company purchases a warehouse from the German company and agrees at the time of purchase that the Greek company will install it. Employees of both the Greek company and the German company may enter the UK as visitors for up to six months to carry out the installation work, or subsequent repair/servicing, and then leave the UK when the work is complete.
Rule PA7 opens up several possibilities for companies looking for post-Brexit short-term mobility options. Crucially for UK companies, it potentially allows projects to be undertaken and completed by foreign companies without the need for the UK company to act as a sponsor or to directly employ the workers.
HOW WE CAN HELP
Our team of business immigration experts will guide you on the most appropriate visa options to facilitate work on UK projects. If the visitor route is the most suitable solution, our team will advise you on the necessary evidence for visa applications or cross-border travel and help your employees apply for visas if necessary.
Get in touch with our experts today:
Our team has advised several overseas manufacturers and after sales service providers since Brexit on the short-term transfer of workers to the UK to facilitate projects in the UK. Most recently, our team supported a large overseas machinery manufacturer on the posting workers to the UK to facilitate work on hydropower plants.
