How Do I Expand My Business With US Employees In The UK?

There is a long-standing business relationship between the UK and US markets, and American businesses in many sectors choose to expand into the UK for a variety of reasons. The end goal for most is to increase profits and/or global reach, and the UK is also often used as a springboard into the European market.

How to Send US Workers to the UK

Expanding your business into the UK requires a combination of knowledge, preparation and expert guidance. Among a number of service providers who will help you along the way, a UK immigration lawyer will aid the relocation of your US employees into the UK (and the hire of any specialist migrant workers in the UK). The team at Eversage Associates is experienced in providing UK visa advice in the US, and we stand ready to assist with your corporate expansion. Here are some of our top tips for opening your first UK office.

Understand the Market

It should go without saying, but the UK market is quite different from the US market. It is important to do your market research, understand the landscape and how to adapt to the differences. Understanding your UK customer profile – and perhaps even having a few clients lined up – is paramount to a successful business expansion. If you’re selling a product in the UK, you need to ensure product readiness by UK standards and regulations.

Corporate Set-Up

You will also need to choose a suitable corporate entity for your UK business – perhaps a subsidiary or a branch registration. This will also include preparing contracts which are UK-compliant as well as understanding UK employment laws. In addition, when hiring employees in the UK, certain registrations will be required (e.g. PAYE registration with HMRC) and insurances (e.g. Employer’s Liability Insurance). There are other practical issues to be dealt with, such as finding office space (where needed) and opening a UK bank account – with the latter step often being one of the most difficult and lengthy parts of the process! Finally, you may also want to consider a UK trademark registration as part of your corporate expansion.

The team at Eversage works with a number of trusted providers in these field(s) who can help with each stage of the corporate set-up, and we are happy to broker introductions for our clients as needed along the journey.

Have an Immigration Strategy

Many companies choose to send a ‘beachhead team’ to the UK to establish the office, before then hiring locally to build the office out. Ongoing corporate transfers to the UK are also quite common. This allows a sense of business continuity and ensures training is in line with the HQ’s standards.

That said, the order in which employees are sent to or hired in the UK can be very important visa-wise – our team is well-placed to advise on the UK immigration implications of hiring locally first versus sending a team from the US at the outset.

The two most popular UK immigration options for this purpose are the Global Mobility (UK Expansion Worker) visa and the Sponsor Licence/Sponsored Work visa route. There is also the possibility of an Innovator visa, if appropriate. The best option is often determined by the stage of the UK corporate set up the company is in, as well as the existence of any UK-based staff. As such, it is best to seek specialist UK immigration advice at an early stage of the process so you don’t jeapordise the beachhead team’s visa options. It is also important to ensure you have the relevant visa(s) in-hand before the target relocation date, so building in a lead time of at least six months is recommended.

Contact Us

Working with a trusted and knowledgeable UK immigration lawyer from the outset will undoubtedly make the UK expansion process run more smoothly for your company and for each employee transferred to the UK. We will be your guide throughout the process – our team has assisted countless companies in your position, and we are also uniquely experienced in the US and Canadian markets.

We are ready to put our expertise and experience to work for you, with the aim of making the process run as smoothly and as quickly as possible. Contact us to get started – we look forward to hearing from you!