Expand your business to the UK with the UK Expansion Worker visa

Since April 2022, the UK Expansion Worker visa has become a powerful tool for businesses looking to establish a presence in the UK. This streamlined route allows foreign companies to expand into the UK without needing a pre-existing UK business entity.

How it works

To utilise this visa, your company will need an Expansion Worker sponsor license. This involves the Home Office conducting due diligence on your foreign entity to confirm its eligibility to sponsor workers in the UK.

Once approved, your company can deploy up to five UK Expansion Workers to the UK. These key personnel from your overseas operations can relocate to set up your UK business. They can either be employed by the new UK entity or remain on your foreign entity's payroll while establishing the UK operations.

Next steps after expansion

Typically, after about six months of establishing your UK business, you can upgrade your Expansion Worker license to a full Skilled Worker visa sponsorship license. This allows your business to bring in additional personnel from your overseas operations to further support your growing UK entity.

Pioneer new frontiers

Unlike with many other countries, the UK does not require you to have a certain turnover before you establish a business presence there. What’s more, there are a range of temporary visa options available for you to send a trusted member of your team over to get things up and running while you take care of things at home.

Highly skilled staff moving to the UK?

Retain these skills by continuing to employ these staff remotely, through a UK-based entity. UK business start-up costs are lower than in most other developed countries and there is very little red tape to stop you from registering a business in the UK.

For UK business immigration assistance, advice and support, contact us to see how we can help.

Put your business on the international stage

Many businesses that want to secure a foothold in European markets begin by establishing themselves in the UK. As an investor- and entrepreneur-friendly country, the UK remains one of the world’s premiere business hubs.

Use your business as a vehicle for relocation

If you wish to move to the UK, expanding your business there could be the first step. Once your UK entity is set up, you can sponsor yourself as an employee, should you qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, and your spouse and children may join you as dependants.

About Sable International

We support international citizens and businesses with their financial and migration needs. We have operated in this space for over two decades and have an expert understanding of navigating international finance and migration.

Meet your business immigration team

Talk to our experienced consultants, IAA-registered advisers to see how we can help with your business immigration needs.

  • Darren Faife - Director of Work permits
    Darren Faife
    Managing Director: Business immigration
  • Julian Dearson
    Head of Immigration Compliance
  • Nicola Digby
    Nicola Digby
    Senior Consultant
  • Maxine Furlong
    Maxine Furlong
    Business Immigration Consultant
  • Sophie Brummer
    Operations Assistant
  • Andrea Jurams
    Junior UK Consultant Support
  • Megan Maggott
    Junior UK Consultant Support
  • Dana Prodehl
    Admin Assistant
  • Tobias Strom
    Tobias Strom
    Business Immigration Consultant
  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director
  • Darren Faife
    Managing Director: Business immigration

    Darren has over 30 years’ experience heading award-winning organisations as well as providing immigration and compliance services to large-scale, multinational businesses.

    Having run his own successful immigration practice for over 20 years, Darren possesses a strong commercial mindset and provides an efficient delivery of strategic solutions, while consistently driving value contributing to core business objectives.

    Darren joined Sable International in 2020 to bring his wealth of expertise to our business immigration services. He is registered with the IAA at level 2 in UK Immigration.

    Outside of work, Darren is a “car man”, who makes his annual trip to Le Mans every year.

  • Julian Dearson
    Head of Immigration Compliance

    Julian joined the Home Office, Immigration Department in 1983 where he processed and managed multiple immigration and nationality applications. In 1991 he established Dearson Winyard, a company that went on to be one of the largest and most successful independent immigration advisory firms in the UK. After 26 years of success, the company was sold and Julian has spent the last five years pursuing his own personal ambitions.

    Julian is responsible for establishing and managing an immigration compliance offering for business immigration clients. This includes undertaking compliance audits to evaluate our clients' compliance with the UKVI sponsor licence requirements. Julian has a broad and varied immigration experience, covering both corporate and private client work, including sponsor licence applications.

    Outside of work, Julian spends much of his free time either dog walking or away in his RV with his family.

  • Nicola Digby
    Senior Consultant

    Nicola has over 14 years of immigration experience in private and corporate immigration, with a focus on large-scale, multinational business immigration. She graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a Bachelor of Law and has worked in the immigration sector since this time. 

    She joined Sable International as a Senior Consultant and is registered with the OSIC as a level 2 UK immigration adviser.

    Outside of work, she enjoys seeing as much of the world as possible, spending time with friends, family and her two cats. She also plays netball for her local club.

  • Maxine Furlong
    Business Immigration Consultant

    Maxine grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and has completed her BComm degree.

    She joined our Immigration team in our Cape Town office where she gained valuable experience in UK immigration and citizenship casework.

    Maxine has since moved to our London office and has completed her IAA level 1 exam; and continues to broaden her knowledge and experience in UK immigration.

    In her spare time Maxine will take any opportunity to travel, explore new cities and cultures.

  • Sophie Brummer
    Operations Assistant

    Sophie was born and raised in Cape Town. She has a great love for the Mother City, but would love to travel more.

    She matriculated from Cravenby Secondary School in 2016 and completed her diploma in Criminal Justice through Lyceum College.

    Her first job was at Ster-Kinekor as a multi skilled employee. She was then employed at WNS Global as a customer service agent. She then moved to CT International Financiers as a Collections Specialist, and was given the opportunity to broaden her knowledge and skills into various administrative roles before starting employment at Sable International.

    She is an administrative assistant at Sable International where she works with our Business Immigration and UK Education Corporate Services teams.

    Outside of work she enjoys hanging out with friend and family, exploring new places and loves watching series and movies.

  • Andrea Jurams
    Junior UK Consultant Support

    Andrea was born and raised in Cape Town and began her career in customer service shortly after matriculating in 2017. She joined TLScontact in 2018, where she developed a strong passion for the field and built a solid foundation in client care. Her skills were further refined at VFS Global, where she continued to grow professionally and deliver service at a high standard.

    Joining Sable International had been a long-standing goal for Adrea since 2019. After persistently applying for various roles, she proudly joined the team in 2025 as a Junior UK Consultant Support. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the team and supporting clients on their immigration journeys.

    Outside of work, Andrea enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, cooking, and baking. A true family person, she loves making the most of her weekends with her loved ones.

  • Megan Maggott
    Junior UK Consultant Support

    Born and raised in Cape Town, Megan began her degree in 2019 with a passion for helping people and a desire to gain broad, practical knowledge that could be applied in the corporate world. She completed her studies through the University of South Africa.

    Before joining Sable International, Megan gained valuable experience working at Siyatec Executors, Anuva Investments, and Kaylin Petersen Photography. In her current role, she handles a variety of administrative tasks, including application management, document preparation, invoicing and billing.

    Megan enjoys meeting new people, has a keen eye for detail and thrives in structured, process-driven environments. A true coffee enthusiast, she also enjoys walks or hikes, discovering new restaurants, and spending quality time with family and friends.

  • Dana Prodehl
    Admin Assistant

    During 2021 - 2024 I studied at The University of The Western Cape while working part-time as a retail assistant, salon front desk admin and lastly a waitress. When I finished my studies, I worked full time looking for a more permanent role. I came across Sable International in February 2025. I have since been an admin assistant to the lovely Sable Education team. Outside of work I enjoy running and e-cycling and spending as much time with family.

  • Tobias Strom
    Business Immigration Consultant

    Tobias was born and raised in London to American and German parents. After completing his law degree from Nottingham Trent University he has worked across both the UK and USA before finding his passion in immigration. 

    He joined Sable as a registered adviser with the IAA at level 1 and has extensive knowledge in both immigration and nationality, assisting private and corporate clients with their UK immigration matters.  

    He loves playing football amongst other sports and is an avid Tottenham Hotspurs fan. 

  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director

    Saskia has over 10 years of experience within the Sable International Team. Saskia graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B. Sc. (Masters) in finance and a sub-major in economics. She has a keen interest in financial services and immigration which made her the perfect candidate to help drive our Business Immigration team forward. Saskia has a passion for exceptional customer service and is now responsible for the Business Immigration team’s service delivery.

    A confident, enthusiastic individual with a great attitude and a keen motivation to learn. Saskia has spent the last decade growing a very strong and powerful professional business development network in London. Her growth and strategic approach to relationship-led new business has produced some fantastic results and she has enjoyed implementing these successful sales strategies with her team in London. She has extensive experience in all aspects of foreign exchange and business immigration and can apply her high-level, target-driven sales and account management approach to the success of her role.

    Outside of work, Saskia loves experiencing new cultures and travel is at the top of her “spare time” list.”

Expand your business to the UK

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