According to the amended immigration laws announced by the UK government, the United Kingdom will implement significant modifications to its Visitor Visas beginning January 31, 2024, allowing for additional business operations.
Visitors will be permitted to continue working for a foreign employer while in the UK under the new rules. Nonetheless, the major purpose of their stay must be tourism, family visits, or other non-work-related activity. Furthermore, the remote work done during the visit should be directly related to the visitor’s overseas employment.
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The following are significant extensions to Visitor Visa activities:
Client Work Eligibility: Visitors with these visas are eligible to work for clients under certain conditions. This includes working for a company that has branches both in the UK and abroad, where client work is a small component of their job overseas but is required for a project or service provided by their employer’s UK office. Notably, the visitor’s employer shall not deliver the project directly to a UK client.
Working from the United Kingdom: Visitors will be permitted to work from the United Kingdom as long as remote work is not the primary reason for their visit.
Professionals in these disciplines can undertake research in the UK, with the exception of academics who seek for a 12-month visit visa or extend authorization from within the nation.
Lawyers on Visitor Visas can now engage in new activities in the UK, including as offering advice, acting as an expert witness, participating in arbitrations, legal processes, and teaching.
Paid Speaker Engagements: Speakers visiting the UK on a visitor visa will now be able to collect remuneration for their speeches.
Permitted Paid Engagement (PPE) Visitor Route Merger: The PPE Visitor route will be merged with the Standard Visitor route. Individuals participating in paid activities do not need a separate visa, but they must organise their activities within 30 days of arrival.
These improvements, particularly the allowance for remote work, are likely to boost UK business and tourism. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt previously stated his intention to broaden corporate visitor restrictions to allow for a greater range of allowed activities and paid engagements, with the reforms due to take effect in January 2024. Further changes to business visitor regulations are also expected in 2024.
