Virtual Business Model Sponsorship

(on behalf of a friend)

Hi,

I have a friend in an entrepreneur friend in the US, established a UK entity for his company a few years ago. Currently he is only employing a handful of local workers in a "virtual business model" - i.e. no office, everybody works from home and they directly report to his team in the US.

Recently he said he wants to expand commercially in the UK&I and Europe, and identified a perfect candidate, but the candidate apparently is currently an immigrant on sponsored visa. My friend is willing to go through the motions of sponsorship application, maintaining the records, and satisfying the sponsorship responsibilities, as it fits to his longer term goals as well, but unsure if he can postpone getting an office for a little while longer - especially given the pandemic. For a small company, paying for a couple of months of an unused office space is equal to a monthly salary of a person.

What is his chances to make this work or is this too much of an uphill battle or hassle?

Thanks!

As your US friend has a company in the UK which employs people in the UK and presumably pays them by PAYE it should have a trading address registered with HMRC. Why not use that address?

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 0_v1.0.pdf

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... 0_v1.0.pdf

Thank you both!