The Ultimate Guide to the UK Global Business Mobility Visa

We are providing below a comprehensive and detailed guide on the Global Business Mobility Visa, a temporary work visa category that allows overseas businesses with a UK sponsor licence to move staff to the UK. This guide dives deep into the eligibility requirements, application process, and benefits of each subcategory within the Global Business Mobility Visa, ensuring you have the information you need to navigate this complex visa route.

Please note that for many organisations and their employees the Skilled Worker visa and sponsor licence scheme may be a better choice.  Applicants can usually apply for indefinite leave to remain towards the end of five years in the UK under the Skilled Worker visa scheme, and the minimum salary requirement may be lower.  If you are on a Global Mobility visa you will need to switch say to a Skilled Worker visa to eventually be able to qualify for indefinite leave to remain.

• Senior or Specialist Worker Route
• Graduate Trainee Route
• UK Expansion Worker Route
• Service Supplier Route
• Secondment Worker Route
• Extending a Global Business Mobility Visa
• Path to Settlement
• Dependants and the Global Business Mobility Visa
• Application Process and Required Documents
• Global Business Mobility Visa FAQs
• How Workpermit.com Can Help with Sponsor Licences

What is the Global Business Mobility Visa?

The Global Business Mobility Visa is a combined category of five sponsored work routes designed for overseas businesses aiming to establish, develop, or support their UK-based operations. It enables non-UK organizations to temporarily deploy specific personnel to the UK, facilitating international growth and talent exchange.

Global Business Mobility Visa Routes

The Global Business Mobility Visa encompasses five distinct routes, each tailored to different temporary work assignment types:

1. Senior or Specialist Worker Route
2. Graduate Trainee Route
3. UK Expansion Worker Route
4. Service Supplier Route
5. Secondment Worker Route

Each route has certain eligibility requirements, such as being paid a certain salary, and in many cases showing work experience for the same employer outside the UK.  For people living in certain countries you will also need to provide a valid tuberculosis certificate. The sections below delve into the specific requirements and benefits of each route.

Senior or Specialist Worker Route

The Senior or Specialist Worker route is for senior managers and specialist employees a UK business linked to their overseas employer. This route replaced the Intra-Company Transfer visa route in April 2022.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Senior or Specialist Worker route, applicants must:

• Be employed by the sponsor group and have worked for that group outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months, unless they will be working in the UK as a high earner with a gross salary of £73,900 per year or more.
• Possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the proposed job, issued by an employer with a Senior or Specialist Worker sponsor licence.  To assign the CoS the employer would usually need to have paid the Immigration Skills Charge for the period of stay.
• Receive sponsorship for an eligible job at or above an appropriate minimum skill level, with an annual salary of at least £45,800 applicable from 12 April 2023, or the "going rate" for that job, whichever is higher.

Permission Duration

Successful applicants will be granted permission for:

• 5 years after the start date of the job set out in the Certificate of Sponsorship; 14 days after the end date of this job.

Or

• The date at which the applicant will have had cumulative permission on the Global Business Mobility and the Intra-Company routes totaling 5 years in any 6-year period or 9 years in any 10-year period if applying as a high earner.  The shortest of these durations will be granted.

Graduate Trainee Route

The Graduate Trainee route is for overseas workers participating in a graduate training course leading to a senior management or specialist position who are required by their employer to complete a UK work placement. This route replaced the Intra-Company Graduate Trainee route.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Graduate Trainee route, applicants must:

• Be currently working for the sponsor group at the time of the application and have worked for that group outside the UK for a continuous period of at least 3 months prior to the date of their application.
• Possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the proposed job, issued by a UK employer with a relevant sponsor licence issued by the Home Office.
• Receive sponsorship for an eligible job at or above an appropriate minimum skill level, with a salary of at least £24,220 from 12 April 2023, or the "going rate" for that job, whichever is higher. The job must also have clearly defined progression toward a managerial or specialist role within the sponsor organization as part of a structured graduate training program.

Permission Duration

Successful applicants will be granted permission for:

• 1 year after the start date of the job set out in the Certificate of Sponsorship; 14 days after the end date of this job.

Or

• The date at which the applicant will have had cumulative permission on the Global Business Mobility and the Intra-Company routes totaling 5 years in any 6-year period.

The shortest of these durations will be granted.

UK Expansion Worker Route

The UK Expansion Worker route is for overseas workers looking to undertake temporary assignments in the UK to assist with the expansion of their employer's business. This route replaced the Representative of an Overseas Business route and is only applicable when the business has not yet begun trading in the UK. If the business already has an established UK presence, workers should apply under the Senior or Specialist Worker route instead, or the Skilled Worker visa category.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the UK Expansion Worker route, applicants must:

• Be currently working for the sponsor group and have worked for that group outside the UK for a period of at least 12 months, unless they will be working in the UK as a high earner, or are an Australian national working for an Australian business, or are a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• Possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the proposed job, issued by an UK employer with an Expansion Worker sponsor licence.
• Receive sponsorship for an eligible job at or above an appropriate minimum skill level, with a salary of at least £45,800 from 12 April 2023, or the "going rate" for that job, whichever is higher.

Permission Duration

Successful applicants will be granted permission for:

• 1 year after the start date of the job set out in the Certificate of Sponsorship.
• 14 days after the end date of this job.
• The date at which the applicant will have had continuous permission as a UK Expansion Worker totaling 2 years.
• The date the applicant will have had cumulative permission on the Global Business Mobility routes totaling 5 years in any 6-year period.

The shortest of these durations will be granted.

Service Supplier Route

The Service Supplier route is for contractual service suppliers employed by overseas service providers or self-employed independent professionals based overseas looking to undertake temporary assignments in the UK to provide services covered by a UK international trade agreement. This route replaced the contractual service supplier and independent professional provisions under the Temporary Work - International Agreement route.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Service Supplier route, applicants must:

• Be currently working as or for an overseas service provider that will provide services to their UK sponsor and have worked in that capacity outside the UK for a cumulative period of 12 months.
• Possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the proposed job, issued by a UK employer with a UK Service Supplier route sponsor licence, that has a relevant Home Office registered contract with an overseas service provider on which the applicant will work in the UK.
• Receive sponsorship for an eligible job at or above an appropriate minimum skill level or instead have a university degree or equivalent level technical qualification and experience.
• Meet the nationality requirement for a Service Supplier.

Permission Duration

Successful applicants will be granted permission for:

• 14 days after the end date of the job set out in the Certificate of Sponsorship.
• The date at which the applicant will have had cumulative permission on the Global Business Mobility and Intra-Company routes totaling 5 years in any 6-year period.
• The maximum single assignment period for the applicant in question, being either 6 or 12 months.

The shortest of these durations will be granted.

Secondment Worker Route

The Secondment Worker route is for overseas workers looking to undertake temporary assignments in the UK, where the worker is being seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Secondment Worker route, applicants must:

• Be currently working for an overseas business that has a Home Office registered contract with their UK sponsor and have worked for that business outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months.
• Possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the proposed job, issued by a UK Home Office authorized employer that has a Home Office registered contract with an overseas business on which the applicant will work.
• Receive sponsorship for an eligible job at or above an appropriate minimum skill level.

Permission Duration

Successful applicants will be granted permission for:

• 1 year after the start date of the job set out in the Certificate of Sponsorship.
• 14 days after the end date of this job.
• The date at which the applicant will have had continuous permission as a Secondment Worker totaling 2 years.

Or

• The date the applicant will have had cumulative permission on the Global Business Mobility and Intra-Company routes totaling 5 years in any 6-year period.

The shortest of these durations will be granted.

Extending a Global Business Mobility Visa

Although the Global Business Mobility Visa is intended for temporary work assignments in the UK, applicants have the right to extend their visas from within the UK, up to the maximum length of time permitted under each route.

Path to Settlement

None of the Global Business Mobility Visa routes lead directly to settlement in the UK, including the UK Expansion Worker route, which replaced the Representative of an Overseas Business visa that previously allowed eligible visa holders to apply for indefinite leave to remain. To achieve settlement, overseas workers in the UK under a Global Business Mobility Visa must meet the eligibility requirements to switch into a different immigration route that leads to settlement, such as the Skilled Worker visa route.

Dependants and the Global Business Mobility Visa

Applicants may be accompanied or joined by a partner and dependent children under a Global Business Mobility Visa. To be eligible, the spouse or partner of the primary visa holder must satisfy various eligibility requirements, including a relationship and financial requirement. Child applicants must also meet additional age and care requirements.

Application Process and Required Documents

The application process for the Global Business Mobility Visa routes involves several steps, including obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship from an UK employer with a sponsor licence and submitting an online application, along with required supporting documents.

These documents typically include:

• A valid passport or other travel identification.
• Evidence of financial means to support oneself during the stay in the UK.
• A tuberculosis test result (if applicable).
• Other documents specific to the chosen route, such as proof of previous employment and qualifications.

How Workpermit.com Can Help with Sponsor Licences

If you need help with employing Skilled Workers and help to apply for a Sponsor Licence, including complying with your Sponsor Licence obligations, Workpermit.com can help.

For more information and advice, please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com