City Legal

Global Business Mobility Routes

There are five sponsored business immigration routes under the Global Business Mobility visa which is a new category of sponsored routes for overseas businesses.

Get in Touch

Consent*
Couldn’t find the service you were looking for?

The Global Business Mobility routes is a new category of sponsored routes for overseas businesses wanting to establish, make a presence in, or transfer employees to the UK for a temporary business venture. Due to the nature of the route, there is no direct route to settlement.

There are five sponsored business immigration routes under the Global Business Mobility visa.

Graduate Trainee Visa

The Graduate Trainee Visa is designed for overseas workers who are part of a graduate training course and wish to be transferred to the UK by their employer to complete a work placement in the UK. This graduate training course will lead to a senior managerial or specialist role within the business.  This route replaces the Intra-Company Graduate Trainee Visa.

The applicants who wish to enter the UK under a Graduate Trainee Visa you must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Be an existing employee of a business that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
  • Have worked for your sponsor overseas for a minimum of 3 months immediately before you apply
  • Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer 
  • Been offered a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
  • be paid at least £24,220 per year or 70% of the going rate for your job – whichever is higher

In some healthcare or education jobs, the salary requirements differ. The salary must be at least £23,100 or the full ‘going rate’ of your job, whichever is higher. Permission will be granted for either the time given on the Certificate of Sponsorship with an additional 14 days or 12 months, whichever is shorter. This visa category cannot be extended but you can apply for another Graduate Trainee visa from outside the UK.

Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

The Senior or Specialist Worker Visa is designed for senior managers and specialist employees who wish to undertake a temporary work assignment in the UK. This route will replace the existing Intra-Company Transfer route. 

The applicants who wish to enter the UK under a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Be an existing employee of a business that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
  • Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your employer 
  • Been offered a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
  • Be paid at least £45,800 per year or the going rate for your job – whichever is higher

Applicants earning less than £73,900 a year must have worked for their employer outside the UK for a minimum of 12 months. There is no minimum time requirement if earning £73,900 a year or more. This visa category can be extended provided applicants have not reached the maximum total stay; have the same job under the same occupation code as the previous permission and are still employed by the employer who gave your current Certificate of Sponsorship. 

UK Expansion Worker Visa

The UK Expansion Worker visa is a new sponsored route which replaces the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa. This new route allows eligible businesses to sponsor an existing senior manager or specialist worker assigned to the UK temporarily to undertake work to expand a business in the UK. This route can only be used when the business has not yet initiated trading in the UK

The applicants who wish to enter the UK under the UK Expansion Worker Visa must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from your employer
  • Currently working for a business or organisation that is linked to your UK sponsor by common ownership or control;
  • have worked for your employer outside the UK for at least 12 months (unless you’re either earning over £73,900 or a Japanese national) 
  • do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
  • be paid at least £45,800 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your job (whichever is higher)
  • Have sufficient personal savings when arriving in the UK available for at least 28 days

The initial leave will be granted for either 1 year after the start date of the job detailed in your Certificate of Sponsorship or the time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. If the applicant wishes to stay longer in the UK, it is possible to extend their visa, however, this is capped by 12 months. The maximum time an applicant under the visa is 2 years.

This visa category can be extended provided applicants have not reached the maximum total stay; have the same job under the same occupation code as the previous permission and are still employed by the employer who gave your current Certificate of Sponsorship. 

Secondment Worker Visa

The Secondment Worker visa is designed for employees being seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer.

The applicants who wish to enter the UK under the Secondment Worker Visa must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Be an existing employee for the overseas business with a high-value contract with your UK-approved sponsor that is worth at least £50 million 
  • Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship 
  • Complete a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
  • Have worked for the overseas business for a minimum of at least 12 months

This visa category can be extended provided applicants have not reached the maximum total stay; have the same job under the same occupation code as the previous permission and are still working on the same contract by the employer who gave your current Certificate of Sponsorship. The maximum time applicants can stay in the UK is 2 years.

Service Supplier Visa

The Service Supplier Visa is suitable for applicants who are either an employee for an overseas company or self-employed professional based overseas who has a contract to provide temporary services for a UK company. This route replaces the contractual service supplier and independent professional provisions in the Temporary Work – International Agreement route.

The applicants who wish to enter the UK under the Service Supplier Visa must satisfy the following criteria:

  • Must be an employee of an overseas business, or a self-employed service provider based overseas
  • Provide a service to a UK business under a contract that is covered by a valid international trade agreement
  • Complete a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations – if your job is not eligible you may still qualify provided you have the relevant qualifications and experience
  • Hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship 
  • Been employed for your employer for a minimum of 12 months outside the UK, or if you’re a self-employed service provider, have a minimum of 12 months’ professional experience 

The maximum stay under this visa depends on the type of trade agreement the applicant provides. Permission will be granted either 6 months or 12 months or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter. This visa category can be extended provided applicants have not reached the maximum total stay; are still contracted to work by the sponsor who gave your current Certificate of Sponsorship and still the job, qualifications and experience continue to satisfy the eligibility criteria.

FAQs

The Global Business Mobility visa is a sponsored route requiring the applicant to hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office-approved employer authorised to sponsor that worker category.

Your partner and children may be able to apply to come to the UK. The Dependant must be the spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, same-sex partner or child under 18 years old of the main applicant.

Please click this link for detailed information about going rates for eligible occupations.

The financial requirement must still be satisfied unless the Certificate of Sponsorship states the sponsor can support you.

The following documents can be used as supporting documents: Printed payslips, Online payslips supported by a letter from your sponsor signed by a senior staff member, bank or building society statements and a building society passbook.

Similar Services

CLS banner

UK Expansion Worker Visa

The UK Expansion Worker visa is a new sponsored route which replaces the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa.
CLS banner

UK Self Sponsorship Visa

This may be a suitable route for anyone who wishes to set up and run their own business in the UK without having a UK sponsor.
WP-Featured-Image-21

UK Scale Up Visa

The new Scale-Up visa system aims to foster innovation by making it easier for 'Scale Up' businesses to attract "very highly skilled" and "academically elite” individuals to the UK.
© City Legal Solicitors. Authorised and Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority SRA no: 834730

Get in Touch

Consent*