Global Business Mobility routes

The Global Business Mobility Route – Senior or Specialist Worker visa category replaced the visa route formerly known as Intra-Company Transfer on the 11th of April 2022.

This visa route caters to senior managers or specialist employees based overseas, who are being assigned to a UK-linked business to undertake temporary work assignments. This is not a route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.

Switching to this route is allowed within the UK from the eligible visa categories. A dependent partner and/or minor children can join the main applicant under this visa route.

The Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker is a point-based route:

• Sponsorship (20 points)
• Job at an appropriate skill level (20 points)
• Salary at the required level (20 points)

In order to be eligible to apply under the Senior or Specialist Worker scheme, the applicant must be currently working for the sponsor group and has been in such employment for at least 12 months preceding the application, unless the applicant is a high earner.

The minimum salary threshold to be met under this route is £48,500 per annum. There is no English Language requirement, however, the Financial requirement must be met by demonstrating the available funds of at least £1,270 held as a daily minimum balance within a 28-day period preceding the application, or by providing confirmation from their A-rated Licensed sponsor that the maintenance associated with the application is certified by them.

The maximum period allowed under the Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker route is 5 years, or 9 years if the applicant is a high earner.

 

The Global Business Mobility Route– UK Expansion Worker visa category replaced the visa route formerly known as Representative of Overseas Business on the 11th of April 2022.

This visa route caters to senior managers or specialist employees based overseas, who are being assigned to the UK to undertake work related to a business’s expansion to the UK, where the business has not yet begun trading in the UK.  This is not a route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain).

Switching to this visa route is allowed within the UK from the eligible visa categories. A dependent partner and/or minor children can join the main applicant under this scheme.

The Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker is a point-based visa route:

• Sponsorship (20 points)
• Job at an appropriate skill level (20 points)
• Salary at the required level (20 points)

In order to be eligible to apply under the UK Expansion Worker scheme, the applicant must be currently working for the sponsor group and has been in such employment for at least 12 months preceding the application, unless the applicant is a high earner or a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The minimum salary threshold to be met under this visa route is £45,800 per annum. There is no English Language requirement, however, the Financial requirement must be met by demonstrating the available funds of at least £1,270 held as a daily minimum balance within a 28-day period preceding the application.

The maximum period allowed under the Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker visa route is 2 years

 

The Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee visa category replaced the visa route formerly known as Intra-Company Graduate Trainee on the 11th of April 2022.

This visa category caters to those, who are currently working overseas and pursuing a graduate training course leading to a senior management or specialist position, and who are being assigned to a UK-linked business to undertake a work placement. This is not a route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.

Switching to this visa route is allowed within the UK from the eligible visa categories. A dependent partner and/or minor children can join the main applicant under this visa route.

The Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee is a point-based visa route:

• Sponsorship (20 points)
• Job at an appropriate skill level (20 points)
• Salary at the required level (20 points)

In order to be eligible to apply under the Graduate Trainee scheme, the applicant must be currently working for the sponsor group and has been in such employment for at least 3 months preceding the application.

The minimum salary threshold to be met under this visa route is £24,220 per annum. There is no English Language requirement, however, the Financial requirement must be met by demonstrating the available funds of at least £1,270 held as a daily minimum balance within a 28-day period preceding the application, or by providing confirmation from their A-rated Licensed sponsor that the maintenance associated with the application is certified by them.

The maximum period allowed under the Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee visa route is 1 year

 

The Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier visa category replaced the visa route formerly known as International Agreement on the 11th of April 2022.

This is a visa route for the following professionals who are undertaking temporarily assignments in the UK to provide services covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements:

• Contractual service supplier employed by an overseas service provider
• A self-employed independent professional based overseas

Switching to this visa route is allowed within the UK from the eligible visa categories. A dependent partner and/or minor children can join the main applicant under this visa route. This is not a route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.

The Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier is a point-based visa route:

• Sponsorship (20 points)
• Job at an appropriate skill level (Option A or B) (20 points)

In order to sponsor a migrant worker, a UK-based company must have a contract with an overseas service provider, where that contract:

• Has been registered with the Home Office; and
• Is for a service covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements; and
• Is the contract on which the applicant will work as a Service Supplier

In relation to the appropriate skill level, two options are available to applicants:

Option A:

• The applicant’s position must fit one of the SOC Codes of Appendix Skilled Occupations

Option B:

• The applicant must have a university degree or equivalent level technical qualification (some exemptions apply)
• The applicant must hold any professional qualification or registrations required to provide the services under UK law or sectoral requirements
• The applicant must have professional experience in the sector in which they will supply services for either 3 years, or 6 years if they are supplying chef de cuisine services under the CARIFORUM-UK Economic Partnership Agreement, or 6 years if they are a self-employed overseas service provider.

In relation to both aforementioned options, the Service Supplier must be a national of the country or territory in which they are based and must be currently working as or for an overseas provider that will provide services to the sponsor and have worked in such capacity for a 12-months period.

There is no English Language requirement, however, the Financial requirement must be met by demonstrating the available funds of at least £1,270 held as a daily minimum balance within a 28-day period preceding the application, or by providing confirmation from their A-rated Licensed sponsor that the maintenance associated with the application is certified by them.

The maximum single assessment period is 12 months or 6 months.

 

The Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker visa is a new visa route that caters to those, who are being seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their employer overseas.

Switching to this visa route is allowed within the UK from the eligible visa categories. A dependent partner and/or minor children can join the main applicant under this visa route. This is not a route to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.

The Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker is a point-based visa route:

• Sponsorship (20 points)
• Job at an appropriate skill level (20 points)

In order to sponsor a migrant worker under this visa category, a UK-based company must have a contract with an overseas business, which is registered with the Home Office and on which a migrant worker will work as a Secondment Worker.  The Secondment Worker must be currently working for an overseas business and must have been working in such capacity for at least 12 months preceding the application.

The position on offer must fit one of the SOC Codes of Appendix Skilled Occupations.

There is no English Language requirement, however, the Financial requirement must be met by demonstrating the available funds of at least £1,270 held as a daily minimum balance within a 28-day period preceding the application, or by providing confirmation from their A-rated Licensed sponsor that the maintenance associated with the application is certified by them.

The maximum period allowed under the Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker visa route is 2 years

For further information about the Global Business Mobility Route – Senior or Specialist Worker visa, UK Expansion Worker visa, Graduate Trainee visa, Service Supplier visa or Secondment Worker visa and for tailored advice to a specific case scenario please do not hesitate to contact our Immigration Team.

Our regulated advisers have had many years of experience assisting applicants and their family members with their relocation to the UK.