Global Business Mobility Visas

1. Senior or Specialist Worker visa

• Purpose: For senior managers and specialist employees undertaking temporary assignments in the UK.
• Background: This route replaces the previous Intra-Company Transfer route.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be employed by an overseas business linked to the UK sponsor and must be filling a role that meets specific skill and salary requirements. This visa can, in some limited cases, be quicker to obtain than the Skilled Worker visa.
• Key features: Permission is permitted for up to five years in any six-year period.

2. UK Expansion Worker visa

• Purpose: For senior managers or specialist employees assigned to the UK to support the expansion of an overseas business. This route is specifically for businesses that have not yet started trading in the UK and wish to establish their first UK branch or subsidiary.
• Background: This route replaced the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa and is one of the specialist sponsored work routes under the GBM umbrella.
• Eligibility:
  • The applicant must already be working for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee.
  • The overseas business must not have begun trading in the UK but must have a ‘UK footprint’. This can be a difficult balance in practice.
  • The applicant must have worked for the overseas business outside the UK for at least 12 months, unless they are a high earner (earning £73,900 or more per year) or fall under certain trade agreement exceptions with Japan or Australia.
  • The role must meet the relevant skill and salary thresholds.
  • The UK organisation must demonstrate a qualifying link to the overseas business, such as common ownership or control.
• Key features:
  • This route allows an organisation to obtain a sponsor licence in the UK, without being fully established.
  • Once the organisation has a sponsor licence, it can sponsor the proposed GBM worker.
  • Permission can be granted for up to 12 months initially, with the possibility of extending for a further 12 months, up to a maximum of two years. It is possible to add the Skilled Worker route to this organisation and then switch to this route.

3. Secondment Worker visa

• Purpose: For overseas workers temporarily seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment between their overseas employer and a UK organisation.
• Eligibility: The secondment must be part of a contract or investment that meets the Home Office’s definition of “high value.”
• Key features: Typically allows stays of up to one year, extendable to a maximum of two years.

4. Service Supplier visa

• Purpose: For contractual service suppliers employed by an overseas service provider, or self-employed independent professionals, who need to be in the UK to deliver services covered by the UK’s international trade agreements.
• Eligibility: The service must be covered by a relevant UK trade commitment, and the applicant must have the necessary qualifications and experience.
• Key features: Permission is usually granted for up to six or twelve months, depending on the trade agreement.

5. Graduate Trainee visa

• Purpose: For overseas workers being transferred to the UK as part of a structured graduate training programme leading to a senior management or specialist role.
• Eligibility: The applicant must be enrolled in a graduate training programme with their overseas employer and be taking a UK placement as part of that programme.
• Key features: Permission is granted for up to one year and this sub-route can be a good alternative to the Skilled Worker route, where Graduate roles may not meet the requirements.