Global Mobility Visa UK
Global Business Mobility is a UK visa category comprising five visas for overseas businesses seeking to establish a presence in the UK or to transfer staff for specific business purposes.
If you have any questions regarding the UK global business mobility route and the UK expansion worker visas, please call us on 0333 305 9375, or contact us online seven days a week via our live chat.
Page Contents
- What is the Global Business Mobility visa?
- Who is eligible to apply for the Global Business Mobility routes?
- What is the eligibility criteria for the Senior or Specialist worker visa route?
- What is the eligibility criteria for the Graduate Trainee visa route?
- What is the eligibility criteria for the UK Expansion Worker visa route?
- What is the eligibility criteria for the Service Supplier visa route?
- What is the eligibility criteria for the Secondment Worker route?
- What is allowed on the Global Business Mobility visa?
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Global Business Mobility visa?
The Global Business Mobility visa creates a multi-category sponsored route that will restructure and grow existing UK expansion worker visas, including the two types of Intra-Company visas, the Representative of an Overseas Business visa, and visas for contractual service providers and independent professionals under the Temporary Work – International Agreement route.
There are five separate global business mobility routes, each relating to a different temporary work assignment type.
The five routes under the Global Business Mobility visa include:
- Senior or Specialist Worker route – replacing the intra-company transfer visa
- Graduate Trainee route – replacing the intra-company graduate trainee route
- UK Expansion Worker route – replacing the sole representative visa
- Service Supplier route – replacing the contractual service supplier and independent professional provisions under the temporary work international agreement route
- Secondment Worker route – a new immigration route
Who is eligible to apply for the Global Business Mobility routes?
Each of the 5 visas has its own individual eligibility criteria, but all five of the global business mobility visa applicants have to meet the financial requirement and, depending on their nationality, provide a tuberculosis certificate. We will look into all the eligibility for each visa below.
What is the eligibility criteria for the Senior or Specialist worker visa route?
The Senior or Specialist worker route is for overseas-based employees that are intended to be temporarily transferred to a UK branch of a company which is linked to their overseas employer company.
The eligibility criteria for the senior or specialist worker route are that the applicant:
- Must have been working for the overseas company for at least 12 months prior to submitting an application. If they make a minimum of £73,900 per year, they don’t need to have worked for a year.
- Must have a UK sponsor for an eligible job meeting the minimum skill level and a salary threshold of at least £42,400 per year or the ‘going rate for the particular job, whichever is higher.
- A valid certificate of sponsorship from the UK branch of the overseas parent company with a valid certificate of sponsorship the employer needs a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence from the Home Office.
Applicants with a Senior or Specialist worker visa can stay in the UK for five years after the start date of their job, or 14 days after the end date of the job specified in the certificate of sponsorship.
What is the eligibility criteria for the Graduate Trainee visa route?
The Graduate Trainee visa route is reserved for overseas workers on graduate training courses leading to a senior management position or specialist employment with a UK work placement as part of their graduate training course.
The eligibility criteria include:
- Been working outside the UK for the overseas linked company for a cumulative period of at least three months before submitting their visa application
- Has an eligible sponsored job with a minimum skill level and salary threshold of £23,100 gross per year or the going rate for that job, whichever is higher
- The job must progress toward a managerial or specialist role with the employer as part of a structured graduate training programme
The Graduate Trainee route lasts for whichever is the shortest of either a year after the start date of the job detailed in the certificate of sponsorship or 14 days after the end date of the job.
What is the eligibility criteria for the UK Expansion Worker visa route?
The UK Expansion Worker permits senior managers or specialist employees to get UK entry clearance to set up the UK branch office or UK subsidiary of an overseas parent company.
The eligibility criteria for the UK Expansion Worker visa route are:
- Must have been working for the sponsor group outside the UK for at least 12 months.
- Has a sponsored job from an employer with a sponsor license and the job meets the skill level and minimum salary threshold of at least £42,400 per year or the ‘going rate’ for the job, whichever is the higher figure
The UK Expansion Worker route allows for one year after the start date of the job in the UK, or 14 days after the end date of the job.
What is the eligibility criteria for the Service Supplier visa route?
The Service Supplier route permits contractual service suppliers employed by overseas service providers, or self-employed independent professionals based overseas, to work on temporary assignments in the UK providing services covered by a UK international trade agreement.
The eligibility criteria for the Service Supplier visa route:
- Work as or for an overseas service provider that provides services to their UK sponsor and the applicant must have worked in that capacity outside the UK for a cumulative period of 12 months
- Have an eligible job at the minimum skill level or a university degree or equivalent level technical qualification and experience
- Hold a certificate of sponsorship issued by an employer with the appropriate sponsor license and who has a Home Office registered contract
- Meet the nationality requirement
What is the eligibility criteria for the Secondment Worker route?
The Secondment Worker visa route is for overseas workers working on temporary assignments in the UK for a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer.
The eligibility criteria for the Secondment Worker are:
- Work for an overseas business with a Home Office registered contract with their UK sponsor, for the business outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months
- Be sponsored for an eligible job
- Have a certificate of sponsorship issued by an employer with Home Office authority to sponsor a secondment worker who has a Home Office registered contract.
What is allowed on the Global Business Mobility visa?
With a global business mobility visa, you are legally allowed to do the following activities while in the UK:
- Work for your UK sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship.
- Study
- Bring your partner and dependent children with you, if they’re eligible.
- Do voluntary work and unpaid work.
- Travel abroad freely and return to the UK.
Per the immigration rules, the following activities are not permitted on the UK expansion worker visa:
- Apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension
- Change jobs, unless you are eligible
- Hold a second job
- Apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’)
How Can Total Law Help?
The global mobility visa has been quite confusing for UK business owners and visa applicants. To overcome these challenges, we advise you to contact us to support your application.
Total Law is a qualified team of immigration lawyers that are experts in the global mobility routes so we can provide support on any requirements or questions. Our immigration team is able to advise you on sponsorship obligations, UK business, job skill level requirements and plenty more!
Call us today to get started on your visa application. We are available to speak seven days a week and can be reached by phone or by using the online chat function to speak with one of our client care agents.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applicants are allowed to be accompanied or joined by a partner and any dependent children with a Global Business Mobility visa, so long as they are eligible. Dependents must meet various eligibility requirements, including relationship and financial requirements.
None of the 5 Global Business Mobility visa routes leads to settlement in the UK.
The Global Business Mobility visa is for temporary work assignments but can be extended. None of these routes will lead directly to settlement in the UK. Overseas workers in the UK under a Global Business Mobility visa, would need to satisfy all eligibility requirements to switch to a new, different immigration route that leads to settlement in the UK.
You can move to the UK to start a business provided you have permission from the Home Office to do so.