Global Business Mobility visa
The Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) visa allows individuals to come to the UK to perform an eligible job at their employer’s UK branch. This visa replaced the Intra-company Transfer visa and is specifically for senior managers and specialist employees undertaking a temporary work assignment in the UK. Unlike the Skilled Worker route, the Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) visa category does not provide a route to settle in the UK.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) visa, an applicant must:
- Be an existing employee of an overseas organisation linked by common ownership or control to a UK organisation with a Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) sponsor licence
- Be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) containing information about the job they are coming to perform in the UK – including their job title, salary, start date, etc
- Performing a job that is on the list of eligible occupations
- Be paid the higher of the minimum gross annual salary of £45,800 or the going rate for their occupation code
In addition to meeting the above criteria, an applicant must also evidence that they have worked for the employer group outside the UK for at least 12 months, unless the individual will be earning £73,900 or more per year in the UK.
Length of stay in the UK
This visa category allows workers to stay in the UK for whichever is shorter of:
- The time given on CoS plus 14 days
- 5 years
Individuals can apply to extend their visa or apply for another one as many times as they like up to the maximum permitted length of stay.
The maximum permitted length of stay for a Global Business Mobility (Senior and Specialist Worker) visa is:
- 5 years in any 6 year period if they are paid less than £73,900 a year
- 9 years in any 10 year period if they are paid £73,900 a year or more
Our specialist UK Immigration team has experience in assisting organisations and migrant workers across a variety of industries from companies of all sizes to obtain and maintain their Sponsorship License and further to help them hire both Skilled and Global Business Mobility workers. We pride ourselves on our 100% success rate and quick turnaround on cases. We are confident that with our direct approach, we can always guarantee the very best chance of success.
“The team makes it very easy to ask questions and understand the advice given.”
Legal 500
FAQs – Global Business Mobility (GBM): Senior or Specialist worker
This work visa category is aimed at overseas workers in senior/managerial roles and other specialist workers, travelling to the UK to work for the UK branch of their employer, on a short or long-term assignment.
Yes – you must be sponsored by a Home Office approved employer holding a licence in the Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) category.
The UK organisation holding the sponsor licence must be linked by common ownership or control to the overseas entity from which the worker originates.
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within:
- 3 weeks, if you’re outside the UK
- 8 weeks, if you’re inside the UK
If you need to go to an appointment, you may be able to pay for a faster decision:
Overseas Applications
- Priority Visa Service
- Expedites visa processing to 5 working days from the date of the biometric appointment
- The cost of this service normally varies between £250 to £300, in addition to the visa fees (availability of this service is dependent on the country of application)
In-Country Applications
- Priority Visa Service
- expedites visa processing to 5 working days from the date of the biometric appointment
- service cost: £500
- Super Priority Visa Service
- Expedites visa processing to 1-2 working days from the date of the biometric appointment
- service cost: £800
Yes – you can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like up to the maximum total stay. The maximum total stay allowed for a Senior and Specialist Worker visa is:
- 5 years in any 6 year period if you’re paid less than £73,900 a year
- 9 years in any 10 year period if you’re paid £73,900 a year or more
Any time you spend in the UK on one of the following visas will be included in your maximum total stay:
- Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
- Intra-company Transfer visa
- Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
- Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
- UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
