What is a UK Global Business Mobility Visa?
Changes in the international arena are calling for a quick reaction from the British government, so it has recently updated its business immigration routes. New categories have been introduced that are called UK Global Business Mobility visas.
This article is an expert review of UK Global Business Mobility routes; it outlines the most important aspects of the visa application process. If you still have some questions after reading the article, feel free to contact Imperial & Legal advisors for more information.
What are UK Global Business Mobility Visas for?
UK Global Business Mobility routes are five immigration categories that allow foreign specialists to work in the United Kingdom. However, these are non-settlement visas, meaning that it does not lead to an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). To stay in the UK permanently, you will have to switch to another visa category.
You may need a UK Global Business Mobility visa for opening an overseas representative of your business, a business trip, intra-company transfer, internship, carrying out a temporary contract, etc. In one way or another, your stay in the UK will be limited, and after you complete your work, you will have to either switch to another visa category to get ILR or leave the country.
The disadvantage of UK Global Business Mobility visas is that they substitute a few long-term and well-established visas, for example, the Intra-Company Transfer visa.
At the same time, UK Global Business Mobility visas offer a wider choice of immigration options and give more opportunities for foreign companies and entrepreneurs who either have a UK subsidiary or just plan to open it. For example, compared to a UK Sole Representative visa, a UK Global Business Mobility visa allows to employ not only a top manager of a company delegated to open an office in the UK but also several other representatives. In other words, if immigration hurdles do not bother you much and you want to open a UK subsidiary to get a profitable contract, the new immigration routes offer more benefits than inconveniences.
UK Global Business Mobility Visas
There are five UK Global Business Mobility visa routes:
- Senior or Specialist Worker
- Graduate Trainee
- Expansion Worker
- Service Supplier
- Secondment Worker.
All these categories allow a foreign worker to come to the UK for professional training, on a business trip or to carry out a temporary contract as either a senior or specialist worker. Each immigration category is described in detail below.
1. Senior or Specialist Worker
This immigration category covers senior and specialist workers who come to the UK to run a UK subsidiary.
To get a visa, the company that invites you to the UK must be able to issue a certificate of sponsorship.
2. Graduate Trainee
The Graduate Trainee category is for internships. To apply under this category, the following requirements must be met:
- Training is offered by a trading British company registered with the Home Office as a sponsor
- Training period is defined and limited
- Training leads to a specialist or senior worker position.
3. UK Expansion Worker
The UK Expansion Worker category suits senior and specialist workers who relocate to the UK to expand business here.
4. Service Supplier
The Service Supplier category was created for two types of foreign specialists:
- Officially employed
- Freelance workers staying in the UK under one of the international trade agreements.
The receiving company must have an A-category sponsorship licence to be able to issue a certificate of sponsorship to a foreign specialist.
5. Secondment Worker
The Secondment Worker category allows foreign specialists to come to the UK to carry out works within the framework of a high-value contract or to launch an investment project.
What visas do UK Global Business Mobility Visas substitute?
The below table demonstrates the correlation between the old and newly introduced immigration routes:
Old visa | Global Business Mobility immigration category |
Intra-Company Transfer | Senior or Specialist Worker |
Intra-Company Graduate Trainee | Graduate Trainee |
Temporary Workers International Agreement | Service Supplier |
UK Expansion Worker |
Unfortunately, old business visas issued to foreign specialists and trainees, once expired, will be substituted with the similar UK Global Business Mobility categories. Intra-Company Transfer and Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visas, for example, will not be extended, and new immigration routes will not lead to ILR anymore.
Sole representatives will still be able to extend their visas. However, if they need more employees, they will have to switch to the UK Expansion Worker category to invite up to five additional company representatives.
Validity of UK Global Business Mobility Visas
The table lists the maximum stay in the UK for all UK Global Business Mobility visa categories:
Global Business Mobility visa category | Maximum stay |
Senior or Specialist Worker | Up to 9 years of stay in any 10-year period |
Graduate Trainee | Up to 5 years of stay in any 6-year period |
Expansion Worker | Up to 5 years of stay in any 6-year period |
Service Supplier | Up to 5 years of stay in any 6-year period |
Secondment Worker | Up to 5 years of stay in any 6-year period |
The period of stay on your first UK Global Business Mobility visa depends on several factors:
- Immigration category
- Type of work to perform and its duration
- In some cases – your salary in the UK.
The British government is not interested in foreign workers staying in the country after their job here is done. That’s why the shortest possible period of stay is considered while issuing a visa. For example, if your certificate of sponsorship mentions a particular task that you need to perform, you will have to leave the UK within 14 days after completing it. If you need more time to finish your work, you can apply to extend your UK Global Business Mobility visa.
To learn the exact validity of your UK Global Business Mobility visa, contact Imperial & Legal.
Requirements for a UK Global Business Mobility Visa
To get a UK Global Business Mobility visa, you need to meet all the standard requirements:
- Be older than 18 years old.
- Have clean criminal and immigration records and no overdue loans.
- Have enough money to support yourself and your family in the UK, and pay an application fee and immigration health surcharge for the whole period of stay.
- Be of good health, and be tested negative for tuberculosis.
Another important requirement is a certificate of sponsorship. It must be obtained at least three months before application for a UK Global Business Mobility visa. By this time, the receiving company must obtain a sponsorship licence from the Home Office. If it already has a licence, it must be of an A category.
Who can I add to my application for a UK Global Business Mobility Visa?
The rules are standard. You can add the following family members to your application:
- Spouses and unmarried partners. Note that if you add your partner to the application, you must prove that your relationship is long-term by submitting joint utility bills, etc.
- Minor children. If your child is older than 16 years old, you must prove that they are your dependants.
Get a UK Global Business Mobility Visa with Imperial & Legal
To apply for a UK Global Business Mobility visa most efficiently and to avoid any additional costs, you need legal support. Imperial & Legal’s experienced advisors consider each case individually. With our legal assistance, you will get a UK Global Business Mobility visa in four simple steps.
