Global Business Mobility Visa

The UK’s Global Business Mobility Visa offers specific routes to work for certain types of workers. The GBM rules, while complex at first glance, can be a valuable addition to an organisation’s global business mobility programme and the development of UK-based businesses through critical talent mobility.

This immigration topic article explains the Global Business Mobility Visa, eligibility requirements, and the types of GMB routes.

What Is a Global Business Mobility Visa?

Global Business Mobility is a category that combines five different sponsored work routes available to overseas companies looking to set up, develop or support UK operations.

The GBM Visas is a reformation and expansion of the previous UK business and work visas. They allow non-UK organisations to deploy personnel in the UK temporarily.

There are five different global business mobility routes, each corresponding to a specific type of temporary work assignment.

• Senior or Specialist Worker route
• Graduate Trainee route
• UK Expansion Worker route
• Service Supplier route
• Secondment Worker route

Each of these routes has different eligibility requirements, such as a financial requirement or, if applicable, a valid tuberculosis certification. We will now look at each route in more detail.

Senior or Specialist Worker Route

This route is designed for senior managers or specialist employees assigned to a UK company connected to their overseas employer and wishing to undertake a short-term assignment in the UK.

To be eligible to apply for this route, a candidate must:

• Be employed by the sponsoring group and have worked abroad for at least 12 consecutive months.
• Have a valid Certificate for Sponsorship issued by an employer the UK Home Office has authorised as a sponsor of a Senior or Specialized Worker. The employer must also have paid the required Immigration Skills Charge.
• Have sponsorship for a job at or above the appropriate skill level and a salary of at least £42,400 up to 11 April 2023 or £45,800 from 12 April 2023, or the ‘going rate’ for that job, whichever is higher.

The applicant’s permission is granted either for five years from the start date specified in the Certificate of sponsorship, 14 days following the end date, or until the date the applicant has cumulatively been allowed to travel on the Global Business Mobility routes and Intra-Company Routes totalling five years within any six years or nine years within any ten years if they are applying as high earners — whichever period is the shortest.

Graduate Trainee Route

The Graduate Trainee Route is for overseas workers who are enrolled in a graduate program leading to a senior management position or a specialist role and are required by their employer to complete a UK placement. This route replaced the Intra Company Graduate Trainee Route.

To be eligible for the specific route, a candidate must:

• Be working for the sponsoring group at the time of application and have worked abroad for the group for a period of 3 months before the date of application.
• Have a valid Certificate for Sponsorship issued by an employer whom the UK Home Office authorises as a sponsor of a Graduate Trainee.
• Have a sponsorship for an eligible job with an appropriate skill level and a salary of £23,100 per year until 11 April 2023 or £24,220 from 12 April 2023. Or the ‘going rate,’ whichever is higher, with a clearly defined progression towards a management or specialist role in the sponsor organisation as part of a structured Graduate Training Programme.

If the application is approved, the applicant will be permitted for either one year from the start date of their job as stated in the Certificate of Sponsorship or 14 days following the end date.

UK Expansion Worker Route

The UK expansion worker route is designed for overseas workers seeking temporary assignments within the UK. This could be a senior manager or a specialist employee assigned to the UK to help expand the business. This route replaces the Representative of an Overseas Business and is only available to businesses that have not started trading in the UK. Workers can apply via the Senior or Specialised Worker route if the business has already established a UK presence.

To be eligible for the UK Expansion Worker route, a candidate must:

• Be currently employed by the sponsor group and have worked abroad for the group for at least 12 consecutive months. Unless they will be working in the UK, as a high-earner, an Australian working for an Australian company, or a Japanese national wishing to establish a UK subsidiary or branch under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
• Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the Job they are proposing to do, issued by an Employer that the UK Home Office authorised to sponsor UK Expansion Workers.
• Sponsorship for an eligible job with an appropriate skill level and a salary of at least £42,400 per year until 11 April 2023 or £45,800 from 12 April 2023.

If you are successful, you will be granted permission for one year from the start date of your job as stated in the Certificate of sponsorship; 14 days following the end date, the date that the applicant has had continuous permission in the UK Expansion Worker category totalling two years; or whichever date is the shortest.

Service Supplier Route

The service supplier route is designed for independent professionals or contractual service providers employed by overseas companies looking to undertake temporary assignments to provide services covered under a UK international agreement. This route replaced the contractual service provider and independent professional provisions in the Temporary Work-International Agreement route.

To be eligible for the specific route, a candidate must:

• Be currently employed by or for an overseas service provider who will provide services to the UK sponsor and have worked outside the UK for at least 12 months.
• Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the work they are proposing to do. This certificate should be issued by an employer authorised by the UK Home Office as a Service Supplier and has a Home Office registered contract with a service provider overseas on which the applicant intends to work in the UK.
• Have a sponsor for an eligible job with a minimum skill level or higher, or have a university diploma or technical qualification and experience equivalent to obtaining sponsorship.
• Meet the nationality requirements for a Service Supplier.

If the application is approved, the applicant may be allowed to work for up to 14 days following the end of the job as stated in the Certificate of sponsorship, or for a maximum of 6 or 12-month period, depending on which option they choose.

Secondment Worker Route

The Secondment Workers route is designed for overseas workers undertaking temporary assignments within the UK. This is because the worker has been seconded by their employer as part of an investment or contract with a high value.

To be eligible for the specific route, a candidate must:

• Be employed by an overseas company with a Home Office-registered contract with their UK sponsor and have worked in that business for a cumulative period outside the UK of at least 12 months.
• Have an employer authorised by the UK Home Office to sponsor the Secondment Worker and have a Home Office registered contract.
• Have sponsorship for a job that meets or exceeds the minimum required skill level.

If the application is approved, the applicant’s permission will be granted either for one year following the start date of the position as stated in the Certificate of sponsorship; 14 days following the end date of that job; the date when the applicant has had continuous permission in the capacity of a Secondment worker totaling two years; or at the date where the applicant has cumulative permission in the Global Business Mobility and intra-Company routes of totalling five years within any six years – whichever is the shortest.

How to Extend a Global Business Mobility Visa?

The Global Business Mobility Visa is for overseas workers undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK. However, there will be a right to prolong this visa within the UK for the maximum time allowed under each route.

The UK Expansion Worker visa, which replaces the Overseas Business Representative visa, did not allow visa holders to apply to stay indefinitely.

Suppose overseas workers are in the UK on a Global Business Mobility Visa. In that case, they must meet the eligibility requirements for them to be able to switch to a different immigration path that leads to settlement, like the Skilled Worker Route.

How Can Cromwell Wilkes Help With Your Business Mobility Visa

Cromwell Wilkes are UK Immigration law, human rights, and business law specialists. We help our clients with all aspects related to corporate immigration to meet their UK talent requirements through international recruitment and Global Mobility. By seeking advice from an immigration expert at the earliest opportunity, prospective and current sponsors can maximise their chances of submitting successful Home Office applications.

Contact us for advice and guidance on behalf of you or your organisation. To do so, please complete the following form to request a free consultation. To ensure that your Cromwell Wilkes lawyers can provide you with the best possible service, please fill out as much information as possible. You can expect a reply within 24 to 48 hours.