What Global Business Mobility is
Global Business Mobility is the umbrella for five visa routes that let an overseas business move people to the UK, or set up a presence here, without recruiting locally. They replaced the old Intra-company Transfer route and several other schemes. Each is sponsored, so the UK business, or sometimes the overseas business, must hold the right sponsor licence and assign a certificate of sponsorship to the worker. See sponsor licences for UK employers.
The five routes
| Route | Who it is for |
|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker | A senior manager or specialist employed by an overseas business, transferring to its UK branch or company. The worker must usually have worked for the business overseas for at least 12 months. |
| Graduate Trainee | A graduate on a training programme with an overseas business, who is transferring to the UK for a role in a management or specialist career path. |
| UK Expansion Worker | A senior employee sent to set up a UK branch or subsidiary of an overseas business that has not yet established itself here. |
| Service Supplier | A contractual service supplier or independent professional from a country with a trade agreement that allows it. |
| Secondment Worker | A worker on a high-value secondment to the UK under a contract between their overseas employer and a UK business. |
Why the route you choose matters
The routes differ in the length of the visa, in the salary and skill thresholds, in the licence the business must hold, and in whether the worker can switch to another route afterwards. Time on these routes does not generally count towards settlement, so a worker who may want to stay permanently needs a plan to move to a route that does, such as the Skilled Worker visa. The UK Expansion licence is limited in time and cannot be renewed. Choosing the wrong route can mean the worker cannot stay as long as the business intended, or cannot switch later.
Questions to ask before you choose
- Does the business already employ the worker overseas, and for how long?
- Is there a UK entity, and is it a branch, a subsidiary or not yet set up?
- How long will the worker be here, and is a permanent move possible later?
- What will the worker be paid, and does the role meet the salary and skill level?
- Does the worker need to bring family? See dependant visas.
The application
The employer assigns a certificate of sponsorship, and the worker applies for the visa with the certificate and evidence of identity, English where required and funds. Fees, the health surcharge, processing times and the thresholds are set by the Home Office and change often. We confirm the current figures for the route at the start of each matter. See our fees page and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Keeping the sponsor safe
The sponsor takes on duties, in particular records, reporting and right to work checks. A failure by the sponsor can lead to the suspension or revocation of its licence, with serious consequences for every worker it sponsors. See sponsor duties and compliance and suspension, downgrade and revocation.
How we help
We advise businesses on which route fits the movement they plan, make the sponsor licence application, assign the certificates and prepare the visa applications. We also advise the worker on what happens at the end of the visa. Book a consultation below.
