The Global Business Mobility Visa (GBM)

The Global Business Mobility (GBM) visa was launched in March 2022, introducing five sub-categories of sponsored routes for overseas businesses.

This new category of sponsored routes allows overseas businesses to establish a presence in the UK or transfer staff to the UK for specific business purposes.

To sponsor a worker under this visa category, a business must first hold an A-rated Sponsor Licence. Businesses that do not currently hold a Sponsor Licence must either apply for one or review their existing licence to ensure it aligns with their future recruitment needs and objectives.

1. UK Expansion Worker Visa:

The Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa is for senior managers and specialist employees who wish to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not yet started trading in the UK.

To be eligible for this visa the applicant will need to be sponsored to do a specific job, which meets certain skill and salary requirements, by an employer that holds a valid sponsor licence.

To qualify for a Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa, you will need to meet the following eligibility requirements;

• Are aged 18 or over;
• Are currently working for a business or organisation that is linked to your UK Sponsor by common ownership or control;
• Have worked outside the UK for the linked business or organisation for a cumulative period of at least 12 months, unless applicant is a high earner earning £73,900 per year or more or applicant is a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the linked business or organisation under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement or applicant is a national or permanent resident of Australia seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of sponsor group under the Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Australia;
• Have a valid certificate of sponsorship CoS issued by your UK sponsor for the job you are planning to do;
• The job is genuine and at the appropriate skill level;
• Be paid a salary which equals or exceeds both a general salary threshold of £48,500 per year and the ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code;
• Have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds;
• Provide a valid TB certificate (if applicable),

This route does not lead to a settlement.

2. Senior and Specialist Worker Visa

A "Senior or Specialist Worker" refers to an employee of an overseas company who is temporarily assigned to work in the UK for a branch or subsidiary of that company, as part of the Global Business Mobility route, replacing the previous Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa. 

To qualify for the Global Business Mobility -Senior and specialist worker visa, you will need to meet the following requirements.

• be an existing employee of an organisation that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work you will do in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid at least £48,500 per year or the ‘going rate’ for your job - whichever is higher.

The UK sponsor licence holder will issue a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ relevant to the individual with information about the work they will do in the UK. It’s an electronic record, not a paper document.

The applicant will need the reference number from the certificate of sponsorship for their visa application. The visa application must be made within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.

If the applicant is earning less than £73,900 a year they must have worked for their employer outside the UK for at least 12 months.

If the applicant is earning £73,900 a year or more, there is no minimum time requirement.

3. UK Service Supplier Visa

A UK Service Supplier visa, part of the Global Business Mobility (GBM) route, allows employees of overseas businesses or self-employed individuals based overseas to temporarily come to the UK to provide services covered by a UK international trade agreement.

To qualify for the Global Business Mobility -UK Service Supplier visa, you will need to meet the following requirements.

• be an employee of an overseas business, or a self-employed service provider based overseas
• be providing a service under a contract that is covered by a valid international trade agreement
• be providing a service to a UK business that has been approved as a sponsor by the Home Office
• do an eligible job - or prove you have relevant qualifications and professional experience
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from the UK sponsor with information about the work the applicant will be doing in the UK
• have worked for their employer for at least 12 months outside the UK, or have at least 12 months’ professional experience if a self-employed service provider

Applicant must also have worked for at least 12 months either:

• for their current employer outside the UK
• immediately before applying and in the same sector as the service they will provide, if they are self-employed

The eligibility requirements will depend on the applicant’s job.

If the applicant is not able to meet the eligible occupation code, they may be able to apply for this visa if they have relevant qualifications and experience.

4. UK Graduate Trainee Visa

The UK Graduate Trainee visa, part of the Global Business Mobility scheme, allows overseas workers to come to the UK to work for their employer in their UK branch as part of a structured graduate training program leading to a managerial or specialist role.

To qualify for the Global Business Mobility -UK Graduate Trainee visa, you will need to meet the following requirements

• be an existing employee of an organisation that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
• have worked for the sponsor outside the UK for at least 3 months immediately before you apply
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work that will be done in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid at least £25,410 per year and 70% of the pro-rated ‘going rate’ for the applicable SOC 2020 occupation code, whichever is higher;
• have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds;

An individual cannot apply to change (‘switch’) to a Graduate Trainee visa from inside the UK.

This route does not lead to a settlement. However, the individual may be able to switch into another visa category.

5. UK Secondment Worker Visa

The UK Secondment Worker Visa, part of the Global Business Mobility scheme, allows overseas businesses to temporarily transfer staff to work in the UK to fulfil a high-value contract or investment. This route does not go directly to the settlement. 

To be eligible for the Global Business Mobility -Secondment worker visa, you will need to meet the following requirements

• be an existing employee of an overseas organisation that has a high-value contract with your UK sponsor
• overseas employer must have an eligible contract with your UK sponsor that’s worth at least £50 million.
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your UK sponsor with information about the role you’ve been offered
• you will need to satisfy the Home Office that you are being sponsored to undertake a genuine job and at the appropriate skill level.
• have worked for your overseas employer for 12 months
• do a job in the UK that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• have enough funds to support yourself in the UK without relying on public funds.