WH Solicitors
Global Mobility
The Secondment Worker visa is intended for overseas workers who are taking up a temporary work position in the UK as part of a high-value contract, investment, or project. This is a brand-new visa scheme that was launched by the Government alongside reforms to other types of Global Mobility Visa.
There are strict entry requirements for anyone who wishes to apply for a Secondment Worker visa. This makes it even more important to put forward the strongest possible application with supporting evidence to demonstrate exactly why you qualify and how you’ll be an asset to your employer and the organisation you’ll be on secondment to.
This guide explains more about the Global Business Mobility: Secondment Worker visa. Read on to learn more about how the experienced WH Solicitors team could help you to file a successful visa application.
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H2: What is the Global Business Mobility Visa Scheme?
On 15 March 2022, the UK Government launched a new set of visa schemes under the revised points-based immigration system. The Global Mobility visa scheme was established at this time, and provides skilled workers with a variety of routes to enter and work in the UK for a temporary period.
H2: Global Business Mobility Visa –Requirements for Secondment Workers
To qualify for a Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker Visa, you will need to show that you meet the relevant requirements. You must:
- Get a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK employer with a sponsor licence from the Home Office.
- Have been approved for a secondment to a UK business or organisation that has a contract with your overseas employer for the work that you will do.
- Have worked for your overseas employer, or a member of the same business group, for at least 12 months before making an application.
- Have been sponsored for a job that is on the government’s list of eligible occupations.
- Be paid at least the minimum eligible salary for the role you are taking.
- Be able to show that you have sufficient funds to maintain yourself when you come to the UK.
H2: Getting a Certificate of Sponsorship
To get approved for a Secondment Worker visa, you will need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK business that has received a sponsorship licence from the Home Office. The sponsorship certificate will provide details of the work that you will do whilst in the UK, and show that your overseas employer is connected to the secondment business by common ownership or control.
In some cases, the Home Office may consider whether there is a genuine need for the job described in the Certificate of Sponsorship. They may also wish to investigate the sponsor’s history with the immigration system to determine whether they are likely to comply with the relevant rules including those relating to pay and working conditions for migrant workers.
H2: Visa Conditions
Once you have been approved for a Secondment Worker visa, you will be able to stay in the UK for the shorter of either a period of 12 months, or for a maximum of 14 days longer than the date shown on your sponsorship certificate.
Whilst in the UK, you will be permitted to work for your sponsor in the job that is described on your certificate of sponsorship, start an educational course and study, bring your dependant partner, spouse or children to the UK if they are eligible, undertake voluntary or charity work, and travel overseas and return to the UK.
Secondment Worker visa holders are not permitted to do the following:
- apply for public funds, most benefits, or the State Pension;
- change to another job without updating their visa;
- take on a second job;
- apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain to stay in the UK permanently.
H2: How We Can Help
WH Solicitors is a specialist immigration law practice that offers expert advice and practical help that allows businesses and individual migrants to navigate the UK legal system. We make it easy for clients to apply for a visa and assist companies as they apply for a sponsorship licence.
For a personal, professional approach to immigration law, contact our expert team today by calling (+44) 01483 608 786 or by emailing contact@whsolicitors.co.uk.
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Secondment Worker Visa
FAQs
Yes, all Global Business Mobility visa routes require sponsorship from an employer with a valid sponsorship licence. You will not be able to gain leave to remain as a secondment worker without a valid certificate of sponsorship.
When applying for a Secondment Worker visa, you will usually need to pay:
- the £259 application fee; and
- the healthcare surcharge for each year of your stay in the UK.
You will also need to show that you have enough money to support yourself and any dependants when you come to the UK.
If you will not be coming to the UK on secondment for a project or major contract, you will need to apply for leave to remain under another visa category and will not be able to attain a valid certificate of sponsorship.
Applications for a Secondment Worker visa can be made up to 3 months before the day you intend to start work in the UK. This date should be listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
Once your application has been submitted, it could take up to three weeks for a decision to be made if you are applying from outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re already in the country.
The contents of this webpage are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal advice. All information is correct as of the date of publication, and any individual or organisation should be careful to seek qualified advice from a specialist immigration lawyer before acting on any of the topics referenced by this content.
WH Solicitors
Child Visa
Child Visa: How to Apply as a Child
Family Visas
You can apply for a family visa from outside the UK to live with a spouse or partner, intended spouse or partner, parent or child, or a relative who will provide long-term care for you. Applicants can apply in various capacities, such as partner, parent, or child.
You need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for over six months.
Applying as a Child
You can apply to join a parent in the UK on a family visa. If one or both of your parents have proof of permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain, then you may not need a visa. How you apply will depend on where you were born.
If you were born in the UK
If you were born in the UK, you can obtain the same permission to stay as your parent. You can apply separately or be added as a dependent to the next application made by your parent/s. Here are the criteria.
- You must live with your parent in the UK unless you’re in full-time education, like at boarding school or university
- You cannot be married or in a civil partnership
- If you are under 18, then you’ll need to find out what kind of permission to stay your parent has
- If you are over 18, you can only make an application if you have leave to enter or remain in the UK, which must have started before you were 18, and the application must be made from within the UK
If you were born outside the UK
The criteria to apply dependsupon your age and how your parent applied.
- You must live with your parent unless you’re away from home in full-time education like university or boarding school
- You must not be married or in a civil partnership
- If you are under 18, one of your parents must have applied or be applying for a visa to extend their permission to stay as a partner, and the partner they are joining is your other parent, or they are applying or have applied as a parent, and they have sole parental responsibility for you
- Outside these criteria, there are some exceptions, which mean a child can still apply if there are serious reasons to support a move to the UK and there are plans for their care
- If you are 18 or over, your parent can add you to their application as their dependent, or you can apply yourself, but only if you have permission to stay in the UK (called ‘leave to remain’) on a family visa, which started before you reached 18
Are you Thinking about Applying for a Child Visa?
Wherever you were born and regardless of your age or whether you’re applying from inside or outside the UK, you will need to produce documentation to support your application.
You must decide the best way to apply, whether by yourself or as part of a parent’s application. The evidential requirements will vary depending on your age and where you live. The wrong documents will mean delays and possibly a wasted application fee.
Using expert professionals to help guide you through the application will streamline a complicated process, save time, and reduce stress. A qualified expert can also handle any queries or requests for additional information from the Home Office.
WH Solicitors, Child Visa Specialists
WH Solicitors offers an expert visa service that helps with a child visa application and provides strategic advice on how to apply and which documents are required. We empathise with our clients, understand the emotional journey of child visa applicants and their parents, and can offer support during this challenging time.
Why Use WH Solicitors?
WH Solicitors is a team of experienced legal experts with a long track record in immigration and child visas. We offer a comprehensive service that is friendly and accessible, with fair and transparent pricing.
How we can help
- Conduct an initial assessment of your situation and advise on the best form of application to make, including a review of your parent’s status
- Explain how the application works, how long it takes, and what it will cost
- Explain which documents will be required for the application
- Check the authenticity of each document and collate them ready to submit with the application
- Draft and present the child visa application
- Represent you through the process, including handling requests for more information and the next steps if the application is unsuccessful
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does It Take to Apply for a Child Visa?
If you apply from within the UK, then decisions are usually made within eight weeks. If you apply outside the UK, applications take around 24 weeks to process. Sometimes, you can pay and fast track your application using the Home Office priority service, which typically produces a decision within five working days, which costs £500. The super priority service can provide a decision by the end of the following working day, and the fee for this is £1,000. If the Home Office requires more information and the process takes longer, you will not receive a refund on any priority fee.
What does Private Life in the UK mean?
If a child lives in the UK and their parent can’t include them in their application, then it may be possible to apply for ‘private life in the UK.’ The applicant must already be living in the UK, be under eighteen, and have lived in the UK continuously for at least seven years. It must be unreasonable to expect them to leave the UK. Other criteria apply to applicants aged over eighteen.
How Much Does a Child Visa Application Cost?
If you apply from outside the UK, then the fee is £1,846. From within the UK, the cost is £1,048. You might also need to pay a healthcare surcharge (HIS), which should accompany your application. You may be eligible for a fee waiver if you cannot afford the application fee.
Get in Touch
Contact WH Solicitors for help and advice with your child visa application. Our expert and friendly team can make the application on your behalf and handle any queries or requests for more information from the Home Office. Our rates are reasonable, fair, and transparent.
The contents of this webpage are provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to constitute legal advice. All information is correct as of the date of publication, and any individual or organisation should be careful to seek qualified advice from a specialist immigration lawyer before acting on any of the topics referenced by this content.