The UK has expanded its range of immigration routes to include five new Global Business Mobility visa schemes. Starting from 11 April 2022, migrants are able to apply for entry to the UK as part of their work for a business that has a presence in the country or wants to start operations here. If your overseas business intends to send employees to the UK, the new Global Business Mobility visa scheme could help. As highly experienced immigration lawyers, the experts at WH Solicitors will help you to understand the requirements for a UK visa and guide you through the application process.
Find out more about the new Global Mobility visa scheme below.
On 15 March 2022, the UK Government set out the creation of three new visa categories under the points-based immigration system. These include the Global Business Mobility, Scale-up, and High Potential Investor visa routes.
The Global Business Mobility visa routes may be relevant to overseas businesses who wish to sponsor workers to come to the UK. An application could be made to transfer overseas workers into an existing UK arm of the business, to establish a presence in the UK for the first time, or to engage in a specific business activity.
Of the five Global Business Mobility visa routes, four replace existing visa categories while one creates a new visa scheme for workers on secondment to the UK.
The Global Business Mobility visa scheme may help international businesses to establish a presence in the UK by transferring senior and specialist staff in order to fulfil specific contracts. This visa route has been divided into five categories, each of which is suitable for different types of migrant workers.
The Global Business Mobility visa scheme has created five new routes under which overseas workers can apply for entry to the UK.
This new visa route replaces the Intra-Company Transfer visa scheme. The route is available to senior managers and specialist employees who are being re-assigned to a UK business that is owned, or has an owner in common, with the business they already work for abroad.
The Graduate Trainee visa route replaces the Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visa scheme. It is available for workers who are undertaking a graduate training course that will lead to some form of senior management or specialist position. The scheme is suitable for applicants who need to undertake a work placement in the UK as part of their training.
The UK Expansion Worker visa replaces the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business route, although the older visa scheme will remain open to Media Representatives and any migrants who are already in the UK and seeking to extend their visa or apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The UK Expansion Worker visa is intended for specialist and senior employees who have been assigned to the UK arm of an overseas business to expand its presence in the UK.
The Secondment visa scheme is a new category of visa that will allow overseas workers to come to the UK on secondment as part of an investment or high-value contract for their foreign employer. The new Global Business Mobility visa allows workers to be transferred to the UK on secondment in order to participate in a business expansion project of high-value contract.
The Service Supplier visa scheme is a replacement route for contractual service providers and independent professional persons who would previously have applied under the Temporary Worker – International Agreement route. The route allows overseas workers to come to the UK to provide a service as part of a UK trade commitment. This includes individuals who have been employed by a foreign government to work in the UK, and other individuals who will provide a service that cannot be completed by an existing UK resident.
To qualify for a Global Mobility visa, applicants must meet the specific requirements for the scheme under which they are applying. The five different routes each have their own criteria, but it is important to note that applicants will require sponsorship from the employer who they will be working for or with during their time in the UK. This means that the UK-based organisations that will host Global Business Mobility visa applicants will need to apply to the Home Office for a sponsor licence.
Migrants who currently have leave to remain in the UK under another route may be able to extend their stay by applying to switch to a Global Business Mobility visa. The application requirements differ between the five different categories of Global Business Mobility visa, and it will not be possible to make the switch if you were last granted permission to enter the UK as a visitor, short-term student, parent of a child student, domestic worker in a private household, or seasonal worker.
Our expert business immigration solicitors have assisted countless employers and skilled overseas workers. We have extensive experience of the UK immigration rules and will act on your behalf to put forward the strongest possible visa application to the Home Office.
From helping employers to obtain sponsor licences through to assisting skilled employees as they take their first steps towards starting a new life in the UK, WH Solicitors provides clear advice to deliver successful outcomes.
For more information, help, and support, contact our team today by calling (+44) 01483 608 786 or by emailing contact@whsolicitors.co.uk.
Yes, the Global Business Mobility visa is a sponsored immigration route. This means that applicants must have a valid certificate of sponsorship from an employer who has received a Sponsorship Licence from the UK Home Office.
Yes, family members of a Global Business Mobility visa can be accompanied by their partner and dependant children provided that they meet the relevant eligibility criteria. They will need to demonstrate their relationship with the primary visa holder, provide an overseas criminal record certificate for any country they have lived in for at least 12 months during the last 10 years, and Tuberculosis testing certificates if they are coming from one of the countries listed on the following page of the government website. UK immigration officials will also need to be satisfied that they have enough funds to support themselves when they come to the country.
None of the Global Business Mobility visa categories currently allow migrants to apply for settlement in the UK. Even the UK Expansion Worker visa scheme, which replaces the Representative of an Overseas Business visa, does not lead directly to settled status despite the earlier scheme allowing for Indefinite Leave applications.
In order to successfully apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, a Global Business Mobility visa holder would need to satisfy the acceptance criteria for another route and apply to switch.
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.
