The United Kingdom government has implemented many modifications to its corporate immigration pathways in order to appeal to international experts.
The UK Global Business Mobility visas encompass five distinct immigration categories that facilitate the employment of foreign professionals within the United Kingdom.
Advantages of UK Global Business Mobility Visas
- Foreign enterprises can effectively address a diverse array of challenges through the utilization of this immigration pathway. These challenges may include establishing a representative office in a foreign country, augmenting the workforce of an already established branch in the United Kingdom, facilitating internships, delivering services to a local enterprise, or operating within the framework of existing trade agreements.
- The recent visas have superseded a number of obsolete immigration classifications. The UK Global Business Mobility route facilitates the coordination of work procedures within the United Kingdom for individuals from international countries.
An illustration of the challenges posed by the old Sole Representative Visa is the onerous responsibility of establishing a UK representative office, with the efficient administration of a firm and communication with UK authorities, all of which were entrusted to a single individual. The Senior or Specialist Worker visa facilitates the relocation of a group of specialists to the United Kingdom for the purpose of collectively overseeing comparable tasks.
Applicants for the Global Business Mobility visa are eligible to be accompanied by their family members when relocating to the United Kingdom. The dependent family member visa is open to spouses, unmarried partners, and minor children who meet the eligibility criteria.
For individuals seeking employment or undertaking an internship in the United Kingdom, the most suitable option would be to obtain a business mobility visa. Nevertheless, it is not conducive to being relocated.
Restrictions of UK Global Business Mobility Visas
This pathway does not include settlement. This implies that it does not result in the acquisition of Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Upon the conclusion of one’s work, internship, business trip, or provision of a service, it becomes necessary to depart from the country.
The immigration authorities do not include the duration of an individual’s stay in the UK under a Global Business Mobility visa when calculating the timeframe necessary to qualify for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Nevertheless, if an individual intends to relocate to the United Kingdom, obtaining one of these visas is the initial stage towards acquiring an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). For instance, individuals who enter the United Kingdom on a UK Expansion Worker visa have the opportunity to transition to a UK Skilled Worker visa, so enabling them to pursue an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Hence, the act of submitting an application for a UK Global Business Mobility visa presents a highly advantageous prospect for individuals who are contemplating a relocation to the United Kingdom.
There are five UK Global Business Mobility visa routes:
- Senior or Specialist Worker;
- Graduate Trainee;
- Expansion Worker;
- Service Supplier;
- Secondment Worker.
The UK Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker) visa facilitates the entry of individuals into the United Kingdom for the purpose of engaging in a job that meets the eligibility criteria. Typically, engaging in training programs tends to result in the attainment of a specialized or senior-level occupational role.
Senior or Specialist Worker
This immigration category encompasses individuals who possess expertise and experience in their respective fields and are employed to manage and oversee the operations of a UK-based branch. The Intra-Company Transfer visa was superseded by it.
Graduate Trainee
The Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visa has been replaced by this particular type. Nevertheless, the demographic of the applications being considered has remained consistent. The practice of transferring a graduate trainee to the UK branch remains in use, wherein the duration of their study is explicitly outlined and culminates in the attainment of a specialized or senior role on a full-time basis.
Secondment Worker
In contrast to the remaining four categories, this particular visa possesses a distinctive attribute as it has not superseded any preexisting classification within the realm of immigration. The Secondment Worker visa facilitates the temporary employment of foreign experts in the United Kingdom. It is important to note that in order for an individual’s foreign employer to be eligible, they must have a contractual agreement with the UK organization.
Service Supplier
The Temporary Worker visa, which operated under international accords, has been superseded by this particular type. The Service Supplier visa is available to foreign workers who intend to offer services within the United Kingdom in the following capacities:
- Officially employed;
- Freelance workers staying in the UK under one of the international trade agreements.
Individuals who are formally engaged in employment; Independent contractors residing in the United Kingdom pursuant to one of the international trade agreements.
In the United Kingdom, it is not permissible for a service provider to operate autonomously. In order to proceed, it is required for individuals to acquire an invitation from the receiving company based in the United Kingdom.
UK Expansion Worker
The aforementioned category has superseded the Representative of an Overseas Business visa. The aforementioned phenomenon confers significant advantages. Sponsors have the capacity to dispatch a maximum of five employees to the United Kingdom simultaneously. In contrast to the UK Sole Representative visa, it should be noted that the UK Expansion Worker visa does not provide a pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider a significant subtlety. Once a corporation establishes an international representative office and commences business operations in the United Kingdom, there exists the opportunity to transfer personnel to a UK Skilled Worker visa, thereby enabling them to get Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status after a period of five years. The acquisition of British citizenship is characterized by an extended duration, however a heightened level of ease.
The UK immigration authorities employ a sponsorship system to ensure that UK companies effectively oversee their foreign employees and provide them with salaries that exceed the minimum threshold established for their respective positions. It is important to note that this requirement solely applies to visas where a foreign specialist is directly employed by a UK employer.
Regardless of one’s professional role (whether as a trainee, specialist, manager, freelance worker, or secondment worker), it is imperative for a UK corporation to:
- Acquire an A-category sponsorship license from the Home Office.
- We will provide you with a certificate of sponsorship. The certificate of sponsorship is a digitalized document that possesses a unique identifier, which is a mandatory inclusion in the application for the UK Global Business Mobility visa.
In order to secure a visa under certain categories, it is necessary for a specialist from a foreign country to acquire a certificate of sponsorship.
- Senior or Specialist Worker;
- Graduate Trainee;
- Secondment Worker;
- Service supplier
The four categories of workers are as follows: senior or specialist workers, graduate trainees, secondment workers, and service suppliers.
One example of a visa that deviates from the norm is the Expansion Worker visa, which pertains to the relocation of specialized personnel from the company’s headquarters to the United Kingdom for the purpose of expanding commercial operations. In the event that a company in the United Kingdom possesses a currently valid sponsorship license among the preceding four visa categories of the UK Global Business Mobility route, said company shall proceed to apply for a sponsorship license and thereafter provide a certificate of sponsorship for an expansion worker under the Expansion Worker visa. In this manner, a worker involved in expanding activities grants themself a certificate of sponsorship.
In addition to a sponsor, the immigration authorities in the United Kingdom have a number of prerequisites for international professionals.
The specific prerequisites applicable to all visa categories, such as attaining the age of 18, demonstrating sufficient financial means for self-support, testing negative for tuberculosis, and possessing a commendable reputation, will not be expounded upon in this discussion. According to the immigration advisers at Imperial & Legal, it is recommended that individuals direct their attention toward the precise criteria applicable to applicants for the UK Global Business Mobility visa.
UK Global Business Mobility Visas: Recap
The UK Global Business Mobility visas offer effective resolutions to a wide range of business challenges. These measures are employed to address particular requirements, such as the facilitation of international internships and the recruitment of foreign specialists. Additionally, they serve to enable the movement of specialized personnel and ensure their extended presence within the country. However, it is advisable to get guidance from certified immigration consultants and strategically organize your endeavors in order to select the most optimal course of action. The skilled advisers at Imperial & Legal are available to assist individuals in acquiring a certificate of sponsorship and applying for the appropriate category of a UK Global Business Mobility visa.
If an individual intends to establish an overseas representative office for their company in the United Kingdom, our organization is capable of providing assistance in several areas such as incorporation, provision of a registered address, facilitation of bank account opening, provision of accounting services, and handling other business-related affairs.