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Global Business Mobility visas, and how to choose yours
Global Business Mobility visas let an overseas business move staff to the UK for a specific purpose: transferring to a UK branch, a graduate programme, setting up a first UK office, a secondment or delivering a contract. Each needs a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed UK business, and none of the five routes lead to settlement.
To move staff to the UK on a Global Business Mobility route, the UK business needs a sponsor licence covering that route and must assign a Certificate of Sponsorship for each worker. Most routes need the worker to have worked for the business overseas for a set period first, and every stay is temporary.
- 5 routes for moving staff
- Needs a UK sponsor licence
- Doesn’t lead to settlement
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- IAA Level 3 · the highest tier
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Reviewed by Qiyin Chuah, IAA Level 3 · Last reviewed
Compare Global Business Mobility visas
Global Business Mobility routes let overseas businesses move staff to the UK for a specific purpose. None of them lead to settlement, but some allow a switch to Skilled Worker.
Comparison table, scroll sideways to see every route
| Requirement | Sponsored Senior or Specialist Worker | Sponsored Graduate Trainee | Sponsored UK Expansion Worker | Sponsored Secondment Worker | Sponsored Service Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who it’s for | Employees moving to a UK branch of their overseas employer | Graduates on a structured training programme for managerial or specialist roles | Senior staff setting up the business’s first UK branch | Workers seconded to a UK business under a high-value contract | Overseas employees or self-employed professionals providing services under an eligible trade agreement |
| Time with the overseas employer | 12 months if earning below £73,900; otherwise none | 3 months immediately before applying | 12 months, with exceptions* | 6 months | 12 months’ employment or relevant self-employment* |
| Minimum salary | £52,500, or the going rate if higher* | £27,300, or 70% of the going rate if higher* | £52,500, or the going rate if higher | No fixed visa salary threshold; eligible occupation required | No fixed visa salary threshold; eligible job or qualifications required |
| Max stay | 5 years in 6, or 9 years in 10 for higher earners* | Up to 12 months per visa | Up to 1 year, 2 in total | Up to 12 months, 2 in total | 6 or 12 months, depending on trade agreement |
| Switch to Skilled Worker in the UK | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible | Yes, if eligible |
| Leads to settlement | No | No | No | No | No |
| Typical decision time | 3 weeks outside; 8 weeks inside | 3 weeks outside the UK | 3 weeks outside; 8 weeks inside | 3 weeks outside; 8 weeks inside | 3 weeks outside; 8 weeks inside |
| Full guide | Senior or Specialist Worker guide | Graduate Trainee guide | UK Expansion Worker guide | Secondment Worker guide | Service Supplier guide |
*Senior or Specialist Worker salary exceptions apply to certain legacy cases. UK Expansion Worker overseas employment exemptions apply to some high earners and qualifying Australian or Japanese applicants. Graduate Trainee healthcare and education jobs may require the full going rate. Service Suppliers who are self-employed need qualifying professional experience. The wider Global Business Mobility routes also have cumulative stay limits.
Closed or renamed routes
What every Global Business Mobility route has in common
These apply to all five routes.
- A Certificate of Sponsorship
From the UK business that holds a sponsor licence covering the route.
- A link to the overseas business
Usually a set period working for the overseas employer.
- The right salary
Most routes have a salary threshold and a going rate.
- Funds to support yourself
Usually £1,270 held for 28 days, unless your sponsor certifies maintenance.
- A temporary purpose
You’ll leave, or switch to another route, at the end of your stay.
Moving staff to the UK?
The UK business needs a sponsor licence that covers the Global Business Mobility routes, and takes on sponsor duties for every worker.
Certificate of Sponsorship £525 per workerImmigration Skills Charge £480 for small or charitable sponsor, or £1,320 for medium or large sponsor, per year
- Get the right licence. Global Business Mobility needs its own licence route.
- Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship for each worker, with the correct route and salary.
- Pay the employer costs. These can’t be passed on to the worker.
- Keep your licence compliant. Right to work checks, record keeping and reporting changes.
What a Global Business Mobility visa costs
Most applicants pay the application fee plus the Immigration Health Surcharge of £1,035 for each year of the visa. Fees depend on the route and length.
Worked example
Senior or Specialist Worker, 3 years
Application fee £819 + health surcharge 3 × £1,035 = £3,924 per person
Your employer pays the sponsorship costs separately.
| Route | Application fee | Health surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker Up to 3 years | £819 | £1,035 a year |
| Graduate Trainee | £340 | £1,035 a year |
| UK Expansion Worker | £340 | £1,035 a year |
| Secondment Worker | £340 | £1,035 a year |
| Service Supplier | £340 | £1,035 a year |
Home Office fees per applicant, from the 8 April 2026 schedule.
How we can help
From a first application to a refusal, at a fixed fee agreed before we start.
Visa application package We prepare and submit your application from start to finish. See what’s included → Application checking You prepare it, a regulated adviser reviews it before you submit. See what’s included → Sponsor licence application For employers who need a licence before they can hire. See what’s included → Sponsor licence compliance Ongoing support so your licence stays safe. See what’s included →
What our clients say
What individuals, families and businesses say about working with QC Immigration.
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Questions about Global Business Mobility
For route-specific questions, see each guide.
No. None of the five routes lead to indefinite leave to remain, and time on them doesn’t usually count towards settlement on other routes. If you want to stay long term, switching to the Skilled Worker route may be possible, depending on your role and salary.
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa replaced the Intra-company Transfer visa in April 2022, and the Graduate Trainee visa replaced the Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa. The rules are similar, with some changes to timings and salary thresholds.
Usually, yes, on most of the five routes. Your partner and children under 18 apply as your dependants and pay the same fees and health surcharge. Check your own route’s rules before they apply.
Yes. The UK business must hold a sponsor licence that covers the route being used. For the UK Expansion Worker route, an overseas business can apply for a licence before it has a UK trading presence.
From some routes, yes, if you have a job offer and Certificate of Sponsorship from a Skilled Worker sponsor. Other routes don’t allow switching from inside the UK, so check before you plan around it.
The Home Office aims to decide most applications made from outside the UK within three weeks. Priority services may be available for an extra fee. The employer’s sponsor licence and Certificate of Sponsorship need to be in place first.
Tell us what you need help with
A regulated adviser reviews your situation and comes back with an honest next step within one working day.
- An IAA-regulated UK immigration adviser reviews your case.
- A personal reply with your next step, within one working day.
- No payment required. Fixed fees if you proceed.
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