Global Business Mobility Visa UK

1. Corporate Linkage

For the Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, and UK Expansion Worker routes, the applicant must be an employee of an overseas entity that is linked to the UK sponsoring organisation.

Establishing Linkage:

• Common ownership or control (e.g., parent company, subsidiary, or branch relationship)
• Sponsor must evidence relationship through group structures, shareholder agreements, or corporate records

The Service Supplier and Secondment Worker routes do not require a group linkage but have their own distinct qualifying conditions.

2. Certificate of Sponsorship

All GBM routes require the applicant to hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by the UK sponsor on the correct GBM route.

CoS Requirements:

• Must accurately record job title, occupation code, salary, assignment duration, and sub-route
• Applications must be submitted within three months of the CoS being assigned

Errors or inconsistencies in the CoS are a common cause of refusal and can also raise compliance concerns for the sponsoring employer.

3. Eligible Role and Skill Level

For the Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, and UK Expansion Worker routes, the role must be at or above RQF Level 6 and listed in the relevant Appendix to the Immigration Rules.

Roles below this level are not eligible, apart from limited transitional arrangements for some workers first granted GBM permission before 4 April 2024.

Assessment Process:

• The role must be genuine
• UKVI may request organisational charts, job descriptions, and evidence of business need

4. Salary Requirements

Minimum salary requirements vary by sub-route to ensure appropriate compensation thresholds are met.

• Senior or Specialist Workers & UK Expansion Workers: At least £52,500 per year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher
• Graduate Trainees: At least £27,300 per year or the applicable going rate, whichever is higher
• Service Suppliers & Secondment Workers: Not subject to a specific threshold but must comply with National Minimum Wage legislation

Only guaranteed basic pay and fixed allowances may count toward meeting the threshold.

5. Employment History

Most GBM routes require the applicant to have been employed by the overseas entity for a minimum period before the transfer.

Prior Employment Durations:

• Senior or Specialist Workers: 12 months with the overseas group (not required if paid £73,900 or more)
• UK Expansion Workers: 12 months with the overseas group (exemptions for high earners and some Japanese and Australian nationals)
• Graduate Trainees: Reduced to 3 months

Acceptable evidence:

• • Payslips and employment contracts
  • Official confirmation from the employer

6. Length of Stay and No Settlement Pathway

None of the GBM routes lead directly to Indefinite Leave to Remain, and time spent on them does not count towards the qualifying period for settlement under the points-based system.

• Maximum cumulative stay across all GBM routes is generally 5 years in any 6-year period
• Individual routes may have shorter grant periods (e.g., UK Expansion Worker Visa is capped at a maximum of 2 years)

Workers who wish to remain in the UK beyond their GBM leave must switch into an eligible route, such as the Skilled Worker route, before their permission expires.