UK GLOBAL BUSINESS MOBILITY VISA: UK EXPANSION WORKER

Senior managers and specialized workers who want to be temporarily deployed to the UK to work on the expansion of an international firm in the UK may apply for the UK Global Firm Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa. A maximum of five workers may be sent at once by sponsors.

Only in cases where the UK firm has not yet commenced trade may the UK Expansion Worker option be utilized.  A Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker Visa would be more appropriate if the company is currently operating in the UK. If you possess an already-existing UK business or are considering starting one, you can also qualify for a skilled worker visa through self-sponsorship, which entails having your own UK firm sponsor you.

You must be sponsored to do a specified work that satisfies skill and income standards to get a UK Expansion Worker Visa by a business that has obtained a Home Office authorization. For employers who are thinking about applying for a UK Expansion Worker sponsor license, we have prepared separate guidelines.

The UK Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker Visa does not guarantee settlement in the UK. However, it may be possible for applicants to switch to another immigration route that does lead to settlement. The visa allows applicants to bring their partner and dependent children with them to the UK.

Requirements for a UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker

To be eligible for a UK Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker Visa, you must meet the following requirements set out by UK Visas and Immigration:

• You are 18 or older;
• Currently, you are employed by a company or organization that shares ownership or management with your UK sponsor;
• Unless you are a high earner earning £73,900 per year or more, a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the linked business or organization under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or an Australian national or permanent resident seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of your sponsor group under the Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Australia, you should have worked for the linked business or organization outside of the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months;
• You possess a current Certificate of Sponsorship, granted by your UK sponsor, for the work you intend to do;
• The work you intend to do is genuine;
• You possess the necessary skills to do the work at least to RQF Level 6 (graduate equivalent);
• Both £45,800 annually and the “going rate” for the position will be met or exceeded by your salary;
• You don’t need government support since you have enough money to maintain yourself;
• If needed, you have been given a legitimate tuberculosis certificate.

The specific requirements that you must meet may change based on your situation. For professional guidance, you might wish to see an immigration lawyer.

Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Visa Overseas Work Requirement

To be eligible for a Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa, you must meet the following requirements: you must not be a Japanese national looking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the linked business or organization under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and your gross annual salary must be less than £73,900 (based on working a maximum of 48 hours per week) and you also shouldn’t be a permanent resident of Australia wishing to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under the terms of the Free Trade Agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, you must be employed by a company or organization that shares ownership or control with your UK sponsor and have worked for this company or organization outside of the UK for a minimum of 12 months. The task may have been completed by an independent contractor, employee, or on another basis.

If you worked continuously for the linked business or organization, either in the UK or abroad, for at least 12 months before the application date, and any breaks you took were only for statutory maternity, paternity, parental or shared parental leave, statutory adoption leave, sick leave, helping with a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis with the sponsor group’s approval, or engaging in lawful industrial action, then the 12 months of work outside the UK can have been accumulated over a historical period.

You do not have to have worked abroad for a set amount of time to be eligible to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of your employer under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement if you make £73,900 or more annually, or you are a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the linked business or organization under that agreement, or you are a national or permanent resident of Australia seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under that agreement’s provisions (when the agreement comes into force or is provisionally applied).

UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Visa Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Requirement

To be eligible for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa, you must hold a current Certificate of Sponsorship for the position you want to fulfill.  The employer who granted your Certificate of Sponsorship must be approved by the Home Office to sponsor a UK Expansion Worker.

Unless you were previously approved to work as a UK Expansion Worker and are requesting to continue working for the same sponsor as in your previous permission, or unless you are the sponsor’s Authorizing Officer and the sponsor has a provisional rating on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, your sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors.

The Global Business Mobility – UK Expansions Worker Visa application date must not have been more than three months before the issuance of your Certificate of Sponsorship.

Certain necessary information must be included in your Certificate of Sponsorship, such as:

• specifics about your name, job, and salary;
• Verification that you have worked for your employer outside of the UK for a minimum of 12 months, unless you are a high earner making £73,900 annually or more, or you are an Australian national or permanent resident seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under the Free Trade Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Australia, or you are a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the linked business or organization under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement;
• A commencement date no later than three months from the date of your Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker Visa application;
• Verification that the sponsorship certificate was not utilized in a prior application that was approved or denied and that the home office or sponsor did not withdraw it.

Genuine Job Requirement

A UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa will only be issued if you can prove to the Home Office that you are being sponsored to work in a legitimate position.

Your application will be rejected if there are good reasons to suspect that the position for which you are being sponsored doesn’t exist, is a fraud, or was made primarily to enable you to apply for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa.

Additionally, the Home Office will want to be sure that you haven’t signed a contract to perform a regular role or provide a regular service to a non-sponsored third party, or to take a temporary or permanent position with someone other than your sponsor.

UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Job Skill Level Requirement

Your employment must be eligible at or above a minimal skill level for you to be eligible for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa.

You must have the necessary skills to do the work at least to RQF Level 6 (graduate equivalent).  The position must be on par with a graduate-level position, although a degree is not a requirement.

A list of jobs that qualify for a Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa has been released by the Home Office.  The list contains the applicable job type, job title, and occupation code.

If the position for which you are being sponsored is on the list, you will often fulfill the employment skill level criteria.

Your sponsor must, however, select a suitable employment code.  Your request for a Global Business Mobility Visa will be denied if the Home Office has good reason to suspect that your sponsor did not select the most suitable occupation code.

The Home Office will take into account a number of factors when determining whether your sponsor has selected the most appropriate occupation code, including whether they have demonstrated a genuine need for the job as described, whether you have the necessary skills, experience, and qualifications to perform the job as described, and the sponsor’s track record of adhering to immigration laws.

UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Salary Requirement

Businesses wishing to transfer workers under the UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker route are required to pay skilled workers a salary that meets or surpasses the general salary requirement as well as the “going rate” for the occupation (as specified by the aforementioned relevant occupation code).

General salary requirement

The UK Global Business Mobility Visa UK Expansion Worker route has an annual salary criterion of £45,800.  Thus, a worker who applies for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa typically has to be paid a wage that meets or surpasses £45,800 annually or 100% of the pro-rated going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher.

Aside from allowances that are guaranteed to be paid for the duration of employment in the UK (such as London weighting) or that are given as a mobility premium or to compensate for the higher cost of living in the UK, the evaluation of income is based on guaranteed basic gross pay (up to 48 hours per week).

If the applicant is being sponsored to work a pattern in which the regular hours vary week to week, leading to uneven pay, work exceeding 48 hours in some weeks may be deducted from the £45,800 salary threshold, as long as the average over a regular cycle (which may span less than or equal to 17 weeks) does not exceed 48 hours per week. When determining whether the income criteria are fulfilled, any unpaid rest weeks will be added to the average.

Going rate requirement

A list of going rates for qualifying Global Business Mobility occupation codes has been released by the Home Office.  The indicated yearly salary must be prorated for different work patterns as they are based on a 37.5-hour workweek.

Even if you work more than 48 hours per week, your whole weekly hours will be taken into account when comparing your pay to the going rate.

Immigration Skills Charge Requirement

The Immigration Skills Charge is not required for employers who have been permitted by the Home Office to sponsor a UK Expansion Worker.

Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Visa Financial Requirement

You need to be in possession of at least £1,270 in cash, with the exception listed below.

To apply for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa, you must have kept the funds for at least 28 days straight, ending no later than 31 days before to the application date.

You won’t need to provide proof of finances if you fulfill the financial requirements and have been in the UK with permission for at least 12 months at the time of your application.

UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa English Language Requirement

Applicants for the UK Expansion Worker Visa are exempt from meeting the English language proficiency requirements.

Switching into the UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Route

If you currently hold permission to stay in another immigration category, you can extend your stay by choosing the UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker route. This is not possible if you are or were previously granted permission to enter as a visitor, short-term student, parent of a student, seasonal worker, domestic worker in a private household, or in violation of the immigration rules.

Duration of a UK Global Business Mobility Visa: Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

You will be granted entry clearance for a period of one year following the start date of the job specified in your Certificate of Sponsorship, or the period stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus fourteen days, whichever is shorter if your application for a UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa is accepted.

You can request to have your visa extended for an additional 12 months if you would want to stay in the UK longer.  A UK Expansion Worker Visa allows you to stay in the country for a maximum of two years.

Maximum Time in the UK Global Business Mobility Routes

You might not be able to remain in the country on a Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa for the whole duration specified above if you have already visited on any of the Global Mobility Routes or former Intra-company routes.

This is because if you have previously traveled by any of the former intra-company routes or the Global Business Mobility routes, you are only permitted to remain in the UK for a maximum of 5 years within any 6-year term.

Conditions of Stay on a UK Global Business Mobility: UK Expansion Worker Visa

Holders of UK Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker Visa are allowed to perform the job duties listed on their Certificate of Sponsorship for their sponsor.  They might also enroll in classes and perform volunteer work.  Public funds cannot be accessed.

Settlement on the UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Route

The UK Expansion Worker Visa and the UK Global Business Mobility Visa do not immediately result in UK residency. Once in the UK, though, you might be able to change to another immigration path that does result in permanent residency, such as the Innovator Founder or Skilled Worker routes.  To prolong your immigration path of choice, you must meet its conditions.  Our website has information on every major immigration route, including whether or not it results in settlement.

Additionally, you could be able to stay longer until you meet the requirements for settlement based on long residence.

Dependents of UK Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker Visa applicants

Holders of a UK Expansion Worker Visa or UK Global Business Mobility may be joined or accompanied by dependent children under the age of 18 and a dependent partner who is above the age of 18.

UK Global Business Mobility Sponsor License Application

Businesses of all sizes are eligible to apply for the UK Global Business Mobility routes as long as they have a qualifying relationship with a UK firm and a trade presence outside of the UK.

To be eligible for a Global Business Mobility sponsor license, the UK company that will be employing the employee has to:

• already be established in the United Kingdom;
• possess appropriate connections to an international company from which it will hire staff;
• possess required personnel who are qualified to supervise the license; and
• Have Established procedures to fulfill the requirements of the sponsor license.

Depending on the kind of work assignment being done in the UK, there are qualifying connections to UK companies.

If a company based in the UK wishes to sponsor a Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker, it is required to provide credible documentation that they plan to establish a new branch in the UK or are a wholly-owned subsidiary of an established foreign business. The foreign company is usually expected to have been conducting business overseas for at least three years (with few exceptions to this rule).

Instead of having a trade presence, businesses who want to apply for a UK Expansion Worker sponsor license must have a UK presence. This implies that although they shouldn’t have started doing business in the UK yet, they should be able to show proof of a UK location or a Companies House registration.

Conversely, the foreign business must be operational and trading. There are certain exceptions, but generally speaking, the Home Office wants the foreign company to have been in operation for at least three years (there are some exceptions).

The foreign company has to convince the Home Office of its ability to expand into the UK.  It must show that it can secure funding for its expansion goals and present a reliable business strategy.  Typically, the Home Office anticipates that the foreign company is a developing or stable enterprise that has started the necessary steps toward expansion.

UK Expansion Worker sponsors are required to designate key individuals who will be responsible for managing the sponsor license. In certain exceptional situations, such as when no suitable settled worker is available in the UK to act as the Authorizing Officer, a Proposed Authorizing Officer may be located outside of the UK. The Authorizing Officer is a senior and competent person who is accountable for the actions of staff and representatives using the Sponsor Management System. In this case, the UK sponsor will initially receive just one Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and a “provisional rating.”  The first employee to be sponsored will then need to be the proposed authorizing officer.  The sponsor will be able to seek an extra CoS (up to 5) and re-rate to an “A-rating” once the Proposed Authorizing Officer arrives in the UK.

There is no need to rely on this exception if there is a suitable established worker in the UK who can serve as the Authorizing Officer. The UK Expansion Worker sponsor may receive an “A-rating” and up to 5 CoS at the beginning.