Visa and Leave to Remain for UK Senior and Specialist Worker Sponsor Licence—Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes

Immigration Route Designed for Experienced Migrant Workers, no Language, Investment or Start-up Capital Required

What is Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is one of five immigration routes under the Global Business Mobility (GBM) scheme, introduced by the Home Office in 2022. The routes were designed to facilitate the movement of employees within international businesses and support the needs of companies looking to establish or expand their presence in the UK. 

Overseas employees being assigned to a UK business that is linked to their overseas employer will need to apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa. If the worker is earning less than £73,900 a year, then they must have worked for their employer outside the UK for at least 12 months. Those earning over £73,900 a year are not required to meet the minimum employment period.

The spouse or partner and children of the worker may apply to join the employee to live and work in the UK, if eligible. The worker and any dependants may live and work in the UK for whichever is shorter of the time given on the worker’s Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or up to five years with a Senior or Specialist Worker visa and exit and re-enter the UK freely. The visa can be extended for as many times as the worker likes up to the maximum total stay. If the worker is being paid less than £73,900 a year, the maximum total stay allowed is 5 years in any 6 year period. If the worker is being paid £73,900 a year or more, the maximum total stay is 9 years in any 10 year period. 

This route does not lead to UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), but the applicant may switch to the Skilled Worker route if the UK business is granted a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence (see https://passportia.org/uk-skilled-worker-sponsor-license.php).

There is no language or investment requirement for the applicant to apply for Entry Clearance/Leave to Remain as a UK Expansion Worker.

Senior and Specialist Worker Visa Application

A company or other type of organisation with a valid A-rated Senior and Specialist Worker Sponsor License may employ a non-British citizen from its overseas connected business who will be granted Entry Clearance or Leave to Remain as a Skilled Worker. 

The applicant must:

• be an existing employee of an organisation that has been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
• žhave a CoS from the employer with information about the work that they will do in the UK
• ždo a job that is on the list of eligible occupations
• žbe paid at least £48,500 per year

Passportia can:

• assess and advise on the vacancy, job description, terms of employment;
• žassess an intended employee;
• žprovide a letter explaining why the job and employee qualify, documents needed, timings and expected government fees;
• žreview documents supplied;
• žapply for a Certificate of Sponsorship;
• žapply for Entry Clearance or Leave to Remain as applicable;
• žassist in resolving any issues encountered.

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