Global Business Mobility Licence
Global Business Mobility Licence This licence is for temporary workers only.
The five new Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes allow overseas businesses to send workers to the UK for a temporary work assignment with a linked UK business to perform set up tasks and transitions that cannot be performed by a UK resident.
To qualify for a licence the company will need to apply to UKVI for a licence under the Temporary worker route. There are transitional arrangements for organisations who hold a sponsor licence on a relevant predecessor or similar route before 11th April 2022.
The job the worker is coming to do must meet the skill-level requirement of the GBM routes. In most cases, this is level 6 on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (graduate level) but there are some exceptions to this requirement FOR Service supplier and secondment routes.
Basic requirements for each GMB route
Basic requirements for each GMB route
- The worker must already be working for you or for a linked overseas business on the date they apply for entry clearance or permission and (unless an exception applies) have worked for the linked overseas business for a specified minimum period.
- GBM workers must be paid appropriately.
- Senior or Specialist Workers, Graduate Trainees and UK Expansion Workers must normally meet a general salary requirement and a ‘going rate’ requirement.
- For workers on the Service Supplier and Secondment Worker routes, their salary arrangements must comply with UK National Minimum Wage legislation. See sections GBM7 and GBM8 for further information. The GBM routes do not lead to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.
- Applicants must be aged at least 18 to qualify.
In most cases, the maximum period a person can stay in the UK on the GBM routes is a cumulative total of 5 years in any 6-year period. High earners and people benefiting from transitional arrangements can stay longer. Individual GBM routes have shorter grant periods. Therefore, it is unlikely they can cumulatively reach a point whereby they can meet the continuous residency requirements for Settlement. Exceptional cases there may be an opportunity under long residency.
Senior or Specialist Worker
Senior or Specialist Worker route is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is a senior manager or specialist employee and is being assigned to a UK business linked to their employer overseas. This type of assignment is often called an intra-company transfer or ICT.
- A partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route
Graduate Trainee
The Global Business Mobility- Graduate Trainee route is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is on a graduate training course leading to a senior management or specialist position and is required to do a work placement in the UK. This type of assignment is often called an intra-company transfer- graduate trainee or ICT.
- A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route.
- Graduate Trainee route is not a route to settlement.
UK Expansion Worker
UK Expansion Worker route is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is a senior manager or specialist employee and is being assigned to the UK to undertake work related to a business’s expansion to the UK.
This route can only be used when the business has not yet begun trading in the UK. If the business is already trading in the UK, workers should apply under Appendix Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker instead.
- A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route.
- UK Expansion Worker route is not a route to settlement.
Service Supplier Route
Service Supplier route is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is either a contractual service supplier employed by an overseas service provider or a self-employed independent professional based overseas, and they need to undertake an assignment in the UK to provide services covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements.
- A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route.
- The Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier route is not a route to settlement.
Secondment Worker Route
Secondment Worker route is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is being seconded to the UK as part of a high value contract or investment by their employer overseas.
- A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route.
- Secondment Worker route is not a route to settlement
How can we help you?
If you would like to know more about applying for the Global Mobility Business Licence, please contact us.
Global Mobility Business Q&A's
Sole representative of an overseas company
This visa route has been removed however those who are currently on the Sole Representative visa route may continue to extend and apply for settlement under the 5-year route. However, if you switch out of this route into any of the Global Business Routes your right to apply for settlement will fall away.
A GBM worker can be accompanied or joined by their partner and dependent children if they meet the relevant requirements for dependants.
- Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker
- Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee
- Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker
- Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier
- Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker
The Global Business Mobility routes are for workers based outside the UK who are undertaking a temporary work assignment in the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier or Secondment Worker.
