Home Office defines this category of Global Business Mobility visa as employees who are asked by foreign businesses to enter the UK in order to set up a branch of the international subsidiary in the UK.
The Global Business Mobility-UK Expansion Worker Visa or also known as a Self-Sponsored Visa is primarily for overseas specialist employees and senior managers who wish to travel to the UK on a temporary basis to undertake work related to the expansion of a foreign business in the UK.
This route of global business mobility visa has replaced the Sole Representative of an Overseas Business Visa route. Sponsors are limited to sending a total of 5 employees at a time. Also, important to note, this route can only be used when the business has not yet started trading in the UK. Specialists from Morgan Smith Immigration can help you apply for UK Expansion Worker Visa.
This route does not lead to settlement unlike the old route as it can only be granted for a year at a time for a maximum of two years in total. Once the two years have completed the applicant are advised to switch to the Skilled Worker route. This new path, like a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, requires sponsorship and has a minimum wage and skill requirements.
To qualify for this visa, organisations must prove that they have been trading for at least three years overseas, one year in case of Japanese companies because of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and they also must provide evidence related to their expansion plan in the UK.
Requirements:
Below are the requirements applicants must satisfy to apply for the UK Expansion Worker Visa:
- An applicant as a UK Expansion worker must be working for the sponsor group and have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a cumulative period of at least 12 months, unless the applicant is either applying as a high earner or a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
- For the job applicants are planning to do they must have a valid certificate of Sponsorship issued by a worker that is authorised by the Home Office in order to sponsor a UK Expansion Worker. The job that applicants are planning to do must be an eligible job at or above the minimum skill level. Other than this, applicants must be paid £42,400 or above per year. However, applicants will not have to satisfy the English language requirement for this route.
- After the start of the job, permission will be granted for 1 year of the time given on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days.
If you need any advice on the UK’s new Global Business Mobility routes and how the new changes could have an impact on your business immigration plans, Morgan Smith Immigration can help. If you are planning to apply for this route, contact us on 0203 959 3335.
