Senior or Specialist Worker

Overview

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) is a great way to move to the UK if your employer overseas has a branch in the United Kingdom. The branch in the UK has to offer a role in an eligible occupation and you must meet eligibility requirements. There are two routes for this visa which have different requirements: Skilled and Graduate. This visa is sometimes known as an Intra-company transfer.

Points Required

60 points

Who Qualifies?

Graduates or skilled workers who want to work in the UK permanently with their current employer. Applicants can apply with their spouse/partner and dependent children.

How Long Can You Stay?

Up to 9 years depending on your salary. This visa does not directly lead to permanent residency in the UK; if you desire this, check out these options instead.

Processing Time

After you have submitted your online application, proved your identity and provided the relevant documents, 90% of applicants are processed within 3 weeks.

Eligibility For Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

In order to qualify for this visa you must meet several minimum requirements.

• Worked for an employer that has been approved for a sponsor license
• Have a valid certificate of sponsorship related to the role
• Job must be on the Shortage Occupations List
• Salary must meet the minimum threshold for the role

Occupations eligible for Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

First thing to check is your job matches an occupation on the Global Business Mobility List. If your occupation is not listed here, unfortunately you don’t qualify for the visa this year, but occupations are added and removed annually. There are several other visas you may qualify for.

You must meet the minimum salary threshold for this visa, which is currently £48,500 for the skilled route.

Lastly, your offer of employment must be from an approved UK employer or sponsor.

You must have sufficient funds when applying for the Intra-company Visa; the total minimum costs will vary depending on your circumstances.

Application Fee

When applying from outside the UK the fee will be £769 or £1519 on the skilled route depending on length of stay.

The Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) entitles you to use the NHS if you become unwell or have an accident while in the UK. The cost is £1,035 per year. You have to pay the IHS even if you do not use the NHS or even if you have your own private health insurance.

If you are applying for a 2-year visa you will have to pay £1,035 each year, totaling £2,070.

Sufficient Funds

You must have at least £1,270 in your bank account to show you can support yourself in the UK, a bank statement will suffice. The financial requirement is that you show you have enough money for your living costs for yourself and dependants while you move to the UK. You do not need to show funds if you have been living in the UK for 12 months or more with permission on the date of application.

Documentation Required

You must bring relevant documentation that will require some preparation before arriving in the UK. This will vary depending on your occupation, nationality and length of stay.

• Certificate of Sponsorship
• A valid passport for the entirety of the visa
• Occupation and Salary
• Bank statement proving sufficient funds
• Name of employer and license number
• Evidence you have worked for your employer overseas

Criminal Record Certificate

If you are applying for certain jobs, mostly in the public sector such as healthcare, welfare and education sectors, you will need to provide a criminal record certificate for any country in which, since the age of 18, you have been present for 12 months or more in the 10 years before the date of your application.

Identity

For most applicants you must prove your identity by booking an appointment at a Visa Application Centre in your current country. The appointment will include collecting your fingerprints, facial photograph and signature. The UK government website has a list of addresses for each eligible country.

Can I Bring My Family?

This visa will allow family members to join the main applicant in the UK; they are known as “dependants”. You don’t have to be a permanent resident or have Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK to bring your family members. The cost for each dependant is £1,846 as of January 2024.

Dependants over 18 can work full time in any profession throughout with no restrictions. The length of time allowed to stay is the same as the main applicant’s work visa.

Can This Lead to British Citizenship?

This visa does not count towards becoming a British citizen; only other work visas will contribute towards this. The Senior or Specialist Worker visa however does allow you to work and build relationships with employers who will sponsor you after the visa ends. This is an advantage over applicants who have never worked in the UK and are applying abroad.