Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker

Global Mobility Visa UK Settlement

The Global Business Mobility program, launched on April 11, 2022, is designed to provide opportunities for overseas businesses to send workers to the UK for a temporary assignment or to establish a commercial presence in the country.

The Global Business Mobility program replaced the following routes:

1. Intra-Company Transfer route (ICT)
2. Temporary Worker under International Agreements route
3. Representative of an Overseas Business route

The Global Business Mobility program includes the following five discrete routes:

1. Specialist or Senior Worker route
2. Graduate Trainee route
3. UK Expansion Worker route
4. Service Supplier route
5. Secondment Worker route

Global Business Mobility Visa: UK Expansion Worker

The UK Expansion Worker route under the Global Business Mobility program is designed for non-UK workers who are taking on temporary roles in the UK as senior managers or specialist employees, and are being sent to the UK to support a company’s expansion into the market. 

However, this route is only available for companies that have not yet started their operations in the UK. Companies that are already established in the UK should instruct their workers to apply under the Senior or Specialist Worker route of the Global Business Mobility program instead.

Requirements for UK Expansion Worker visa

1. Validity requirements:

1. Applicants are required to apply online in one of the below forms:
   1. “Global Business Mobility visa” for applicants outside the UK, or 
   2. “Global Business Mobility” for applicants inside the UK.
2. Applicants must have:
   1. Paid Immigration Health Charge and fees,
   2. Provided necessary biometrics,
   3. Provided necessary travel documents such as passport,
   4. Should have a Sponsorship Certificate.
3. Applicants should be 18 years or above on application date.
4. Applicants receiving a scholarship covering both living costs and fees in the UK in the last 12 months must provide written consent from the scholarship agency.
5. Applicants seeking authorization to stay must be within the UK and must not currently possess, or have previously obtained, authorization as a person specified on the gov.uk website.

2. Entry requirements:

1. Before arriving in the UK, applicants must secure entry clearance as a UK Expansion Worker.
2. A valid medical certificate stating applicants have completed testing for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that the condition is not present in them is required.

3. Points requirement:

The following table requirements will be used to award applicants 60 points:

To know more about these rules in detail, check the gov.uk website.

4. General salary requirement:

1. The required salary for applicants who are sponsored for a position in one of the occupation codes mentioned in Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations is £42,400 annually.
2. Only the first 48 hours’ salary of applicants who are sponsored to work more than 48 hours per week will count against the salary criterion.

5. Going rate requirement:

1. For applicants who are sponsored for a position in one of the occupation codes specified in Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, the required going rate is 100% of the prorated going rate.
   Pro-rated going rate = 1 x (the going rate for the occupation code stated in Table 1 of Appendix Skilled Occupations) x (the number of weekly working hours stated by the sponsor ÷ 39)
2. The required going rate is 100% of the prorated going rate for applicants who are sponsored for a position in one of the occupation codes in the health or education sectors mentioned in Table 2 of Appendix Skilled Occupations.
3. Even if the applicant works more than 48 hours per week, their complete weekly hours will be taken into account when comparing their salary to the going rate.

6. Financial requirement:

1. Applicants who have 12 months or more of UK residence on the date of application will be considered financially secure and will not be required to provide proof of funds.
2. Applicants with less than 12 months of UK residence or applying for entry clearance must provide proof of funds of at least £1,270.
3. Applicants must demonstrate that they have maintained the required level of funds for a 28-day period, as outlined in Appendix Finance.

7. Maximum length of assignments requirement:

1. Applicant’s permission grant must not exceed a cumulative period of 5 years within any 6-year period, across all Global Business Mobility and Intra-Company routes.

Eligibility for Global Business Mobility Visa Routes

The eligibility requirements for Global Business Mobility Visa route include:

1. Applicants must possess a valid sponsorship certificate for their planned job, which has been issued by an employer authorized by the Home Office to sponsor a UK Expansion Worker.
2. Applicants must receive a minimum salary of £42,400 per year or the job’s going rate.
3. Applicants need to know the 4-digit occupation code found on the sponsorship certificate issued by the employer to determine eligibility.
4. Applicants must have worked for their employer outside of the UK for a minimum of 12 months, unless: 
   1. They are earning an annual salary of £73,900 or
   2. They are Japanese nationals working for a Japanese company expanding to the UK.

UK Expansion Worker Sponsor License

Employers who want to hire someone who is not a settled worker or who otherwise does not have immigration clearance to work for them in the UK must first obtain authorization from the Home Office. This authorization is known as a ‘sponsor license’ and employers who hold a sponsor license are known as ‘sponsors’.

A sponsor license is not required to employ a certain category of people, such as:

1. Irish citizens
2. Someone who has been granted settled or pre-settled status on the EU Settlement Scheme
3. Someone with indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK

These are just a few cases. For a complete list and further details, check the gov.uk website.

Step-by-Step guide to obtaining a Sponsor License

Step 1: Eligibility Check

Ensure that your business meets the eligibility criteria for sponsorship by confirming that the employer has no past criminal convictions for immigration offenses or specified crimes, such as fraud or money laundering, and that their sponsor license has not been revoked within the past 12 months.

Step 2: Job Suitability

Confirm that the job being offered is suitable for sponsorship. This includes ensuring that the job has a suitable rate of pay and skill level, or meets the other criteria needed for the worker’s visa.

Step 3: Choose License Type

Determine the type of license you wish to apply for. Options include:

• “Workers license” for skilled or long-term employment
• “Temporary workers license” for specific types of temporary employment

Step 4: Assign Responsibilities

Decide who within your business will manage sponsorship. Roles include:

• Authorizing officer
• Key contact
• Level 1 user

These roles can be filled by the same person or different people.

Step 5: Apply and Pay Fee

Apply online and pay the applicable fee. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may visit your business to confirm its suitability.

After Application:

• If your application is successful, you will be given a license rating and be able to issue certificates of sponsorship for suitable jobs.
• Your license will be valid for 4 years. If you do not meet your responsibilities as a sponsor, you may lose your license.

OGSCapital: Your trusted partner for navigating the complex visa process for the USA, UK, and Canada

Are you a company looking to send a non-UK worker to the UK as a senior manager or specialist employee to support your expansion into the market? OGSCapital can help you navigate the UK Expansion Worker route under the Global Business Mobility program.

In addition to the UK Expansion Worker route, we also offer specialized services for the UK including our Immigration Business Plan. Our Immigration Business Plan for UK includes two different plans: 

1. Innovator Visa Business Plan
2. UK Start-Up Visa Business Plan

These plans are specifically designed to help businesses navigate the Innovator Visa UK and UK Start-Up Visa routes, respectively.

Our team stays up-to-date with the latest changes and developments in immigration laws and regulations, ensuring that our clients have the most accurate and current information. We will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and requirements and provide tailored advice and guidance.

Don’t let the stress of obtaining a visa hold you back from reaching your immigration goals. Trust the professionals at OGSCapital to guide you through the process and increase your chances of success with our professional immigration business plan. 

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards achieving your immigration goals.

FAQ

1. Who is eligible for a scale up visa UK?

To qualify for a Scale-up Worker visa, applicant must:

1. have a confirmed job offer to work for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months
2. have a ‘sponsorship certificate’ from employer with information about the role offered in the UK
3. have a job offer to do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
4. be paid a minimum salary in the new job

2. How long can you stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa?

Applicant can stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa for whichever is shorter of:

1. 12 months after the start date of the job on sponsorship certificate
2. Time given on sponsorship certificate plus 14 days

If the applicant wants to stay longer in the UK, they can extend their visa by 12 months. The maximum time any applicant can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years.

3. Can the UK Expansion Worker visa be extended?

To be eligible for an extension of your UK Expansion Worker visa, all of the following criteria must be met:

1. Applicant is currently in the same job as when the initial permission to enter or remain in the UK was granted
2. Applicant’s job falls under the same occupation code as when the initial permission to enter or remain in the UK was granted
3. Applicant is still employed by the employer who provided current certificate of sponsorship
4. Applicant has not exceeded the maximum total stay permitted.