What is the Global Business Mobility route?

On 11 April 2022, the government launched the Global Business Mobility route designed for overseas companies relocating their staff to the UK and foreign businesses seeking to establish a presence in the UK market.

The new scheme replaces a number of existing routes, including the Representative of Overseas Business and Intra-Company Transfer visas, which are no longer open to new applicants.

Although the route does not directly lead to settlement in the UK, Global Business Mobility visa holders can switch to another immigration route that does.

What does the Global Business Mobility route offer?

The Global Business Mobility migration category comprises five separate global mobility routes, each with its own set of qualifying conditions and corresponding to different types of temporary work assignments, including:

Senior or Specialist Worker route – for senior managers and specialist employees temporarily transferring to a UK business that is linked to their employer overseas

  • Graduate Trainee route – for foreign workers required to undertake a UK work placement as part of a graduate training course
  • UK Expansion Worker route – for senior managers and specialist employees being assigned to the UK to assist with the process of expanding and scaling a foreign business in the UK
  • Service Supplier route – for contractual service suppliers based overseas and seeking to provide temporary services covered by a UK international trade agreement
  • Secondment Worker route – for overseas workers coming to the UK to undertake temporary assignments in accordance with a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer

The Global Business Mobility visa is a sponsored migration route. Every applicant will be required to have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed sponsor in the UK to apply under this category. As these changes begin to take shape and affect the broader labour market, obtaining a sponsor licence will be a priority for many UK businesses in the coming months.

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