Global Business Mobility Visas: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Secondment Worker and Service Supplier

The Global Business Mobility visa routes allow overseas businesses to send workers to the UK for specific temporary assignments. They are useful in corporate mobility, expansion, graduate training, international contracts and trade-agreement service delivery. They are also technical routes where the wrong category, weak sponsor evidence, an incorrect occupation code or an inaccurate Certificate of Sponsorship can create refusal and compliance risk.

There are five Global Business Mobility routes:

• Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker visa;
• Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee visa;
• Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker visa;
• Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker visa; and
• Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier visa.

These routes are not the same as the Skilled Worker route. They are designed for temporary business mobility. They do not lead directly to settlement in the UK, although a person may sometimes be able to switch into another route if they meet the requirements of that route at the relevant time.

Global Business Mobility visas: choosing the correct route

The most important question is not simply whether the applicant has a UK assignment. The correct route depends on the commercial structure behind the assignment: whether there is a linked UK branch, a graduate training programme, a UK expansion project, a high-value contract or an eligible international trade agreement.

What all Global Business Mobility routes have in common

Each GBM route requires careful alignment between the applicant, sponsor, assignment and supporting evidence. In most cases the applicant will need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship issued no more than 3 months before the visa application, a genuine eligible role, and evidence that the route-specific requirements are met.

Global Business Mobility routes usually require sponsorship by a UK organisation with the relevant sponsor licence category. The UK sponsor must understand not only the visa application, but also its sponsor duties. Where the sponsor licence, contract, assignment description, salary, occupation code or overseas employment history is weak, the application may be vulnerable.

The routes are temporary. Time already spent in the UK on GBM routes and previous Intra-Company routes can count towards the maximum cumulative stay. For most GBM workers, the broad maximum is 5 years in any 6-year period. Senior or Specialist Workers who are high earners may be able to stay for up to 9 years in any 10-year period, subject to the rules.

Senior or Specialist Worker visa

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is for an overseas worker assigned to a linked UK business as a senior manager or specialist employee. It replaced the former Intra-company Transfer route and is commonly used by international groups transferring key staff to the UK for a temporary assignment.

To qualify, the applicant will normally need to be an existing employee of an approved sponsor, have a Certificate of Sponsorship, work in an eligible occupation and meet the salary requirements. The official GOV.UK overview states that the applicant must be paid at least £52,500 per year. The Immigration Rules also require the salary to meet the relevant going rate where applicable, and salary calculations can be affected by working hours and allowances.

This route is often appropriate where the UK business is already trading and linked to the overseas employer. It should not be confused with the UK Expansion Worker route, which is for a business that has not yet begun trading in the UK.

A Senior or Specialist Worker visa can be granted for the shorter of the period stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, or 5 years. The cumulative maximum is generally 5 years in any 6-year period, or 9 years in any 10-year period for high earners. Legacy transitional rules may apply to some older Intra-Company Transfer cases.

Graduate Trainee visa

The Graduate Trainee visa is for an overseas worker on a graduate training course leading to a senior management or specialist position, where a UK work placement is required. It is not a general graduate work route and should not be confused with the Graduate visa for former UK students.

The applicant must normally be an existing employee of a Home Office-approved sponsor, have worked for that sponsor outside the UK for at least 3 months immediately before applying, have a Certificate of Sponsorship, work in an eligible occupation and be paid at least £27,300 per year. The going rate requirement must also be considered.

This route is more limited than the Senior or Specialist Worker route. It is tied to the graduate training programme and cannot be used simply because the salary threshold is lower. The Home Office may look closely at whether the UK role is genuinely part of a structured graduate training course leading to a senior or specialist role.

A Graduate Trainee visa can be granted for the shorter of the Certificate of Sponsorship period plus 14 days, or 12 months. It cannot be extended from inside the UK. A further Graduate Trainee application may be possible from outside the UK, subject to the rules and the maximum cumulative stay.

UK Expansion Worker visa

The UK Expansion Worker visa is for senior managers or specialist employees assigned to the UK to undertake work related to an overseas business’s expansion into the UK. It is designed for an overseas business that has not yet begun trading in the UK.

This distinction is critical. If the UK business is already trading, the applicant should normally look at the Senior or Specialist Worker route instead, assuming the relevant requirements are met. Using the UK Expansion Worker route for a business that has already started trading can undermine the application and the sponsor position.

The applicant will usually need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, overseas employment with the business, an eligible occupation and the required salary. The current Immigration Rules state a general salary requirement of £52,500 per year for UK Expansion Worker, subject to the relevant occupation going rate rules.

A UK Expansion Worker visa can be granted for the shorter of 12 months after the start date of the job on the Certificate of Sponsorship, or the Certificate of Sponsorship period plus 14 days. It can be extended by 12 months, but the maximum time on the UK Expansion Worker route is 2 years.

This route can be commercially powerful, but it is document-heavy. The sponsor position, overseas business history, UK footprint, expansion plan, genuine role, authorising officer arrangements and compliance systems all matter. A weak business plan or unclear UK expansion structure can create avoidable risk.

Secondment Worker visa

The Secondment Worker visa is for an overseas employee being transferred to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation. The overseas employer must have a high-value contract with the UK organisation, and that contract must be approved by the Home Office for the route.

The applicant must normally be an existing employee of the overseas organisation, have worked for that employer outside the UK for at least 6 months, have a Certificate of Sponsorship and work in an eligible occupation. Unlike the Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker routes, the Secondment Worker route is driven by the high-value contract or investment relationship between the overseas employer and the UK sponsor.

This route is not suitable for ordinary subcontracting or informal commercial arrangements. The UK sponsor must be clear about the contract, its value, its registration and the reason the worker is being seconded to the UK. If the contract does not meet the route requirements, the worker cannot make the visa application viable by relying on personal skill or experience alone.

A Secondment Worker visa can be granted for the shorter of 1 year after the start date of the job on the Certificate of Sponsorship, 14 days after the end date of the job, 2 years of continuous permission as a Secondment Worker, or the point at which the cumulative GBM/Intra-Company limit is reached.

Service Supplier visa

The Service Supplier visa is for an overseas worker undertaking a temporary assignment in the UK either as a contractual service supplier employed by an overseas service provider, or as a self-employed independent professional based overseas. The service must be covered by one of the UK’s eligible international trade agreements.

The applicant must normally be an employee of an overseas business or a self-employed service provider based overseas, provide services to a UK business under a qualifying contract, have a Certificate of Sponsorship from the UK sponsor, meet the overseas work or professional experience requirement and satisfy the route-specific skill or qualification requirements.

This route is narrow. It is not a general route for overseas consultants, contractors or self-employed professionals who want to work in the UK. The contract, trade agreement, sector, nationality requirement, professional experience and sponsor evidence all need to be checked before the application is prepared.

The permitted stay depends on the applicable trade agreement. In broad terms, permission is usually limited to 6 or 12 months, or the Certificate of Sponsorship period plus 14 days if shorter. The overall GBM cumulative limit may also restrict the available period.

Dependants and family members

Dependent partners and dependent children can apply under the GBM routes where they meet the relevant requirements. Their permission is normally linked to the main applicant’s permission. Family applications should not be treated as an afterthought because financial evidence, relationship evidence and child-related requirements may still matter.

Common refusal and compliance risks

Global Business Mobility applications often fail not because the worker is unqualified, but because the immigration route has been poorly matched to the business facts. The most common risk points include:

• using UK Expansion Worker where the UK business has already started trading;
• using Graduate Trainee without a genuine structured graduate training programme;
• using Service Supplier without confirming the relevant trade agreement, sector and nationality requirements;
• using Secondment Worker without a qualifying high-value contract or properly evidenced sponsor arrangement;
• selecting the wrong occupation code;
• miscalculating salary or relying on hours that cannot properly count towards the threshold;
• issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship with inconsistent job duties, salary, dates or work location;
• failing to evidence overseas employment history;
• ignoring the cumulative time limits across GBM and former Intra-Company routes; and
• treating a temporary GBM route as if it were a direct settlement strategy.

GBM visas and settlement planning

None of the Global Business Mobility routes leads directly to indefinite leave to remain. This is one of the most important strategic points for applicants and employers. A worker who wants a long-term UK future should consider at an early stage whether another route, such as Skilled Worker, may be available now or later.

That does not mean GBM routes are weak routes. They can be very useful for genuine temporary assignments, UK expansion projects, specialist transfers, secondments and trade-agreement services. The problem arises when a temporary route is used without understanding its limits, work conditions and future immigration consequences.

When to seek legal advice

Legal advice is particularly important where the business structure is complex, the UK entity is newly formed, the worker has previous UK immigration history, the role does not fit neatly into an occupation code, the salary package includes allowances, the applicant has dependants, or the business is trying to decide between Senior or Specialist Worker, UK Expansion Worker and Skilled Worker.

A paid consultation can help identify the correct route, test the sponsor and worker requirements, identify refusal risks, clarify the evidence needed and reduce avoidable mistakes before the Certificate of Sponsorship and visa application are submitted.

Book a consultation

If you are an overseas business planning a UK assignment, an employer dealing with sponsorship, or a worker being transferred to the UK under a Global Business Mobility route, you can book a consultation to review the correct route, eligibility requirements and evidence strategy.

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DISCLAIMER

This article provides general information about the UK Global Business Mobility visa routes. It is not legal advice. The correct route, evidence required, salary calculation, sponsor position and immigration strategy depend on the facts of the applicant, the overseas business, the UK sponsor, the assignment and the law, Immigration Rules and Home Office guidance in force at the time of the application.

FAQS

Do Global Business Mobility visas lead to settlement in the UK?

No. The Global Business Mobility routes do not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain. Some applicants may later switch into another route that can lead to settlement, but only if they meet that route’s requirements at the relevant time.

What is the difference between Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker?

Senior or Specialist Worker is usually for an assignment to a linked UK business that is already operating. UK Expansion Worker is for an overseas business assigning a senior manager or specialist employee to help establish a UK branch or subsidiary where the business has not yet begun trading in the UK.

Can a Global Business Mobility worker bring dependants?

In general, dependent partners and dependent children can apply under the GBM routes if they meet the relevant requirements. Their permission is normally linked to the main applicant’s permission.

Written / legally reviewed by Adam Sierant on 16 June 2026.

If you need advice on a Global Business Mobility visa, sponsor licence position, Certificate of Sponsorship or UK expansion strategy, book a consultation: Book a consultation.