Successful Sponsor Licence Application
Efficient and helpful. Amer and his Team are quick to respond to queries, even over the weekends and at night. Sponsor Licence granted after only 4 weeks. Thanks.
Daniel Johnson
UK Global Business Mobility Visa
Obtain your Global Mobility visa for the UK with the help of our experienced London solicitors. We offer expert advice, guidance, and assistance at every stage of your case to help ensure you obtain your visa quickly and easily, allowing you to progress with your career.
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If you are a business seeking to establish a presence in the UK, the routes and paths to achieving this have changed. There are a number of different options for those looking to obtain a Global Business Mobility visa, and the requirements and eligibility criteria will be slightly different depending on the nature of the worker, and the length of time the visa is required for.
Obtaining the correct visa is an essential element of allowing your business and workers to trade and operate within the UK, so it is crucial that you have experienced, qualified legal advice on the best path to take – and this is where we can help. Get in touch today for a consultation, and let us guide you through the process to help take your business to the next level.
Recent Sole Representative Visa Success Stories
Our qualified legal experts possess over 25 years’ experience in and around the immigration sector, and this includes processing and handling a number of types of visas.
Although the Global Business Mobility route is still fairly new, our team has the knowledge and information to allow you to hit the ground running.
We can ensure your business is fully compliant with the rules and requirements, talk you through the different types of visas that may be applicable, and answer any questions or concerns that you may have surrounding the process.
The goal of our Global Mobility visa lawyers is to ensure you have access to the information you need to process your visa application, and to work with you to ensure a successful outcome.
A Global Business Mobility visa is a general term used to describe one of five Global Business Mobility routes allowing overseas organisations to work, transfer staff to, and establish a presence in the UK, for a specific business purpose. The scheme launched on 11th April 2022, and is designed to allow businesses to undertake temporary business assignments within the UK.
While the system does not allow permanent settlement in the UK as part of the terms of the visa, this can be used to enter an alternative immigration route eventually resulting in long-term settlement.
There are five routes, or types of visa, available, and these will each be relevant for different types of temporary assignments.
Candidates may apply for a Global Talent visa if they are considered to be a leader or a potential leader, in one of three fields: academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology.
You must also be over the age of 18, and will usually have had to apply for an Endorsement to prove that you are considered a leader or potential leader in your field. The Global Talent visa will allow you to live and work in the UK for up to five years at a time.
There are five main types of Global Business Mobility visas, each of which will be relevant to different temporary assignments. These include:
This is designed for specialist employees and senior managers looking to undertake temporary work assignments. This is a path previously known as the Intra-company Transfer route. To qualify, workers will need to be working for an organisation linked to a UK sponsor through common ownership or control, and must have previously worked outside the UK for the last 12 months.
A Certificate of Sponsorship, detailing the job that is to be undertaken, will be required, and this Certificate must be issued by an employer that has been granted authority to sponsor by the Home Office.
The job in question must also be skilled, and must be paid at a minimum of £42,400 per annum, and 100% of the prorated rate for the position, whichever is higher. The permitted period of time to be spent in the UK is outlined on the certificate, plus 14 days, or a period of five years – whichever is shorter. Applicants can also apply for a visa extension or a second visa as many times as they like up to the maximum stay.
As the name suggests, the Graduate Trainee visa is available to any overseas worker wishing to make a transfer to the UK for a work placement that is operating as part of a graduate training course, where this course will lead to a specialist or senior managerial role.
This visa was previously referred to as the “Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa”, and required applicants to be employed in a business linked to their UK sponsor through common control or ownership. Alternatively, they may be linked to a UK sponsor through a joint venture, on which they are sponsored to work. Applicants must also have worked for this organisation outside of the UK for a minimum of three months immediately preceding the date of the visa application.
To qualify for a visa, applicants must hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, which is specifically for the job they intend to carry out. This must have been issued by a valid employer, who has authorisation from the Home Office to sponsor a Graduate Trainee, and the job must be above minimum skill level. Pay must exceed or equal £23,100 per annum, and 70% of the pro-rata rate for the occupation – whichever is higher. This is lifted to 100% of the pro-rata rate for jobs in health or education.
Permission to stay is granted for the time given on the certificate plus 14 days, or 12 months, whichever is shorter. Visas cannot be extended, but applicants can apply for a new visa once they are outside the UK. In addition, time spent on any of the following visas will mean you are only permitted to remain in the UK for five out of six years:
A UK Expansion worker visa may be granted to a senior manager or specialist employee who is seeking permission to temporarily work in the UK in order to undertake work that is related to the expansion of their business, located overseas, into the UK. This was previously referred to as the “Sole Representative of an Overseas Business visa”.
In order to qualify, applicants must be employed by a business linked to a UK sponsor through common ownership or control, or via a joint venture with an approved sponsor.
Applicants must hold an approved Certificate of Sponsorship issued by a sponsor with Home Office authority to sponsor a UK Expansion Worker and may stay for 12 months, or the time given on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.
A Secondment Worker visa allows overseas workers to be temporarily seconded to the UK through their overseas employer, as part of a high-value investment or contract. To qualify, workers will need to be employed by an overseas business holding a contract with a UK sponsor, and they must have worked for this organisation outside of the UK for a minimum of 12 months prior to the visa application.
Applicants will also need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, issued by an employer with authorisation by the Home Office to sponsor a Secondment Worker, and the job must be at or above minimum skill level. There is no salary requirement. If successful, applicants may stay for the length of time listed on the Certificate plus 14 days, or two years, whichever is shorter.
Service Supplier visas are available for overseas workers considered to be contracted service suppliers, employed by an overseas business, or self-employed professionals based overseas, who are seeking a temporary working assignment in the UK in order to offer and provide services that are covered by the international trade commitments held by the UK.
This role was previously covered by the contractual service supplier and independent professional provisions situated in the Temporary Work-International Agreement route.
Applicants will be required to have been employed by the business and working outside the UK for 12 months prior to application, and sponsors must have contracts with overseas service providers, which must also have been registered with the Home Office. Eligible positions need to be at or above the minimum skill level, but there is no minimum salary requirement. There is also a nationality requirement, though no English language requirement.
Once granted, workers under this visa will be eligible to stay for the time given on the Certificate plus 14 days, or either six or 12 months depending on the terms of the trade commitment, whichever is shorter.
In order to be awarded a visa, the applicant is required to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship, and this must include certain key details in order to be accepted. These include:
If any details are missing or unclear, the applicant will need to contact their sponsor.
The Certificate of Sponsorship must also prove that the applicant’s intended sponsor holds a valid licence that is authorised for the route that they are looking to sponsor an applicant for – a Senior or Skilled Worker, a UK Expansion Worker, a Graduate Trainee, a Secondment Worker, or a Service Supplier.
In addition, the applicant’s sponsor must hold an “A” rating, unless certain exceptions apply. These exceptions include:
You will need to ensure the Certificate of Sponsorship shows the current status of your sponsor’s licence, and you can check this yourself at the Certificate of Sponsorship Checking System, or by contacting the Sponsor Licensing Unit (SLU).
In some circumstances, a sponsor may lose their licence during the period of time that the visa application is under consideration, and the sponsor must alert the applicant to this fact promptly. In some cases, the licence may be revoked as a result of a problem that is directly linked to this particular significant application, and these reasons are directly relevant to the reason for refusal of the visa application.
One example may arise if a visa application is refused because the vacancy is not thought to be genuine. This means that the sponsor will no longer hold their licence, as the job in question no longer exists.
When an application for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa is made, it is also the responsibility of the sponsor to have ensured any relevant immigration skills charges that relate to this application have been met, and ensured that the ISC payment is correct – if this payment is not made, or an underpayment is made, the Certificate of Sponsorship will no longer be valid, and the application refused.
All of these elements are necessary to ensure you are able to access your Certificate of Sponsorship, and this is an integral element of the visa application process.
Why Customers Love Us ?
Successful Sponsor Licence Application
Efficient and helpful. Amer and his Team are quick to respond to queries, even over the weekends and at night. Sponsor Licence granted after only 4 weeks. Thanks.
Daniel Johnson
Care Home Sponsor Licence Application!
We used Cranbrook Legal for the processing of a Sponsor Licence Application. We are a Health Care provider and have faced huge difficulties in recruiting for our Care Homes. Amer and his team were quick to identify the documents needed for our specific case and they were able to prepare a really strong application. I have no doubt that the really good Cover Letter convinced the Home Office to approve our Application. Thanks again, superb work!
Sophie Barton
ILR Application
Thanks to Amer and team for all help given to me my indefinite visa and British citizenship : so many solicitor tell me that British Nationality is impossible for me but Amer looked at my file and took care and fight with Home Office and in the end they give up and give me British Nationality .thank you for Amer and Cranbrook team
Hossan Ali
The UK Global Mobility route came into action on 11th April 2022. It replaces all previous relevant methods and models regarding the visas of workers and the granting of sponsorships and licences for obtaining work in the UK.
All of the Global Mobility visa options will allow workers to enter the UK and work on a temporary basis – the exact length of the contract will be specified on the Certificate, or determined according to the stipulations of the visa. It should be noted, however, that none of these routes will permit applicants to settle permanently or directly into the UK.
This is a departure from previous routes – the UK Expansion Worker route replaces the Representative of an Overseas Business route, and the latter formerly allowed eligible visa holders to be granted an application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK. This is no longer the case.
Any overseas workers entering the UK under a Global Business Mobility visa will now be required to satisfy all eligibility requirements in order to grant them access to alternative immigration routes, such as the Skilled Worker route, which can lead to an application for permanent status to remain in the UK.
Workers operating under a Global Business Mobility visa will, however, be permitted to extend their visa on multiple occasions, until the maximum terms of each visa are met.
Why Choose Us For Your Global Business Mobility Visa?
What Our Customers Say About Us
Very good experience, despite never even meeting or seeing the lawyers (phone/zoom/email). They were very meticulous in checking all our documents were complete, and my VISA
Auri
The British spousal visa process is a horrendous ordeal full of incomplete and misleading information, traps and pitfalls designed to make only the smartest (or richest)
Tom Dennehy
Was super impressed with Cranbrook Legal. They were efficient and friendly, and most importantly really explained the process properly and simply. We secured our sponsor licence
Annabel Fox
Thank you so much to Mr. Muhammad Ali and also thanks to Cranbrook Legal team for making my visa application stress free and easy. Their clear
Sagoon Thapa
I cannot thank Cranbrook Legal enough for their exceptional service in helping me secure my Skilled Worker visa for the UK. From the initial consultation to
Hazhar Shekha
The Global Business Mobility visa was introduced in April 2022 to act as an overhaul to the previous rules on immigration and international business. It is designed to allow businesses and organisations based overseas to send workers to the UK on a temporary basis, in order to complete a specific, named corporate role, that could not be carried out by a resident worker.
The overall goal was to simplify and update the previous processes and visa requirements, ensuring that UK visa policies remained in line with the ever-changing international business landscape, and allowed workers to carry out key roles with minimal disruption.
The Global Mobility visa route makes the entire visa application process much faster, more effective, and more streamlined. This is good news for businesses, cutting costs, as well as the time that it takes to secure visas and get employees working.
This new visa category also makes it easier to ensure firms secure the right visa for their business needs. There are five clear, distinct groups: the Senior or Specialist Worker route, Graduate Trainee route, UK Expansion Worker route, Service Supplier route, and Secondment Worker route.
Businesses can select the optimum route for their needs and operations, and enjoy a faster, more streamlined, and more effective visa process.
There are five routes available through the Global Business Mobility category, and each offers its own benefits and is designed to meet a specific need.
The best route for your organisation will depend on the nature of the work to be completed in the UK, and the role and status of the employee applying for the visa. For more advice and information on the different Global Business Mobility visa routes, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our skilled and experienced immigration solicitors.
The exact nature of the documents required will vary depending on the type of visa being applied for, but as a rule, all applicants will need to provide the following:
In order to proceed down any of the visa routes and obtain a Global Business Mobility visa, applicants will need to possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, and this must be specific to the role that they are planning to undertake in the UK.
In order to be valid, the Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued by an employer who is authorised to sponsor this type of visa, and they must have received confirmation of this authorisation from the Home Office. Sponsors are required to pass a number of tests and checks in order to qualify.
Depending on the type of Global Business Mobility visa that you are applying for, there may be some costs involved. Costs include a healthcare surcharge of £624 per year – this is applicable to all visa types – as well as an application fee, which can range from £259 for a Service Supplier visa to between £625 and £1423 for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa.
Workers will also have to prove that they will have the means to support themselves upon arriving in the UK, and this requires proving that they have a minimum of £1270 in their bank account, unless they are exempt. Sponsors also face costs in order to sponsor the applicant, and this varies depending on the circumstances.
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