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
Graduate Trainee Visa (GMB)
If you are a graduate looking to undertake a training programme or placement in the UK, you may be interested in applying for a UK Graduate Trainee visa. Our qualified team can guide you through the visa application process to help ensure your success.
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The Graduate Trainee route is part of the Global Business Mobility scheme, and allows graduates who are undertaking a graduate training programme leading to a specialist or managerial role to work for their employer in the UK. Without this visa, you may not be granted permission to stay and work, and this could be detrimental to your career and training.
Submitting a successful application for this visa to the Home Office can be tricky – there are a number of requirements to meet, and a lot of paperwork. Fortunately for you, our team has a wealth of experience in tackling immigration and visa applications, and can be on hand to help you navigate the process and obtain your visa.
Why not, then, get in touch directly with our award-winning immigration lawyers for a free consultation when you are interested in securing a Graduate Trainee visa for the UK?
Recent Sole Representative Visa Success Stories
The visa process can be lengthy and confusing, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the system, the paperwork, and the lengthy steps you need to take. Fortunately for you, our team of legal experts has the skills, knowledge, and experience to walk you through this process, helping to make things as straightforward as possible.
We will be able to help you determine whether you are eligible for a Graduate Trainee visa, as well as explore the chances of your application being successful. In addition, we can guide you through the required paperwork, ensuring that you have all the information and documentation you will need to ensure a successful application. We can also remain on hand to answer any questions that may arise during the course of your application process.
A Graduate Trainee visa allows entry to overseas workers who wish to enter the UK to complete a work placement operating as part of a graduate training course, providing that this course will result in a role at a senior management level or one that is considered to be specialist.
This route was previously referred to as the “Intra-company transfer Graduate Trainee visa”, or the ICT Graduate Trainee visa. Applicants for this visa must hold a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the specific job they are looking to do, and this Certificate must be issued by an employer with the authority to sponsor a Graduate Trainee according to the Home Office.
In addition, the applicant must be currently working for the sponsor group when they make their visa application, and they must be able to prove that they have worked for this employer for a minimum of three months outside the UK, prior to making their application
Finally, applicants must prove that they have sponsorship for a job that is eligible under the scheme, and this must be at or above an appropriate minimum skill level. There is a minimum salary requirement of £23,100 per year, or the accepted “going rate” for the position, whichever is higher. The programme must contain a clear structure showing progression towards a specialist or managerial role within the organisation, and this must exist as part of a structured, authorised graduate training programme.
If the application is successful, 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:
In order to be eligible for a Graduate Trainee visa, there are a number of requirements that you will be expected to meet, and these include:
If all of these requirements are met, then you are in the best possible position to make an application, and your chances of being granted a Graduate Trainee visa are high.
The Certificate of Sponsorship will be one of the most important elements of your Graduate Trainee visa application, and this must be supplied by your official sponsor – usually your employer.
In order to issue you with this certificate, your employer must have authorisation from the Home Office to sponsor the job that you are being asked to do, and this sponsorship must be carried out under the official Graduate Trainee route of the Global Business Mobility scheme.
In order to be eligible to supply this certificate, your preferred sponsor must have an A rating and be listed on the official register of licensed sponsors, kept and maintained by the home office. The only exception is if you have previously been granted a visa as a Graduate Trainee, and your application is to continue working for a sponsor that is the same as your last visa.
In order to be valid, your Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued no more than three months prior to the date of your application, and there is certain information that must be covered, including:
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
In order to be eligible for a graduate visa, you will need to prove that you have been working for an approved employer overseas, or in your home country, for a minimum of three months immediately preceding the date of the visa application. This must cover a continuous period of three months at a minimum, and none of this period can have been spent working in the UK.
If an employer is seeking to transfer one of their employees to the UK under the Graduate Trainee visa, then there is a minimum salary that must be paid to the workers. As a rule, this must be equal to or in excess of 70% of the “going rate” for the occupation, or meet the general salary threshold of £23,100 per year – whichever is higher.
Eligible salary assessments will be made based on the guaranteed gross pay of up to 48 hours each week, and this is in addition to any allowances that have been guaranteed to be paid for the duration of time that the worker is employed in the UK, or which are to be paid to cover the cost of living. There is an approved list of the “going rates” that apply to each role and occupation, and this is based on the occupation codes listed by the Home Office.
Why Choose Us For Your Graduate Trainee Visa?
The Home Office has published a list of occupations and jobs that are eligible for the Graduate Trainee route, and one of the requirements that must be satisfied is that your sponsorship is to undertake a “genuine job”.
If there is a suspicion that the job you are receiving sponsorship for has been falsified or does not exist, then you will find your application refused. Your application is also likely to be refused if it is suspected, or can be proven, that your job has been created for the sole purpose of allowing you to access a UK Graduate Trainee visa.
In addition, the Home Office will also check to ensure applicants are not entering a temporary or permanent role, or taking on a contractual position which sees them fill a role for, or provide a service to, a third party who is not their sponsor. If either of these are found to be the case, your visa application will be denied, and you will usually be barred from applying again.
To qualify for your visa, the job must also be on the list of eligible jobs, as determined and laid out by the Home Office, and must be at or above the minimum skill level. In most cases, as long as the job you are seeking sponsorship for is on the list, you will be meeting the “eligible job” requirement.
It will be the duty of your employer to select an appropriate occupation code for your job role - these are once again on the list, and the Home Office will assess whether or not the most appropriate occupation code has been selected. Factors in this decision include:
If the Home Office has any reason to suspect that your sponsor has failed to select an appropriate occupation code, then your visa application is likely to be refused.
When you are applying for a Graduate Trainee visa for the UK, it must also be proven that the position you are applying for is a part of an official, properly structured graduate training scheme or programme. This includes being able to demonstrate progression that is clear and accessible, and takes you to a specialist managerial role within the sponsor company.
As an added note, it should be understood that your sponsor is only permitted to assign a maximum of 20 Certificates of Sponsorship in each financial year.
When applying for the UK Graduate Trainee visa, there are a number of documents that you will need to have ready and use to apply, and these include:
The application for a Graduate Trainee visa can be lengthy, and there are a number of steps you need to take.
Before you can apply for your visa, you need to ensure that you have all of the documentation that you require. This includes:
Even something as simple as incorrect or incomplete details on the visa application form can result in a refusal. In addition, your application will be refused if the Home Office believes that you have deliberately provided false information as part of your application.
In order to be granted a visa, you will need to ensure you have at least £1270 available in cash funds in your bank account, and this is a balance that needs to have been held for a minimum of 31 days prior to your application.
In some cases, you can be exempt from this minimum financial requirement - this will apply provided that your sponsor states they are willing to meet your maintenance costs, at least up to the end of the first month that you are employed. This must be to a minimum amount of at least £1270, and this confirmation will need to be included on your official Certificate of Sponsorship.
You will also be exempt from the need to show funds provided that you have been in the UK legally for a minimum of 12 months at the date that you make your application. In this case, you will be said to have met your financial obligations, and you will not be required to show proof that you have these funds.
The length of time that it takes to apply for your Graduate Trainee visa will depend largely on how prepared you are - if you can prove that you have met all the requirements, and remember to include all relevant information and evidence as part of your application, then the process will be significantly faster.
If, however, you submit an application that is incomplete, contains incorrect or inconsistent information, or fails to include the relevant evidence, then your visa application could be significantly delayed and, in some cases, may be refused altogether. To boost your chances, make sure that your application is as thorough and accurate as possible.
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
In the event that your application is successful, you will be permitted to remain for the length of time that is listed on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, or for 12 months - whichever is the shorter period of time.
A Graduate Trainee visa cannot be extended from within the UK, but you will be able to apply for a new Graduate Trainee visa from a position outside the UK. It is also important to note that you are only permitted to remain in the UK for a maximum period of five years in any six-year period, if you have spent time on any of the previous versions of this visa. This includes:
There are a number of reasons why your application may be refused, and the reason will determine the next steps available to you. Some common reasons for refusal include:
The Graduate Trainee visa is designed to allow workers who are participating in a graduate training programme that leads towards a senior manager or specialist role in a company based abroad to come to work for their employer in the UK branch of the business.
The visa is designed to simplify the previous process, making it easier for foreign workers to train and work in the UK as part of a Home Office approved program.
You will need a Graduate Trainee visa if you are an existing employee of an organisation that has received Home Office approval to act as a sponsor, and are participating in a Graduate training program that will lead to a senior manager or specialist role.
In addition, applicants will need to have worked for their sponsor outside the UK for a minimum of three months prior to their visa application. If you are entering the UK to expand an existing business, or to work as a specialist worker or senior manager, then this visa will not be suitable, and alternative paths should be sought.
A Graduate Trainee visa is not the same as a UK Student visa – the former allows workers who are enrolled on a Graduate training program with a foreign organisation to enter the UK for a work placement, subject to specific requirements.
The UK Student visa, on the other hand, is aimed at students who are looking to enrol and study at a UK university or educational institute, and has different requirements to the Graduate Trainee visa.
A Graduate Trainee visa does not entitle the visa holder to settle in the UK in the long term or permanently. If this is your aim, you will need to switch to another immigration route that does allow permanent settlement, such as the Skilled Worker route.
On a Graduate Trainee visa, you will be granted permission to work for your sponsor in the UK, on the role that is named on your Certificate of Sponsorship. Visa holders can also undertake voluntary work, or a course of study under the terms of this visa.
A Graduate Trainee visa allows stays in the UK for the time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship, plus 14 days, or 12 months – whichever is shorter. This type of visa cannot be extended once it has expired, but you will be permitted to apply for another Graduate Trainee visa from outside the UK.
If you have spent time on a previous visa, you will only be permitted to remain for five years in any six-year period. These visas include:
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