Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker

Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker is targeted overseas senior managers or specialist employee who is being assigned to the UK to undertake work related to an overseas business’ expansion to the UK. This route is suitable when the business has not yet began trading in the UK. If the business is already trading in the UK, you should apply Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker instead. 

A partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker too. However, this route does not lead to settlement. People who want to stay have to switch to another immigration route which leads to settlement.

Eligibility

You must satisfy the following requirements when you apply the Global Business Mobility – Expansion Worker visa:

• You are aged 18 or above on the date of application;
• You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship you are planning to do;
• You are currently working for the sponsor group listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, unless you were last granted permission as a UK Expansion Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in your last permission;
• You also meet the requirements in the next few sections.

Work and Overseas work requirements

The job you are planning to do is genuine and is not created mainly for application of entry clearance or permission to stay. Besides, you are currently working for the overseas business, and have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a cumulative period of at least 12 months, unless you are:

• applying as a high earner. A high earner has a gross annual salary is £73,900 or more, based on working a maximum of 48 hours per week; or
• a Japanese national seeking to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the sponsor group under the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

The 12 months’ work outside the UK can have been accumulated over any period that you were continuously working for the sponsor group, either in or out of the UK, for at least 12 months before the date of application. The breaks caused by the following reasons will be counted in the continuous period:

• statutory maternity, paternity, parental, or shared parental leave; or
• statutory adoption leave; or
• sick leave; or
• assisting with a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis, with the agreement of the sponsor group; or
• taking part in legally organised industrial action.

Job Skill Level Requirement

You must be sponsored for a job that you are eligible or above a minimum skill level. Your job must be in an occupation code listed in Global Business Mobility: Eligible Occupations and Codes.  This shows a list of jobs which are eligible for the Global Business Mobility routes with occupation codes, job type and related job titles. The sponsor must have chosen an appropriate code and you have the appropriate skills, qualifications and experience needed to do the job described.

Salary Requirement

Your employer must pay you a salary which equals or exceeds the general salary requirement and the going rate for the chosen occupation code listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations.

The general salary requirement is £42,400 per year and it doesn’t include other pay and benefits like any allowances, additional pay, in-kind benefits and payments to cover business expenses, while the going rate requirement is 100% of the pro-rated going rate. If you work more than 48 hours a week, only the first 48 hours a week will be considered towards the general salary requirement.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

The valid CoS must be issued by the sponsor and show the following details:

• applicant’s name, details of the job to be sponsored, salary and PAYE details if HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) income tax and national insurance for the sponsored job to be paid via PAYE;
• job’s start date which is no more than 3 months after the date of application;
• confirmation that the applicant is expected to work for the Sponsor for at least 6 months;
• the CoS has not been used in previous application which was either granted or refused (but can has been used in a previous application which was rejected as invalid, made void or withdrawn);
• the CoS has not been withdrawn by the sponsor or cancelled by the Home Office;
• confirmation of whether the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) requirement applies.

Maintenance

You must show that you have enough money to support yourself (and any dependants). They must have the adequate amount (see below) of personal savings in cash held for at least consecutive 28 days before the date of application;

• £1,270 for the main applicant
• £285 for a dependent partner
• £315 for a first child
• £200 for each subsequent child

If you have been in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, you will meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.

Length and Maximum length of visa

If your application is successful, you will be granted entry clearance or permission to stay for either I year after the start date of the job detailed in your CoS, the time given on your CoS plus 14 days, the date at which you will have had continuous permission as a UK Expansion Worker totalling 2 years, or the date at which you will have has cumulative permission in the Global Business Mobility routes totalling 5 years in any 6-year period, whichever is shorter.

Your partner will be granted permission which ends on the same date as yours; while your dependent children will be granted permission, which ends on the same date as whichever of their parents’ permission ends first.

Conditions of the visa

If you are granted as a UK Expansion Migrant, you are permitted to work for the job which is being sponsored generally, but you are also allowed to study and do voluntary work. You cannot however access the public funds.

Switching into the Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker

Applicants who have other permissions to stay in the UK can switch to Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker visa except where you were last granted permission as a Visitor, a Short-term Student, a Parent of a Child Student, a Seasonal Worker, a Domestic Worker in a Private Household or outside the Immigration Rules.