Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker

What is a Secondment Worker visa?

A Secondment Worker visa allows overseas workers to undertake temporary work assignments in the UK, where the worker is being seconded to the UK as a part of a high value contract or investment by their employer overseas.

Do I qualify for a Secondment Worker visa?

To be eligible to apply for leave under the Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker route, you must:

• have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK sponsor;
• ensure that your sponsor has a contract with an overseas business (your employer), where that contract has been registered with the Home Office, and under which you as a Secondment Worker will work;
• have been working for your employer, or a member of the corporate group,  outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months before the date of application
• be sponsored for a job which is on the list of eligible occupations;
• be paid the minimum eligible salary required for your job;
• show that you have sufficient funds to maintain yourself in the UK (unless maintenance is certified by your sponsor).

What period of leave will I be given? Can I extend my visa?

If your application is approved, you will normally be granted leave as a Secondment Worker for a period of 1 year.

It is possible to apply to extend this visa from within the UK for a further year. After 2 years, you will need to switch into another suitable UK visa category.

However, care has to be taken not to spend more than the maximum cumulative time permitted in the UK under any of the Global Business Mobility routes – in most cases, this is a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period. If you are applying as a high earner (i.e. you will be earning at least £73,900 per annum), this limit increases to 9 years in any 10-year period.

What kind of activities can I undertake in the UK as a Secondment Worker?

As a Secondment Worker visa holder, you will only be permitted to do the job for which you are being sponsored.

You are also permitted to study in the UK in addition to your work, subject to certain conditions.

Can I bring my family with me?

The Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker visa allows you to bring a dependant spouse or partner and dependant children who are under the age of 18 at the time of the initial application.

Does the Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker route lead to settlement in the UK?

The Secondment Worker visa route does not lead to settlement in the UK. It may be possible, however, to switch from this visa route into an immigration category which does lead to settlement, such as the Skilled Worker.

For more information about us and our corporate immigration services, please contact a member of the team who can answer any questions and guide you through the process.