Global Business Visa (UK)
A UK immigration route (officially the Global Business Mobility visa) designed for overseas businesses establishing a presence in the UK or transferring employees for temporary assignments, encompassing five sub-categories including Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, and UK Expansion Worker.
- What Is the Global Business Mobility Visa?
- The Five Global Business Mobility Routes
- Senior or Specialist Worker Route (Most Common)
- UK Expansion Worker Route
- Global Business Mobility Visa Costs
- Global Business Mobility vs Skilled Worker Visa
- Global Business Mobility Visa Statistics [2026]
- Frequently Asked Questions About the Global Business Mobility Visa
What Is the Global Business Mobility Visa?
Key Takeaways
- ✓The Global Business Mobility (GBM) visa replaced the old Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) routes in April 2022. It's part of the UK's points-based immigration system.
- ✓It covers five sub-categories, each designed for a different type of temporary business mobility: internal transfers, graduate training programs, UK market expansion, secondments, and international service contracts.
- ✓Unlike the Skilled Worker visa, GBM routes generally don't lead to settlement (ILR). They're designed for temporary assignments, not permanent relocation.
- ✓The overseas employer must have a UK sponsor licence (or be establishing a UK entity) to use GBM routes.
- ✓Salary thresholds were increased significantly in April 2024, with the Senior or Specialist Worker minimum rising to 48,500 GBP.
The Global Business Mobility visa is the UK's framework for international business transfers and temporary assignments. It's not a single visa. It's an umbrella category with five distinct routes, each serving a different business need. Think of it as the UK equivalent of the US L-1 visa, but with more flexibility in how it can be used. The most commonly used route is the Senior or Specialist Worker, which allows multinational companies to transfer established employees to their UK operations. The UK Expansion Worker route lets overseas businesses that don't yet have a UK presence send workers to set up shop. For HR teams at global companies, GBM is essential for international mobility. It covers the scenarios where the Skilled Worker visa doesn't fit: when the worker isn't being hired locally but is being moved from an existing overseas role, or when the UK entity is still being established.
The Five Global Business Mobility Routes
Each route has specific eligibility criteria, salary thresholds, and maximum durations. Choosing the right one is critical because applying under the wrong route leads to refusal.
| Route | Purpose | Min Salary | Max Duration | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker | Transfer established employees to a UK linked entity | 48,500 GBP (from Apr 2024) | 5 years (up to 9 in a 10-year period) | 12+ months employed by overseas entity. Linked by common ownership or control. |
| Graduate Trainee | Transfer graduate trainees on a structured program to a UK linked entity | 24,220 GBP | 1 year | On a recognized graduate training program. Must lead to senior management or specialist role. |
| UK Expansion Worker | Send worker to set up a UK branch or subsidiary for an overseas business | 48,500 GBP (from Apr 2024) | 1 year (extendable to 2) | Business has no active UK entity (or entity less than 12 months old). Genuine expansion plan required. |
| Secondment Worker | Workers seconded to the UK as part of a high-value business contract | 48,500 GBP (from Apr 2024) | 2 years | Must be linked to a high-value contract or investment. The overseas employer seconds the worker. |
| Service Supplier | Workers providing services under international trade agreements | 48,500 GBP (from Apr 2024) | 6 or 12 months | Must be a contractual service supplier or independent professional under a relevant trade agreement. |
Senior or Specialist Worker Route (Most Common)
This is the route most HR teams will use. It's the direct replacement for the old Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) visa.
Eligibility requirements
The worker must have been employed by the overseas entity for at least 12 months (reduced to 3 months if earning 73,900 GBP or more). The UK and overseas entities must be linked by common ownership or control (parent, subsidiary, branch, or associated entity). The role must be at RQF Level 6 (degree level) or above. The salary must meet the higher of 48,500 GBP or the going rate for the SOC code. The worker must also meet the English language requirement at B1 level.
Duration and cooling-off period
The maximum stay per visa grant is 5 years. The overall maximum is 9 years in any 10-year period. Once a worker reaches 9 years, they must leave the UK for at least 12 months before being eligible for a new GBM visa. This is the 'cooling-off' period and is one of the biggest differences from the Skilled Worker route, which leads to settlement. HR teams managing long-term assignments need to plan around this limit and consider whether switching to a Skilled Worker visa is the better long-term strategy.
No settlement pathway
Time spent on the Senior or Specialist Worker route doesn't count toward ILR. Workers who want to settle in the UK permanently need to switch to a Skilled Worker visa and accumulate 5 years of qualifying residence from that point. The switch is possible but requires meeting the Skilled Worker eligibility criteria (including salary thresholds) at the time of application. Companies should discuss long-term plans with workers early so they can plan the switch before the GBM time limit becomes an issue.
UK Expansion Worker Route
This route allows overseas companies to send workers to the UK to establish a new business presence. It's designed for market entry, not ongoing operations.
When to use it
The UK Expansion Worker route is appropriate when an overseas company wants to open a UK office, branch, or subsidiary and needs to send one or more employees to set it up. The company must not already have an active, trading UK entity (or the UK entity must be less than 12 months old). Common scenarios include a US tech company opening a London office, a Japanese manufacturer establishing a UK sales operation, or a European services firm expanding into the post-Brexit UK market.
Sponsor licence considerations
Here's the catch: the UK entity needs a sponsor licence to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. But if the entity doesn't exist yet, it can't hold a licence. The workaround is that the overseas parent company can apply for a sponsor licence for the UK entity it's establishing. The Home Office expects to see evidence of a genuine expansion plan, including a business plan, evidence of market research, funding proof, and details of the UK premises (or planned premises). Processing can be lengthy, so plan 3 to 6 months ahead.
Limitations
The UK Expansion Worker visa is limited to 1 year, with a possible extension to 2 years total. After that, the worker must either switch to a Skilled Worker visa or leave the UK. The expectation is that the UK entity will be fully operational by then and can sponsor workers under the standard Skilled Worker route. There's a lifetime maximum of 2 years on this route, and it doesn't count toward settlement.
Global Business Mobility Visa Costs
Costs are similar to the Skilled Worker visa, with some differences. Notably, the Immigration Skills Charge doesn't apply to GBM routes.
| Cost Component | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor licence | 536 GBP (small) or 1,476 GBP (medium/large) | One-time application, valid 4 years |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | 239 GBP per CoS | Per worker |
| Visa application fee (up to 3 years) | 719 GBP | Per applicant |
| Visa application fee (over 3 years) | 1,420 GBP | Per applicant |
| Immigration Health Surcharge | 1,035 GBP per year | Per person, including dependants |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Not applicable | GBM routes are exempt |
| Legal fees | 2,000 GBP to 5,000 GBP | Varies by complexity and sub-route |
Global Business Mobility vs Skilled Worker Visa
Choosing between GBM and Skilled Worker depends on the nature of the assignment and the worker's long-term plans.
When GBM is the right choice
GBM makes sense for temporary internal transfers (1 to 5 years), when the worker is an established employee of the overseas entity, when you need to preserve the employment relationship with the overseas company, when the worker will return to their home country after the assignment, and for UK market entry where no UK entity exists yet. The exemption from the Immigration Skills Charge also makes GBM more cost-effective for short assignments.
When Skilled Worker is better
Choose the Skilled Worker visa when the employee plans to stay in the UK long-term, when the UK entity is the primary employer (not an overseas transfer), when settlement (ILR) is part of the plan, and when the worker wants the flexibility to change employers in the UK. The Skilled Worker route also covers a broader range of skill levels (RQF 3+) compared to GBM's Senior or Specialist Worker route (RQF 6+).
Global Business Mobility Visa Statistics [2026]
Data reflecting usage patterns for the GBM visa routes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can GBM visa holders switch to a Skilled Worker visa?
Do GBM visa holders pay tax in the UK?
Can dependants of GBM visa holders work?
What's the difference between GBM and the old Intra-Company Transfer visa?
What happens if the overseas employer relationship ends?
Written by Adithyan RK