The Senior or Specialist Worker visa replaced the intra-company transfer route. It lets a multinational move an established employee to a linked UK business for a senior or specialist role. Unlike the Skilled Worker route it does not lead to settlement, but time on it can count towards settlement if you later switch.

Requirements

The UK business holds a sponsor licence for the Global Business Mobility routes and is linked to the overseas employer by common ownership or control.
You have worked for the group outside the UK for at least 12 months, unless your UK salary will be at or above the high earner threshold.
The job is at the required skill level and pays at least the route's general threshold and the going rate.
No English language requirement.

Length

Up to five years at a time, and a maximum of five years in any six (nine in any ten for high earners). Time already spent in the UK on the old intra-company routes counts towards the limit.

Settlement

The route itself does not lead to settlement. If you expect to stay long term, switching to the Skilled Worker route when the job meets its rules starts the five-year clock, and time on this route since 2021 can count towards continuous residence for Skilled Worker settlement in some cases; we advise on the best timing.

Dependants

Partners and children can join you and can work.

What we do

We advise the business on the licence and the correct route, check the salary and skill rules, run the application and plan the move to a settlement route where that is the aim.

Fees

Home Office fees and the immigration health surcharge change each April; we confirm the current figures when we advise you. Our fee is fixed and quoted before you instruct us; see our fees.

For employers

We act for employers as well as workers: sponsor licence applications, certificates of sponsorship, right-to-work checks and compliance. See sponsor licences.