UK Secondment Worker visa consultant in India talks about the newly introduced ‘Global Business Mobility routes’
The Home Office UK had done some significant changes to the UK immigration rules for entrepreneurs and professionals, seeking opportunities to start their business/career in the UK.
One very popular business immigration route in the UK was the ‘Representative of an Overseas Business visa’ (also called as UK Sole Representative visa) which was unfortunately closed down from 11th April, 2022, for new applicants.
Instead, the Home Office launched a few new visas, amended some existing ones, and introduced a special category ‘Global Business Mobility’ which has 5 visas under it, that cater to business owners in the UK, overseas firms, and skilled professionals. These visas came into effect from 11th April, 2022.
One of these 5 visas is the ‘Secondment Worker visa‘ which is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK. The employee must be seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer.
Get in touch with The SmartMove2UK to know about these visas in detail. As a UK Secondment Worker visa consultant in India, we accurately guide clients to set up their presence in the UK and the UK Secondment Worker visa application process.
Table of contents
– What is the Secondment Worker visa?
– What are the eligibility criteria to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
– What is the English language requirement for a Secondment Worker visa?
– How can I get a Certificate of Sponsorship?
– What documents will I need to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
– How to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
– How long can I stay in the UK on a Secondment Worker visa?
– How can I extend my Secondment Worker visa?
– How can I switch to a Secondment Worker visa from my current visa?
– How much does a Secondment Worker visa cost?
– How long does it take to get a decision on the Secondment Worker visa application?
– What is permitted/not permitted in the UK on a Secondment Worker visa?
– How can The SmartMove2UK be of help for your Secondment Worker visa application?
– FAQ’s on UK Secondment Worker visa
What is the Secondment Worker visa?
- The Secondment Worker visa is for overseas workers who are undertaking temporary work assignments in the UK.
- The employee must be seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer.
- This means, an applicant can apply for this visa if their overseas employer is transferring them to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation.
- The main applicant can be accompanied by a partner and children (under 18 years) to the UK on this visa.
- The Secondment Worker visa does not permit settlement in the UK.
What are the eligibility criteria to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
The eligibility criteria for a UK Secondment Worker visa are listed below:
- Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from the UK employer with full details of the job role offered.
- Have worked for an overseas employer, for a period of 12 months.
- Do a job that is on the list of eligible occupations.
- Be an existing employee of an overseas organisation that has a high-value contract with the UK sponsor.
What is the English language requirement for a Secondment Worker visa?
Under the UK Secondment Worker visa requirements, this is the English language requirement.
- A Secondment Worker visa applicant does not need to satisfy the English language requirement.
How can I get a Certificate of Sponsorship?
- The UK-based employer – also known as a ‘Sponsor’ – must provide the applicant with a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship’ stating all the information regarding the job role for which the applicant is employed in the UK.
- It’s an e-Certificate. That means, it is an electronic record and not a paper document.
- The applicant will need the reference number from the Certificate of Sponsorship to apply for the visa.
- The applicant is required to apply for the visa within 3 months of getting the Certificate of Sponsorship.
What documents will I need to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
Documents required for a UK Secondment Worker visa are listed below:
- A Certificate of Sponsorship reference number – given by the UK-based employer.
- A valid passport to prove identity. The passport must have a blank page.
- Job title and annual salary.
- Job’s occupation code.
- Name of the employer and their Sponsor Licence number – this is mentioned on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Evidence that the applicant has enough personal savings to support their stay in the UK. For example, bank statements.
- Proof of relationship – partner or children (if they are applying along with the applicant).
- Tuberculosis test results (if required).
How to apply for a Secondment Worker visa?
The applicant must apply for a Secondment Worker visa online.
Depending on the following circumstances, the applicant can apply from;
- Outside the UK to come to the UK.
- Inside the UK and extend the current visa.
- Inside the UK and switch from a different visa.
The applicant can include a partner and children (under 18 years) in the application to stay in the UK if they are eligible.
How long can I stay in the UK on a Secondment Worker visa?
An applicant can stay in the UK with a Secondment Worker visa for whichever is a shorter span:
- The time mentioned on the Certificate of Sponsorship, plus 14 days.
- 12 months after the start date of the job role mentioned on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
If the applicant plans to stay longer in the UK, they can extend their visa by 12 months. The maximum time the applicant can stay in the UK on a Secondment Worker visa is 2 years.
If the applicant has spent time in the UK on a Secondment Worker visa or another visa before, they can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period if they have spent time on any of these visas:
- Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visa.
- Intra-Company Transfer visa.
- Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility).
- Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility).
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility).
- Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility).
- UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility).
How can I extend a Secondment Worker visa?
The applicant can apply to extend the Secondment Worker visa if all the following are true:
- The applicant is still working for the employer who gave them their current Certificate of Sponsorship.
- The applicant is still working on the same contract that the employer has with their sponsor.
- The applicant has not reached the maximum total stay.
- The applicant must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man until a decision is received. If done so, the application will be withdrawn.
- If the applicant changes the job/employer, it is then mandatory to apply to update the visa instead.
How can I switch to a Secondment Worker visa from my current visa?
The applicant might be able to apply to change (switch) to a Secondment Worker visa if they are already in the UK on a different type of visa. However, the eligibility requirements must be met.
Who cannot apply to switch?
Individuals who are currently in the UK:
- On a Visit visa,
- On a Short-Term Student visa,
- On a Parent of a Child Student visa,
- On a Seasonal Worker visa,
- On a Domestic Worker in a Private Household visa,
- On immigration bail,
- Permitted to stay outside the immigration rules, for example on compassionate grounds.
The applicant is required to leave the UK and apply for a Secondment Worker visa from abroad if they come under any one of these categories.
How much is the cost of a UK Secondment Worker visa?
While applying for a Secondment Worker visa, the applicant needs to have enough money to:
- Pay the £259 Application fee.
- Pay the Healthcare surcharge – this is usually £624 per year.
- Support themselves after arriving in the UK – the applicant usually needs to have at least £1,270 available (unless exempted from this requirement).
How long does it take to get a decision on the Secondment Worker visa application?
Once applied online, submitted identity proofs, and provided all relevant documents, the decision usually takes 3 weeks.
- 3 weeks, if applied from outside the UK.
- 8 weeks, if applied from inside the UK.
What is permitted/not permitted in the Secondment Worker visa?
With a Secondment Worker visa, the applicant can:
- Work for their sponsor in the job described in the Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Study.
- Bring partner and children as ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible.
- Do voluntary work.
- Travel abroad and return to the UK.
The applicant cannot:
- Apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension.
- Change jobs
- Have a second job.
- Apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain’).
If the application is successful, the applicant gets a full list of what activities are permitted and not permitted on this visa.
How can The SmartMove2UK be of help for your Secondment Worker visa application?
The SmartMove2UK’s business immigration lawyers are well-versed to assist overseas firms to expand to one of the biggest international markets, which is, the United Kingdom.
Be it a small business or a large multinational company in any sector, even a niche category firm, we have achieved positive results for many business owners around the globe.
We have been assisting clients from all over the world and our clientele is spread across 26+ countries, with 1,000 success stories.
The SmartMove2UK is a UK immigration law firm, established in 2009. As a Secondment Worker visa consultant in India, our firm has a team of UK immigration solicitors and experts.
Our UK-qualified solicitors have the expertise of over 2 decades in providing Legal Advice for all UK immigration-related assistance. We also offer Full Representation service and Filing Appeals for Refused applications.
- Our law firm was announced as the winner of the IAE Corporate Immigration Law (India) award, in 2016.
- We are recognized by Who’s Who Legal (WWL) as a Corporate Immigration Firm in 2016.
- We take pride in being members of prominent institutions like The Law Society and Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.
Our offices are located in India – Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru.
You can get in touch with our UK immigration lawyer to book a consultation!
A professional advice will go a long way to make your UK Secondment Worker visa a successful one!
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FAQ’s on UK Secondment Worker visa
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