UK Global Business Mobility Visa

Global Business Mobility is not one single visa. It is a group of five sponsored routes designed for overseas businesses that need to send workers to the UK temporarily for a specific commercial purpose.

The framework covers intra-group assignments, graduate placements, establishment of a new UK branch or subsidiary, qualifying international service contracts and high-value secondments. Every route has its own sponsor, overseas-employment, role, salary or contract requirements.

Choosing the wrong route can create problems before the visa application is even prepared. Immigration Visa Expert can review the overseas business, UK sponsor structure, assignment purpose, worker history and longer-term plan to identify the most suitable route.

A qualifying partner and dependent children can usually apply with or after the main applicant on all five Global Business Mobility routes, provided the relationship, age, care and financial requirements are met.

Family applications should be planned together where possible. Relationship evidence, maintenance funds, timing and the main applicant's route length can affect the dependant strategy.

Extension and switching rules differ significantly between the five routes. Senior or Specialist Worker, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker may allow eligible in-country extensions or route changes, subject to route-specific conditions and maximum stay limits.

Graduate Trainee is more restrictive: the main applicant cannot normally extend or switch into that route from inside the UK and must meet the overseas-work requirement immediately before a new application.

Before extending, changing role or moving to another route, the sponsor, occupation code, salary, assignment, cumulative GBM time and longer-term objective should be reviewed together.

No. None of the five Global Business Mobility routes directly leads to indefinite leave to remain, and time spent on these routes does not normally count toward settlement under another sponsored points-based work route.

For workers who want a long-term UK future, early route planning is important. Depending on the circumstances, a later move to Skilled Worker or another settlement-capable category may need to be considered.