Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

This is for senior managers or specialist employees who is temporary being assigned to a UK Business linked to their employers overseas. This visa has replaced the Intra-Company Transfer Visa previously Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Long-Term Staff Visa.

Eligibility

You must:

Be an existing employee of an organisation that has been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
Have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work you will do in the UK
Do a job that is on the list of eligible occupations
Be paid at least £42,400 per year

How long you can stay

You stay in the UK with a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa for whichever is shorter of:

The time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days
5 years

You can apply to extend your visa or apply for another one as times as you would like up to the maximum total stay.

The maximum total stay allowed for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa is:

5 years in any 6-year period if you are paid less than £73,900 a year
9 years in any 10-year period if you are paid £73,900 a year or more

Any time you spend in the UK on one of the following visas will be included in your maximum total stay:

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 Visa (Global Business Mobility)

You can stay in the UK for as long as your employer is sponsoring you if you have been in the UK since 6 April 2011 on any of the following visas:

Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Long-Term Staff Visa
Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Senior or Specialist Worker Visa (Global Business Mobility)

What you can and cannot do

With a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa you can:

Work for you sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
Study
Bring your partner and children with you as ‘dependants’ if they are eligible
Travel abroad and return to the UK

You cannot:

Apply for most benefits or the state pension

Change jobs unless you are eligible, and you update your visa

Have a second job – unless you have previously had an Intra-Company Transfer or a Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Long-Term Staff Visa

Apply to settle permanently in the UK

If your application is successful, you will get a full list of what you can and cannot do with a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa.

How to Apply

If you wish to apply, talk with our team who will advise you on your position and complete the form and collect any necessary documentation from you that will help make the application successful.

Why choose us

Our team will collaborate with you to make sure that your application is filled in correctly and that all the correct supporting documents are provided. We will also provide a supporting letter setting out your circumstances in detail to Home Office. This will put the Application in the best position on submission.

To give your application the best chance of success, and to reduce your stress, please contact our solicitors on 01482 616 616 or via our online contact form and we will get back to you.