Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility)
Stay	CoS plus 14 days, or 12 months maximum
Cost	£340 application fee plus healthcare surcharge
Eligibility timing	Apply up to 3 months before job start
Work rights	Work for sponsor; unpaid voluntary work permitted
Study	Permitted
Healthcare	Healthcare surcharge payable (usually £1,035 per year)
Travel facility	Travel abroad and return permitted
Settlement / Citizenship	Cannot apply for permanent settlement (ILR)
Family sponsorship	Eligible partner and children can apply
In-country switching	Not permitted; must apply from abroad

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Purpose

The Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility) allows you to come to the UK to work for your overseas employer in their UK branch as part of a graduate training programme for a managerial or specialist role. This route replaced the Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa.

Eligibility

To qualify, you must:

• Be an existing employee of an employer approved by the Home Office as a licensed sponsor.
• Have worked for your sponsor outside the UK for at least 3 months immediately before applying.
• Have a valid electronic Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number from your employer. You must apply within 3 months of getting your CoS.
• Work in an eligible occupation code listed under the Global Business Mobility eligible occupations.
• Be paid at least £27,300 per year or 70% of the job’s "going rate" (whichever is higher). For specific healthcare or education roles, the requirement is £27,300 or 100% of the going rate based on national pay scales.

Stay and Maximum Duration

You can stay in the UK for whichever is shorter of:

• The time given on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days.
• 12 months.

You can hold this visa multiple times by applying from outside the UK, but you can only stay in the UK for a maximum cumulative total of 5 years in any 6-year period across the following routes:

• 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)

Cost and Financial Requirements

Visa Fees

• Application fee: £340 per applicant (including dependants).
• Healthcare surcharge: Usually £1,035 per year.

Personal Savings Requirement

You must have at least £1,270 available in personal savings:

• Funds must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the application date.
• Evidence is not required if your employer certifies maintenance on your CoS (under "sponsor certifies maintenance" in "Additional data").

Rights and Conditions

Permitted Activities

• Work for your sponsor in the role specified on your CoS (no new application is needed if your job role rotates as part of the graduate programme).
• Study (an ATAS certificate may be required for sensitive subjects at PhD level or higher).
• Bring eligible dependants.
• Travel outside the UK and return.
• Undertake unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body, or statutory body.

Prohibited Activities

• Accessing most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension.
• Changing jobs or taking a second job.
• Applying for permanent settlement / Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
• Extending the visa from inside the UK or switching into this visa from inside the UK.

Family Provisions (Partner and Children)

Eligible partners and dependent children under 18 (or over 18 if currently in the UK as dependants) can apply to join or accompany you.

Dependant Financial Requirements

Unless the family has been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months or the sponsor certifies maintenance, you or your dependants must show:

• Partner: £285
• First child: £315
• Each additional child: £200
• Funds must be held for 28 consecutive days ending within 31 days of applying.

Dependant Rights

• Work (except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach).
• Study.
• Travel abroad and return.
• No access to public funds or the State Pension.

Note: Children born in the UK do not automatically receive British citizenship and must be granted dependant leave to travel outside and re-enter the UK.

Documents Required

• Valid passport or travel document proving identity and nationality.
• Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number, sponsor licence number, and employer details.
• Job title, annual salary, and 4-digit occupation code.
• Proof of personal savings (bank statements), unless certified by the sponsor.
• Proof of relationship for accompanying partner or children.
• Tuberculosis (TB) test results (if from a listed country).
• Certified translations for any documents not in English or Welsh.

Potential Additional Evidence

• Proof of 3 months overseas employment prior to application (e.g., printed payslips, online payslips with an employer verification letter, bank statements, or passbooks).
• Details of the graduate training programme.
• Valid ATAS certificate (if researching sensitive subjects).

Application Steps

1. Obtain a CoS: Receive your electronic CoS reference number from your UK sponsor.
2. Apply Online: Submit your application up to 3 months before your UK employment start date via the Global Business Mobility online portal.
3. Prove Identity:
   • Scan your identity document via the "UK Immigration: ID Check" app; or
   • Attend an appointment at a visa application centre to provide biometric information (fingerprints and photo).
4. Pay Fees: Pay the £340 application fee and the immigration healthcare surcharge.
5. Processing Time: Standard decisions usually arrive within 3 weeks. Priority processing may be available for an extra fee.