Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
Stay duration	Up to 12 months; maximum 2 years
Visa cost	£340 application fee per person
Healthcare surcharge	Usually £1,035 per year
Personal savings requirement	At least £1,270 (unless exempt)
Eligibility timing	Apply up to 3 months before start
Processing time (outside UK)	Usually within 3 weeks
Processing time (inside UK)	Usually within 8 weeks
Work rights	Sponsored eligible role only; no second jobs
Study rights	Permitted
Medicare / Healthcare access	Covered via immigration healthcare surcharge
Travel facility	Travel abroad and return allowed
Settlement / Citizenship	Cannot lead to permanent settlement (ILR)
Family sponsorship	Eligible partner and children can apply
Visa record type	Digital status or passport vignette

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Purpose and Overview

The Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) is for overseas workers whose employer transfers them to the UK to undertake an eligible role for a different organisation. The overseas employer must have a high-value contract (worth at least £50 million) with an approved UK sponsor.

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Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a Secondment Worker visa, you must:

• Be an existing employee of an overseas organisation that holds an eligible contract worth at least £50 million with an approved UK sponsor.
• Have worked for your overseas employer outside the UK for at least 6 months.
• Have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) reference number from your UK sponsor.
• Work in a role that appears on the list of eligible occupations (verified via its 4-digit occupation code).
• Apply for your visa within 3 months of receiving your CoS.

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Stay Duration and Maximum Limits

• Initial Grant: Up to 12 months after your job start date, or the time stated on your CoS plus 14 days (whichever is shorter).
• Extensions: Can be extended by 12 months up to a maximum total stay of 2 years.
• Cumulative Maximum: Maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period across any combination of the following visas:
  • Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
  • Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
  • Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility) / Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa
  • Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
  • UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
  • Intra-company Transfer visa

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Costs and Financial Requirements

Fees

• Application Fee: £340 per applicant (main applicant and dependants).
• Healthcare Surcharge: Usually £1,035 per year.

Personal Savings (Maintenance)

• Main applicant: At least £1,270.
• Dependant partner: £285.
• First child: £315.
• Each additional child: £200.

Financial Rules:

• Funds must have been held for at least 28 consecutive days, ending within 31 days of the application date.
• Evidence is not required if you have been in the UK on a valid visa for 12 months or more, or if your UK sponsor certifies maintenance on your CoS under "Additional data".

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What You Can and Cannot Do

Permitted

• Work for your sponsor in the job described on your CoS.
• Study (subject to ATAS requirements if applicable).
• Bring eligible dependants (partner and children).
• Do unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body, or statutory body.
• Travel abroad and re-enter the UK.

Prohibited

• Accessing most public funds or the State Pension.
• Taking a second job.
• Changing jobs without updating your visa.
• Applying for indefinite leave to remain (settlement) in the UK.

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Dependants (Partner and Children)

Eligible family members can apply to accompany or join the main visa holder:

• Eligible Partner: Spouse, civil partner, or unmarried partner (must prove at least 2 years of cohabitation or a qualifying 2-year committed relationship if living apart).
• Eligible Children: Children under 18 (or over 18 if currently in the UK as dependants). Must not be married or in a civil partnership.
• Work Rights for Dependants: Permitted to work, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.
• Validity: Dependant visas generally expire on the same date as the main applicant's visa.

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Documents Required

• CoS reference number, job title, occupation code, sponsor name, and sponsor licence number.
• Valid passport or valid travel identity document.
• Proof of personal savings (e.g., bank statements), unless exempt or certified by sponsor.
• Proof of relationship for accompanying dependants.
• Tuberculosis (TB) test results (if from a listed country).
• Certified translations for any documents not in English or Welsh.
• If requested: Proof of employment outside the UK (payslips, bank statements, employer letter).
• If applicable: Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate for sensitive subjects at PhD level or higher.

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How to Apply

1. Check Timing: Apply up to 3 months before your CoS job start date.
2. Submit Online: Complete the application online (Apply outside the UK or Apply inside the UK).
3. Prove Identity:
   • Scan your identity document using the UK Immigration: ID Check app, or
   • Attend a biometric appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) or UKVCAS service point.
4. Processing Times:
   • Outside the UK: Usually within 3 weeks.
   • Inside the UK (Switch/Extend): Usually within 8 weeks.
   • Priority/faster decision services may be available for an extra fee.

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Extending, Updating, or Switching Visas

• Extending: Apply before your current visa expires. You must stay with the same sponsor on the same contract without exceeding the 2-year maximum limit.
• Updating (Change of Job): Required if your job changes to a different occupation code with the same sponsor. Apply up to 3 months before the new job start date. Do not start the new role until approval is received.
• Switching: You can switch from another visa inside the UK if eligible.
  • Student Visa Switchers: Must have completed their course, have a start date after course completion, or have completed at least 24 months of a PhD.
  • Ineligible Switching Categories: Visitors, short-term students, Parent of a Child Student, seasonal workers, domestic workers in private households, individuals on immigration bail, or those with permission outside the immigration rules must leave the UK to apply.

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Important Warnings

• Travel Restrictions During In-Country Applications: You must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man while waiting for an in-country extension, switch, or update decision. Doing so will automatically withdraw your application.
• Application Cancellation: Application fees are only refunded if UKVI has not started processing the application.