SECONDMENT WORKER VISA

The Secondment Worker visa is one of the five Global Business Mobility immigration routes. It is designed for employees of overseas businesses who are being temporarily seconded to the UK to undertake work connected with a high-value contract or investment between their overseas employer and a UK business.

The route is therefore different from the Skilled Worker route. It is not intended to enable a UK business to recruit generally from the overseas labour market. Instead, there must be a qualifying commercial relationship between the UK sponsor and the overseas business, and the individual worker must be coming to the UK to work on the specific contract that forms the basis of that relationship.

An applicant will generally need to be an existing employee of the overseas business, have worked for that business outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least six months, have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from an authorised UK sponsor and be sponsored to perform an eligible role at the required skill level.

There is no general salary threshold or occupation-specific going rate on the Secondment Worker route. However, the employment must comply with applicable National Minimum Wage legislation and the Working Time Regulations.

The Secondment Worker route is temporary. An individual can normally spend no more than two continuous years in the UK on this route, and time spent on this and certain other Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes is subject to a separate maximum of five years in any six-year period.

The route does not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain. However, a Secondment Worker may be able to switch into another immigration category that does lead to settlement if they meet the requirements of that route.

A Secondment Worker may also be accompanied or joined by an eligible partner and dependent children.

1. Secondment Worker Visa Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a Secondment Worker visa, you will normally need to satisfy the following requirements:

• You are aged 18 or over;
• You are currently working for an overseas business that has a qualifying contract with your UK sponsor;
• The relevant contract has been registered with the Home Office;
• You have accumulated at least six months’ work outside the UK for the overseas business, unless an applicable extension exemption applies;
• You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship issued by an organisation authorised to sponsor Secondment Workers;
• You will work in the UK on the registered contract identified on your Certificate of Sponsorship;
• The role is genuine and is not an arrangement for impermissible third-party labour;
• The role is in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code at the required skill level;
• You genuinely intend and are able to undertake the sponsored role;
• Your employment complies with the National Minimum Wage Regulations and Working Time Regulations;
• You satisfy the financial requirement, unless an exemption applies;
• You obtain an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate if one is required for the role;
• You provide a valid tuberculosis certificate if Appendix Tuberculosis applies; and
• You do not fall for refusal under the suitability provisions of the Immigration Rules.

The exact requirements will depend on your circumstances. In particular, different considerations can arise for applicants extending existing Secondment Worker permission, applicants switching from another immigration category and applicants who have previously spent time on other Global Business Mobility or Intra-Company routes.

Six-Month Overseas Work Requirement

For an initial Secondment Worker application, you must normally be working for the overseas business that has the registered contract with your UK sponsor and have accumulated at least six months’ work outside the UK for that business.

The six months do not necessarily have to comprise one uninterrupted six-month period immediately before the application. They may be accumulated over a longer period, provided that you remained continuously working for the overseas business from the beginning of the relevant period until the date of application.

Certain absences do not break continuity. These include qualifying maternity, paternity, parental, shared parental or adoption leave, sick leave, authorised participation in a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis, legally organised industrial action, jury service and attendance at court as a witness.

You may be asked to provide evidence showing that you worked for the overseas employer outside the UK for the required period. Evidence may include payslips and corresponding bank statements or other records demonstrating receipt of salary.

There is an important exemption for some extension applications. If you are applying for permission to stay, you have or last had permission as a Secondment Worker, and you are continuing to work for the same sponsor, you do not need to satisfy the overseas work requirement again.

Certificate of Sponsorship Requirement

You must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the role you intend to undertake in the UK.

A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic sponsorship record rather than a physical certificate. Your UK sponsor will provide you with the reference number required for your visa application.

The sponsor must be authorised to sponsor workers under the Secondment Worker route. It must normally be A-rated when assigning the Certificate of Sponsorship, subject to the limited provisions applying where an existing Secondment Worker continues with the same sponsor.

The Certificate of Sponsorship must identify the Secondment Worker route and contain the required information about you and the sponsored role. It must also identify the particular registered contract on which you will work and confirm whether the Academic Technology Approval Scheme requirement applies.

The job start date stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship must normally be no more than three months after the date of your visa application. A Certificate of Sponsorship must not have been withdrawn or cancelled and generally cannot have been used for an application that was already granted or refused.

You should normally use the Certificate of Sponsorship to make your immigration application within three months of it being assigned.

Genuine Job and Genuineness Requirements

The sponsored position must be genuine.

An application may be refused if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the role does not exist, is a sham or has been created mainly to enable you to obtain immigration permission.

The route cannot be used simply to hire a worker to an unrelated third party to fill a temporary or permanent position with that third party. Nor can it normally be used to place the worker with an unrelated third party to undertake an ongoing routine role or provide an ongoing routine service.

You must also genuinely intend and be able to undertake the sponsored role and must not intend to undertake employment other than work permitted by the conditions of the Secondment Worker route.

Eligible Occupations and Skill Level for Secondment Workers

The job must be in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code.

For most applicants, this means a role listed in Table 2 or Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations. These occupations are considered to be skilled to at least Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, broadly graduate level.

You do not necessarily need to hold a university degree. It is the skill level of the occupation and the substantive nature of the role that matter.

Your sponsor must select the appropriate SOC 2020 occupation code. A visa application can be refused if there are reasonable grounds to believe that a less appropriate occupation code has been selected because the code that properly describes the job would not qualify.

The assessment can include the actual duties of the role, the sponsor’s genuine need for the position, your qualifications, skills and experience and the sponsor’s immigration compliance history.

A limited transitional provision remains available until 4 April 2030 for certain individuals who were granted Secondment Worker permission under the Rules in force before 4 April 2024 and have maintained continuous permission on the route. Depending on the circumstances, an occupation appearing in the transitional Table 2b of Appendix Skilled Occupations may remain eligible.

Is There a Minimum Salary for a Secondment Worker Visa?

There is no general salary threshold or occupation-specific going rate for the Secondment Worker route.

This distinguishes Secondment Workers from several other Global Business Mobility workers, including Senior or Specialist Workers and Graduate Trainees.

However, this does not mean that a Secondment Worker can be paid at any level. The sponsored employment must comply with the National Minimum Wage Regulations and the Working Time Regulations.

The sponsor must provide the relevant salary information when assigning the Certificate of Sponsorship.

The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply to sponsorship under the Secondment Worker route.

Financial Requirement

Unless an exemption applies, you must normally have at least £1,270 available to support yourself in the UK.

Where you rely on your own funds, the required amount must normally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days in accordance with Appendix Finance.

You do not need to demonstrate personal funds where you are applying for permission to stay and have been living in the UK with permission for at least 12 months at the date of application.

Alternatively, an A-rated sponsor may certify maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship. In this situation, the sponsor confirms that it will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate you during your first month of employment up to the required amount.

English Language Requirement

There is no English language requirement for a Secondment Worker visa.

You are therefore not required to take an approved English language test or rely on an academic qualification taught in English merely to satisfy the requirements of this immigration route.

TB and ATAS Requirements

If Appendix Tuberculosis applies to your circumstances, you will need to provide a valid tuberculosis screening certificate with an entry clearance application.

An Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate may also be required where the sponsored role involves research at PhD level or above in certain sensitive academic or technological fields.

Your Certificate of Sponsorship should confirm whether the ATAS requirement applies.

2. High-Value Contract Requirements for Secondment Workers

The Secondment Worker route depends on the existence of a qualifying high-value commercial relationship between the UK sponsor and the overseas employer.

For Secondment Worker sponsorship, there must be a contract for goods or investment between the UK organisation and an overseas business worth:

• at least £10 million per year; and
• at least £50 million overall.

This means that where the contract lasts for less than five years, its overall value must still be at least £50 million.

Where a contract lasts for five years or more, it must be worth at least £10 million for each year.

If a contract does not have a specified end date, it must be worth at least £50 million during its first five years.

The contract must be registered with the Home Office and confirmed as eligible for Secondment Worker sponsorship before Certificates of Sponsorship are assigned in connection with it.

This is an important distinction between the Secondment Worker route and other forms of business immigration. The mere existence of a commercial relationship, consultancy arrangement or substantial transaction is not enough. The contract relied upon must satisfy the particular Secondment Worker requirements.

If a sponsor subsequently wishes to use the route in connection with a new contract, it must notify the Home Office and should not assign Certificates of Sponsorship under that contract until the new arrangement has been accepted as eligible.

3. Secondment Worker Sponsor Licence Requirements

A UK business cannot sponsor a Secondment Worker unless it holds the appropriate sponsor licence permission for this route.

For sponsor licensing purposes, the Secondment Worker category is classified as a Temporary Worker route.

In addition to satisfying the general sponsor licence requirements, an organisation seeking permission to sponsor Secondment Workers must be able to establish the required overseas business link. For this route, that link is the eligible high-value contract with the overseas business.

The sponsor must also be able to demonstrate that it:

• is a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK;
• can offer genuine employment at the required skill level;
• has suitable key personnel to manage its sponsor licence;
• has appropriate HR and compliance systems;
• can comply with sponsor reporting and record-keeping duties;
• will comply with National Minimum Wage and Working Time requirements; and
• will sponsor workers only in connection with eligible, registered contracts.

Once licensed, the sponsor must assign an individual Certificate of Sponsorship to each Secondment Worker.

A Certificate of Sponsorship assigned to a Secondment Worker is currently charged at the Temporary Worker CoS rate. The sponsor must bear the sponsorship fees and must not seek to recover prohibited sponsor licence or Certificate of Sponsorship fees from the sponsored worker.

Sponsors must continue to comply with their reporting and record-keeping responsibilities throughout the period of sponsorship. Significant changes affecting the worker, their role, the registered contract or the sponsoring organisation may need to be reported through the Sponsorship Management System.

4. Switching to a Secondment Worker Visa From Within the UK

It is possible in many circumstances to switch into the Secondment Worker route from within the UK.

However, you cannot normally switch if you currently have, or were last granted, permission as:

• a Visitor;
• a Short-term Student;
• a Parent of a Child Student;
• a Seasonal Worker;
• a Domestic Worker in a Private Household; or
• a person granted permission outside the Immigration Rules.

A person on immigration bail cannot qualify for permission to stay on the route, subject to the specific provisions of the Immigration Rules.

If you fall within one of the categories from which switching is prohibited, you will generally need to leave the UK and make an entry clearance application from overseas.

Switching From a Student Visa

Additional restrictions apply where you have, or last had, permission as a Student.

You must satisfy one of the permitted switching conditions. Broadly, this means that you must have completed the course for which your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned, or your sponsored job must start after completion of an eligible degree-level course.

A person undertaking a PhD may also qualify to switch once the applicable minimum period of PhD study has been completed.

The precise Student switching provisions should be checked against the applicant’s course, sponsor and proposed employment start date before an application is submitted.

5. How Long Can You Stay on a Secondment Worker Visa?

Secondment Worker permission is temporary.

Permission will be granted for the shortest of:

• one year after the start date of the job stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship;
• 14 days after the end date of the job stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship;
• the date on which you will have accumulated two years of continuous permission as a Secondment Worker; or
• the date on which you will reach the overall Global Business Mobility maximum of five years in any six-year period.

Extending a Secondment Worker Visa

You may apply from within the UK to extend your Secondment Worker permission if you continue to satisfy the requirements.

Typically, you must still be working for the sponsor that issued your existing Certificate of Sponsorship and continue to work on the same registered contract.

The route allows a maximum of two years of continuous permission as a Secondment Worker. It is therefore important not to confuse the two-year Secondment Worker limit with the separate five-years-in-six cumulative limit that applies across several immigration categories.

Five Years in Any Six-Year Period

A person cannot generally accumulate more than five years of permission in any six-year period across the relevant Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

Time spent with permission in categories including the Secondment Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker and Service Supplier routes can therefore affect the period that may subsequently be granted.

Previous permission under the relevant predecessor Intra-Company routes also counts.

Anyone who has held more than one of these categories should therefore calculate their immigration history carefully before determining the maximum period available on a proposed Secondment Worker application.

6. What Can a Secondment Worker Do in the UK?

A person granted permission as a Secondment Worker may work in the sponsored job described in their Certificate of Sponsorship.

They may also undertake voluntary work and study, subject to the ATAS requirement where applicable.

A Secondment Worker cannot normally take a second job. Employment is restricted to the sponsored role, subject to the limited provision allowing a person in an appropriate case to work out a contractual notice period in employment they were lawfully undertaking at the date of application.

Secondment Workers do not have access to public funds.

They may travel outside the UK and return while their permission remains valid, subject to the normal immigration requirements.

If the sponsored job changes materially, a fresh application to update the worker’s immigration permission may be required. Sponsors and workers should consider the immigration consequences before implementing changes to the role, occupation code or contractual arrangements.

7. Can Your Partner and Children Join You?

An eligible partner and dependent children can apply to accompany or join a Secondment Worker in the UK.

A dependant partner may be a spouse, civil partner or qualifying unmarried partner and must normally be aged 18 or over.

The relationship must satisfy the requirements of Appendix Relationship with Partner.

A dependent child may include:

• a child under the age of 18; and
• a child aged 18 or over who already has permission in the UK as the worker’s dependant and continues to satisfy the dependent-child requirements.

Children must satisfy the applicable relationship, care, age and independent-life requirements.

Financial Requirement for Dependants

Unless an exemption applies, additional funds must normally be available for accompanying family members.

The amounts are:

Family Member	Funds Required
Partner	£285
First dependent child	£315
Each additional dependent child	£200

These amounts are additional to the principal applicant’s £1,270 financial requirement where that requirement applies.

Where the family relies on cash savings, the relevant funds must normally be held for the prescribed 28-day period.

Dependants who have been living in the UK with permission for at least 12 months at the date of application will normally satisfy the financial requirement without showing funds.

An eligible A-rated sponsor may also be able to certify maintenance for the worker and their dependants.

Dependent partners and children granted permission on this route can generally work, subject to restrictions including employment as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, and may study. They do not normally have access to public funds.

8. How to Apply for a Secondment Worker Visa

A Secondment Worker visa application is made online.

Before applying, the UK sponsor must normally have obtained the necessary sponsor licence permission, registered the qualifying contract with the Home Office and assigned a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.

An applicant coming to the UK from overseas must obtain entry clearance before travelling.

The application can normally be submitted up to three months before the proposed job start date stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship.

As part of the process, the applicant must establish their identity. Depending on nationality, passport and application circumstances, this may involve using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or attending an appointment to provide biometric information.

Applicants applying from within the UK to switch or extend should apply before their existing immigration permission expires.

An applicant who makes an in-country extension or switching application should not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before a decision is made, as doing so can result in the application being treated as withdrawn.

9. Documents Required for a Secondment Worker Visa

The documents required will depend on the circumstances of the application.

An applicant will normally need to provide or have available:

• their Certificate of Sponsorship reference number;
• a valid passport or other document establishing identity and nationality;
• their job title and SOC 2020 occupation code;
• the sponsor’s name and sponsor licence number;
• evidence of sufficient maintenance funds, where required;
• evidence of their relationship to any partner or children applying as dependants;
• a tuberculosis certificate where required; and
• a certified translation of any document not in English or Welsh.

Depending on the circumstances, the applicant may also need to provide:

• evidence demonstrating the required period of overseas employment;
• payslips and bank statements showing salary payments from the overseas employer;
• an ATAS certificate where applicable; and
• additional evidence addressing any issue arising from previous immigration history or the suitability requirements.

Although not every applicant will be asked to submit extensive evidence of the overseas employment relationship at the outset, it is sensible to ensure that appropriate documentation is available before applying.

The UK sponsor should separately ensure that it holds the records required by the sponsor guidance and can demonstrate the worker’s connection to the relevant registered contract.

10. Secondment Worker Visa Fees and Immigration Health Surcharge

As at 7 October 2026, the application fee for a Secondment Worker visa is £340 for each applicant, whether applying from inside or outside the UK.

The same application fee applies to a partner or child applying as a dependant.

Most applicants must also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

For an adult Secondment Worker or adult dependant, the standard Immigration Health Surcharge is currently £1,035 per year.

For a child who is under 18 at the date of application, the reduced rate is currently £776 per year.

The precise surcharge payable depends on the period of immigration permission applied for and is calculated as part of the application process.

The Immigration Health Surcharge is separate from the maintenance funds that an applicant may need to demonstrate.

The sponsor will also incur sponsorship costs. As at 7 October 2026, a Certificate of Sponsorship for the Secondment Worker route attracts the Temporary Worker CoS fee of £55.

The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply to Secondment Worker sponsorship.

Immigration fees can change and should always be checked immediately before an application is submitted.

11. Secondment Worker Visa Processing Times

A person applying for a Secondment Worker visa from outside the UK will usually receive a decision within approximately three weeks after completing the application process, proving their identity and providing the required documents.

An application to extend or switch to the route from within the UK will usually be decided within approximately eight weeks.

A decision may take longer where, for example, supporting evidence requires verification, further information is requested, an interview is required or the applicant’s personal circumstances raise additional issues.

Faster decision services may be available in some cases, subject to availability and an additional fee.

Because processing times are service standards rather than guarantees, applicants should build sufficient time into the planning of a proposed secondment.

12. Does the Secondment Worker Visa Lead to Settlement?

The Secondment Worker route does not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain.

Time spent on the route will not count towards a qualifying period for settlement under another points-based work route merely because the individual subsequently switches category.

However, a Secondment Worker who meets the requirements of another immigration category may be able to switch into a route that does lead to settlement.

For example, in appropriate circumstances a worker may be able to switch into the Skilled Worker route if they have an eligible job with an authorised Skilled Worker sponsor and satisfy the applicable salary, English language and other requirements.

Other settlement routes may also be relevant depending on the individual’s circumstances.

An individual who has accumulated a sufficiently long period of lawful residence in the UK may separately need to consider whether the Long Residence provisions are relevant. Eligibility under that route depends on its own requirements and should not be assumed merely because a person has held Secondment Worker permission.

Anyone intending to remain in the UK permanently should consider their longer-term immigration strategy at an early stage because of both the two-year Secondment Worker limit and the wider Global Business Mobility cumulative-period restrictions.

13. Secondment Worker Visa Refusals and Administrative Review

A Secondment Worker application will be refused if the decision maker is not satisfied that the applicable validity, suitability and eligibility requirements are met.

Potential issues may include:

• failure to satisfy the overseas employment requirement;
• an invalid or incorrectly completed Certificate of Sponsorship;
• problems with the sponsor or registered contract;
• use of an inappropriate occupation code;
• concerns that the role is not genuine;
• impermissible third-party working arrangements;
• failure to satisfy the maintenance requirement;
• failure to provide required TB or ATAS documentation; or
• suitability concerns arising from immigration history, conduct or other circumstances.

There is a right to apply for an Administrative Review following refusal of a Secondment Worker application.

Administrative Review is primarily concerned with whether the original decision contains a caseworking error. It is therefore important to distinguish between a decision that may be wrong because the Immigration Rules or evidence were incorrectly assessed and a case where the original application simply failed to contain the evidence necessary to establish eligibility.

For an entry clearance refusal, an Administrative Review application must normally be submitted within 28 calendar days of receipt of the decision.

For an in-country refusal of permission to stay, the normal deadline is 14 calendar days, or seven calendar days where the applicant is detained.

The Administrative Review fee is currently £80.

Depending on the circumstances, it may instead or additionally be appropriate to make a fresh application or, in cases involving an unlawful decision for which no adequate alternative remedy exists, consider judicial review.

Professional advice should be obtained promptly following refusal because the appropriate strategy will depend on the reasons for refusal, the evidence that was before the original decision maker and the applicant’s current immigration position.

14. Frequently Asked Questions: Secondment Worker Visa

How Long Must I Have Worked for My Overseas Employer Before Applying for a Secondment Worker Visa?

For applications under the current Rules, you must normally have accumulated at least six months’ work outside the UK for the overseas business that has the registered contract with your UK sponsor. The six months can be accumulated over a longer period if the continuity requirements are met. Certain extension applicants continuing with the same sponsor are exempt.

Does a Secondment Worker Visa Require a £50 Million Contract?

The qualifying commercial arrangement must generally be worth at least £10 million per year and at least £50 million overall. A contract lasting less than five years must therefore still have an overall value of at least £50 million. The contract must also be registered with the Home Office for Secondment Worker sponsorship.

Is There a Minimum Salary for a Secondment Worker Visa?

There is no general immigration salary threshold or occupation-specific going rate on the Secondment Worker route. However, the worker must be paid in accordance with UK National Minimum Wage legislation and the employment must comply with the Working Time Regulations.

Do I Need to Pass an English Language Test?

No. There is currently no English language requirement for a Secondment Worker visa. This means that applicants do not need to pass an approved English language test solely for the purpose of qualifying under this route.

How Long Can I Stay in the UK as a Secondment Worker?

A Secondment Worker can normally be granted permission for up to one year initially and may apply to extend. The maximum continuous period on the Secondment Worker route is two years. A separate maximum of five years in any six-year period applies across relevant Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

Can I Switch to a Secondment Worker Visa From Inside the UK?

Many applicants can switch from within the UK, but switching is prohibited from several categories, including Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker and Domestic Worker in a Private Household. Additional restrictions apply to applicants switching from Student permission.

Can My Family Come to the UK With Me?

Yes. An eligible partner and dependent children can apply as dependants. This can include a child aged over 18 who already holds permission as your dependant and continues to satisfy the relevant requirements. Additional maintenance funds may be required for each dependant.

Can I Take a Second Job on a Secondment Worker Visa?

No. A Secondment Worker is normally restricted to the sponsored job identified on the Certificate of Sponsorship, although voluntary work and study are permitted subject to the applicable conditions.

Does the Secondment Worker Visa Lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain?

No. The Secondment Worker route does not itself lead to settlement. A worker who wishes to settle in the UK may need to switch into another immigration category that leads to indefinite leave to remain and satisfy all of the requirements of that route.

What Can I Do if My Secondment Worker Visa Is Refused?

A refusal of a Secondment Worker application is eligible for Administrative Review. The appropriate response may instead be a fresh application in some cases. The correct approach depends on whether the refusal resulted from a caseworking error, an evidential deficiency or a substantive failure to meet the Immigration Rules.