SENIOR OR SPECIALIST WORKER VISA

The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is one of the five Global Business Mobility routes. It enables an overseas business to assign a senior manager or specialist employee to work temporarily for a connected business in the UK.

The route is commonly used by multinational groups which need to transfer experienced employees between overseas and UK group companies. The overseas employer and UK sponsor must be linked through qualifying common ownership or control or, in an appropriate case, a qualifying joint venture.

The route is designed for temporary assignments rather than permanent recruitment. Where an overseas business has not yet begun trading in the UK and is sending personnel to establish its UK presence, the Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker route may be more appropriate.

The Senior or Specialist Worker route does not itself provide a route to indefinite leave to remain. Applicants whose longer-term objective is settlement should therefore consider at an early stage whether they may need to switch routes later or another work route may better meet their immigration objectives.

1. What Is the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

The Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker visa is for senior managers and specialist employees of overseas businesses who are being temporarily assigned to work for a linked business in the UK. It is the principal UK immigration route for many intra-company transfers and replaced the former Intra-Company Transfer route.

Applicants must be sponsored by an appropriately licensed UK business, be undertaking an eligible role and normally be paid at least £52,500 per year or the applicable going rate for their occupation, whichever is higher. Unless they qualify as a high earner, they must also normally have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for at least 12 months.

A partner and dependent children may accompany or join a Senior or Specialist Worker in the UK. However, the Senior or Specialist Worker route is a temporary immigration route and does not lead directly to settlement in the UK.

2. Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Requirements

In order to qualify for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, an applicant will generally need to satisfy the following requirements:

• they are aged 18 or over;
• they have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for an eligible role;
• their UK sponsor is authorised to sponsor Senior or Specialist Workers;
• they are currently working for the sponsor group;
• unless they qualify as a high earner, they have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a cumulative period of at least 12 months;
• their proposed job is in an eligible occupation code;
• they will be paid at least the applicable general salary threshold and going rate;
• the role is genuine and complies with the restrictions on third-party working;
• they genuinely intend and are able to undertake the sponsored role;
• they meet the applicable financial requirement;
• they meet any applicable tuberculosis and ATAS requirements;
• they satisfy the relevant validity and suitability requirements; and
• granting the application would not cause them to exceed the maximum period permitted on Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

The points-based element of the route requires applicants to obtain 60 mandatory points: 20 for sponsorship, 20 for a job at the appropriate skill level and 20 for salary at the required level.

Meeting the points requirement does not dispense with the other validity, suitability and eligibility requirements.

3. Sponsorship, Linked Overseas Businesses and the Certificate of Sponsorship

UK Sponsor Requirement

An applicant must be sponsored by a UK organisation that is authorised to sponsor workers under the Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker route.

The sponsor will normally need to hold an A-rated sponsor licence. An exception can apply where the applicant already has permission as a Senior or Specialist Worker and is extending their stay to continue working for the same sponsor.

Qualifying Link With the Overseas Business

The Senior or Specialist Worker route is not available simply because a UK company wishes to employ someone who currently works overseas.

There must be a qualifying relationship between the UK sponsor and the overseas business. For this route, the link may generally be established through:

• common ownership;
• common control; or
• a qualifying joint venture agreement.

Examples include circumstances where one entity controls the board of the other, one entity holds more than half of the voting rights in the other, both entities are controlled by a common parent, or one establishment is a branch or representative office of the other.

The relevant overseas entity should also be correctly recorded as part of the sponsor’s licensed arrangements.

Certificate of Sponsorship

The UK sponsor must assign the applicant a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, or CoS.

The CoS is an electronic sponsorship record rather than a paper certificate. It must contain relevant information about the worker and assignment, including the job, salary and allowances, proposed start date and, where applicable, PAYE information.

The Certificate of Sponsorship must have been assigned no more than three months before the visa application. The sponsored job start date must also be no more than three months after the application date.

The sponsor must also have paid any Immigration Skills Charge that applies.

4. Overseas Work Requirement and the £73,900 High-Earner Exception

A Senior or Specialist Worker must be working for the sponsor group on the date of application.

Unless the applicant qualifies as a high earner, they must also have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a cumulative period of at least 12 months.

The 12 months do not necessarily need to be one uninterrupted period outside the UK. However, the worker must have remained continuously employed within the sponsor group from the beginning of the relevant 12-month period until the date of application, subject to specified permitted breaks.

Permitted breaks can include:

• statutory maternity, paternity, parental or shared parental leave;
• statutory adoption leave;
• sick leave;
• agreed participation in a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis;
• participation in legally organised industrial action;
• jury service; and
• attending court as a witness.

High Earners

A Senior or Specialist Worker who is sponsored on a gross annual salary of £73,900 or more is treated as a high earner for this route.

A high earner does not need to satisfy the normal 12-month overseas work requirement, although they must still be working for the sponsor group when they apply.

The £73,900 threshold should not be confused with the general salary requirement. A high earner must still satisfy the applicable rules concerning the eligible role, going rate and salary components.

High-earner status is also important when calculating the maximum period an applicant may spend in the UK on Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

5. Eligible Jobs, Skill Level and Occupation Codes

A Senior or Specialist Worker must normally be sponsored in a SOC 2020 occupation code listed as eligible for the Global Business Mobility route in Table 2 or Table 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations.

The occupations in these tables are generally skilled to at least Regulated Qualifications Framework level 6, broadly graduate level, although the immigration requirement relates to the level of the job rather than whether the individual worker holds a degree.

The sponsor must identify the occupation code which most appropriately reflects the actual duties of the role.

A code should not be selected merely because:

• it is eligible under the route when the more appropriate code is not; or
• it has a lower going rate than the occupation code which properly describes the position.

When assessing the occupation code, consideration may be given to the duties of the role, the business’s need for the position, the applicant’s skills and experience and the sponsor’s immigration compliance history.

Transitional Occupation Arrangements

Limited transitional provisions remain available until 4 April 2030 for certain applicants who were granted permission as Senior or Specialist Workers under the Rules in place before 4 April 2024 and who have maintained continuous qualifying permission.

These arrangements are narrow and should not be treated as a general ability to sponsor new Senior or Specialist Workers in occupations below RQF level 6.

6. Senior or Specialist Worker Salary Requirement

A Senior or Specialist Worker must normally be paid whichever is higher of:

• £52,500 per year; or
• 100% of the applicable going rate for the occupation code.

The salary must satisfy both requirements independently.

£52,500 General Salary Threshold

The general salary requirement is £52,500 per year.

If the worker is contracted to work more than 48 hours per week, salary attributable to hours beyond 48 will normally be disregarded when assessing whether the £52,500 general threshold is met.

Special calculation rules apply to work patterns involving unequal regular hours over a cycle of no more than 17 weeks.

Part-time workers are not exempt from the general salary threshold. Their actual annual gross salary must normally meet the £52,500 requirement.

Going Rate Requirement

The applicant must also receive at least 100% of the applicable going rate for their occupation.

For occupations in Table 2 of Appendix Skilled Occupations, going rates are ordinarily based on a 37.5-hour working week and are pro-rated according to the worker’s sponsored weekly hours.

Unlike the general salary threshold, the worker’s full weekly hours are used when calculating the going-rate requirement even where they exceed 48 hours.

Different pro-rating provisions apply to eligible health and education occupations in Table 3, where going rates are based on the relevant national pay scales.

What Counts Towards Senior or Specialist Worker Salary?

Salary can generally include:

Salary component	Can normally count?
Guaranteed basic gross pay	Yes
Guaranteed London weighting	Yes
Guaranteed mobility premium	Yes
Guaranteed allowance for additional UK living costs	Yes
Accommodation-only allowance	Yes, but normally only up to 30% of the total salary package
Overtime pay	No
Bonus pay	No
Employer pension contributions	No
Employer National Insurance contributions	No
Equity or shares	No
Health insurance	No
School or university fees	No
Company car or food	No
One-off payments or “golden hellos”	No
Visa or Immigration Health Surcharge payments	No
Business travel, equipment or subsistence expenses	No

Care is therefore required where an international assignment package includes substantial allowances or benefits. The total remuneration offered by the business may be considerably higher than the salary that can legally be counted for immigration purposes.

Transitional Salary Arrangements

A narrow transitional provision applies to certain applicants who were previously granted permission as Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Migrants under the Rules in force before 6 April 2011, or as Work Permit Holders, and who have maintained continuous qualifying permission since then.

Such applicants may be exempt from the £52,500 general threshold but must still satisfy the applicable going-rate requirement.

7. Genuine Role, Third-Party Working and Applicant Genuineness

The Senior or Specialist Worker route contains several requirements designed to ensure that the proposed assignment is genuine.

There must not be reasonable grounds to believe that the role:

• does not exist;
• is a sham; or
• has been created mainly so that the worker can obtain UK immigration permission.

The sponsor must therefore be able to explain the commercial need for the assignment and demonstrate that the proposed duties accurately reflect the occupation code selected.

Working for Clients and Third Parties

A Senior or Specialist Worker may undertake work connected with a client contract in appropriate circumstances, but the route cannot be used simply to hire the worker out to another organisation.

The sponsored role must not amount to:

• supplying the worker to a third party to fill a position within that third party’s organisation; or
• providing an ongoing routine role or ongoing routine service for a third party.

Whether a client arrangement is permissible will depend on the substance of the assignment rather than simply how the contractual arrangements are described.

The sponsored employment must also comply with applicable National Minimum Wage and Working Time legislation.

Applicant Genuineness

The applicant must genuinely intend, and be able, to undertake the sponsored role.

They must also not intend to work in employment other than that permitted under the conditions of the Senior or Specialist Worker route.

8. Other Eligibility Requirements: Funds, English, TB and ATAS

Financial Requirement

An applicant who is applying from outside the UK, or who has been living in the UK with immigration permission for less than 12 months, will normally need to demonstrate that they have at least £1,270 available.

The funds must generally have been held for at least 28 consecutive days in accordance with Appendix Finance.

Alternatively, an A-rated sponsor may certify on the Certificate of Sponsorship that it will maintain and accommodate the applicant, if necessary, up to £1,270 during the first month of employment.

An applicant who has already been living in the UK with permission for at least 12 months normally meets the financial requirement automatically.

English Language Requirement

There is no English-language requirement for the Senior or Specialist Worker visa.

This is an important difference between this route and the Skilled Worker route.

Tuberculosis Requirement

An applicant applying for entry clearance may need to provide a tuberculosis certificate where Appendix Tuberculosis applies to them.

ATAS Requirement

An Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate may be required where the sponsored work involves certain sensitive subjects at PhD level or above.

Where ATAS applies, the applicant must obtain the required certificate before the application can be granted.

Suitability Requirements

Applicants must also satisfy Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

Issues such as criminality, deception, previous immigration breaches or other adverse immigration history may therefore affect an application even where the sponsorship, role and salary requirements are otherwise satisfied.

9. Documents Required for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

The precise evidence required will depend on the applicant’s circumstances.

Applicants will normally need information or evidence including:

• their Certificate of Sponsorship reference number;
• a valid passport or other acceptable identity and nationality document;
• details of their job title and annual salary;
• their occupation code;
• the sponsor’s name and sponsor licence number;
• financial evidence, where required;
• evidence of their relationship with any accompanying partner or children;
• a tuberculosis certificate, where required;
• evidence of overseas employment with the sponsor group, where requested; and
• an ATAS certificate, where applicable.

Evidence of overseas employment may include payslips, bank statements and appropriate employer confirmation.

Documents which are not in English or Welsh will normally require an appropriate certified translation.

Applicants should avoid assuming that a Certificate of Sponsorship is itself sufficient evidence that every immigration requirement has been met. The applicant remains responsible for satisfying the requirements of the route.

10. How to Apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Applications are made online.

An applicant can normally apply up to three months before the proposed start date stated on their Certificate of Sponsorship. They will also need to prove their identity, either digitally where eligible or by attending an appointment to provide biometric information.

Applying From Outside the UK

A person seeking to come to the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker must obtain entry clearance before travelling to the UK under this route.

The application should be supported by the required identity and supporting documentation.

Extending a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

A person already in the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker may be able to extend their permission, provided they continue to satisfy the applicable requirements and have not reached the maximum permitted period on the relevant Global Business Mobility and predecessor routes.

Where the person’s sponsored employment changes materially, a new application may be required rather than simply continuing under the existing permission.

Switching to the Senior or Specialist Worker Route

Many people who already have UK immigration permission can apply to switch into the Senior or Specialist Worker route without leaving the UK.

However, an applicant cannot normally switch from 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 also cannot make a valid switching application under this route.

Switching From a Student Visa

Additional restrictions apply where the applicant has or last had Student permission.

Depending on the circumstances, the applicant must have completed the course for which their Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies was assigned, have a sponsored job start date which satisfies the applicable course-completion provisions, or, if studying for a PhD, satisfy the relevant 24-month study requirement.

These rules should be checked carefully before a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned.

11. Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Fees and Processing Times

The application fees as at 6 October 2026 are:

Application	Up to 3 years	More than 3 years
Applying from outside the UK	£819	£1,618
Applying from inside the UK	£943	£1,865

Each applicant, including accompanying dependants, normally pays the relevant application fee.

Applicants must also normally pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. The standard adult rate is currently £1,035 for each year of permission granted.

Additional costs may arise for biometric or optional priority services.

Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Processing Time

A decision will usually be made within:

• 3 weeks where the application is made outside the UK; or
• 8 weeks where the application is made from inside the UK.

These periods normally run from the point at which the applicant has applied, proved their identity and submitted the necessary documents. Faster services may be available in some cases for an additional fee.

An application may take longer if, for example, supporting documents need to be verified, the applicant is invited to interview or the application raises issues requiring further consideration.

12. How Long Can a Senior or Specialist Worker Stay in the UK?

A single grant of permission will normally end on the earliest of:

• five years after the sponsored job start date;
• 14 days after the end date of the sponsored job; or
• the date on which the applicant reaches the applicable maximum cumulative period on Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

Five Years in Any Six-Year Period

A Senior or Specialist Worker who does not qualify as a high earner may normally spend no more than five years in any six-year period on the relevant Global Business Mobility and predecessor Intra-Company routes.

Nine Years in Any Ten-Year Period for High Earners

A high earner may normally spend up to nine years in any ten-year period on those routes.

Time spent across different Global Business Mobility routes can count towards these cumulative limits. Previous permission on predecessor Intra-Company routes can also be relevant.

Employers planning repeated international assignments should therefore review the worker’s complete UK immigration history before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.

A separate historic transitional arrangement can exempt certain workers who have maintained qualifying permission dating back to the pre-6 April 2011 Intra-Company Transfer or Work Permit arrangements from the normal cumulative maximum.

13. Work, Study and Other Conditions of Stay

A person granted permission as a Senior or Specialist Worker may normally:

• work in the job for which they have been sponsored;
• undertake voluntary work;
• study, subject to any applicable ATAS requirement; and
• travel outside the UK and return while their immigration permission remains valid.

They will not normally have access to public funds.

Can a Senior or Specialist Worker Take a Second Job?

Ordinary supplementary employment is not generally permitted under the current Senior or Specialist Worker route.

There is, however, a transitional exception for certain people who were granted permission on an Intra-Company route under the Rules in force before 11 April 2022 and who have maintained continuous qualifying Senior or Specialist Worker permission since then.

A person who was lawfully working in another job at the date of a qualifying in-country application may also be permitted to work out a contractual notice period in accordance with the Rules.

Where an applicant wants wider employment flexibility, it may therefore be appropriate to consider whether another immigration route better meets their objectives.

14. Partners and Children of Senior or Specialist Workers

A Senior or Specialist Worker can normally be accompanied or joined by a qualifying partner and dependent children.

A qualifying partner may include a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner who satisfies the relevant relationship requirements.

A dependent child will normally need to be under 18 when first applying. A child aged 18 or over can, however, continue to qualify where they were previously granted permission as their parent’s dependent child and continue to satisfy the applicable dependency and independent-life requirements.

Maintenance Requirement for Dependants

Where the financial requirement applies, the required funds are currently:

• £285 for a partner;
• £315 for the first child; and
• £200 for each additional child.

These funds are required in addition to any £1,270 maintenance requirement applying to the main applicant.

The sponsor may be able to certify maintenance for the family where the relevant requirements are met.

What Can Dependants Do in the UK?

A dependant partner or child may generally:

• work, including in self-employment;
• undertake voluntary work;
• study; and
• travel outside the UK and return.

Employment as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach, is not permitted. Dependants are also normally subject to a no-public-funds condition.

A partner’s permission will normally expire at the same time as the Senior or Specialist Worker’s permission. A child’s grant will normally end on the same date as the permission of the parent whose permission expires first.

15. Does the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Lead to ILR?

The Senior or Specialist Worker route does not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain.

This means that spending five years as a Senior or Specialist Worker does not, simply by itself, create an entitlement to settlement under this route.

An applicant who wishes to settle permanently in the UK may be able to switch into another immigration category which has a route to settlement, such as the Skilled Worker route, if they meet the relevant requirements.

Whether time already spent as a Senior or Specialist Worker can contribute to a future settlement application will depend on the settlement route relied upon. It should not be assumed that time under this route will count towards another route’s particular qualifying period.

Long Residence

Time spent lawfully in the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker can generally count towards the qualifying period for settlement under the 10-year Long Residence route, provided the applicant satisfies the separate requirements of Appendix Long Residence, including the continuous-residence requirements.

Workers who expect their assignment to become long term should therefore consider their immigration strategy before reaching the maximum permitted period on the Global Business Mobility routes.

16. Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Refusals and Administrative Review

A Senior or Specialist Worker application may be refused where the applicant fails to meet any applicable validity, suitability or eligibility requirement.

Common areas of difficulty can include:

• an incorrect occupation code;
• insufficient salary when the going rate is properly calculated;
• reliance on salary components which cannot be counted;
• failure to satisfy the overseas work requirement;
• problems establishing the qualifying link between the UK and overseas businesses;
• a role which is not considered genuine;
• prohibited third-party working arrangements;
• an invalid or incorrectly completed Certificate of Sponsorship;
• failure to satisfy the financial requirement; or
• adverse suitability issues.

If an application under the Senior or Specialist Worker route is refused, the Immigration Rules provide for Administrative Review.

An Administrative Review is primarily concerned with whether the original decision contained a caseworking error. It is not simply an opportunity to make the same application again with a better evidential case.

The normal time limit is:

• 28 calendar days after receiving an entry-clearance refusal where the application was made outside the UK; or
• 14 calendar days after receiving a refusal of an in-country application, unless the applicant was detained, in which case a shorter period applies.

Depending on the reason for refusal and the applicant’s immigration position, it may instead be preferable to make a fresh application or, in an appropriate case, consider judicial review. The correct strategy will depend on the nature of the error and the available evidence.

17. Sponsor Licence Requirements for UK Employers

A UK business wishing to sponsor a Senior or Specialist Worker must be licensed under the relevant Global Business Mobility route.

The business will normally need to demonstrate a qualifying relationship with the overseas organisation through common ownership or control or an accepted joint venture structure. Details of the linked overseas business must be provided as part of the sponsor licensing arrangements.

The sponsor must also comply with its wider sponsorship duties, including appropriate record keeping, reporting and monitoring of sponsored workers.

Sponsorship Costs

As at 6 October 2026, the fee for assigning a Worker Certificate of Sponsorship, including to a Senior or Specialist Worker, is £525.

An Immigration Skills Charge will also normally apply to Senior or Specialist Worker sponsorship, unless an exemption applies.

The current charge is:

Period	Small or charitable sponsor	Medium or large sponsor
First 12 months	£480	£1,320
Each additional 6 months	£240	£660

The sponsor, rather than the sponsored worker, must pay the Certificate of Sponsorship fee and any Immigration Skills Charge for which it is liable.

Businesses that do not yet have the necessary sponsor licence should factor the licensing process into the proposed assignment timetable.

18. Frequently Asked Questions: Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

What Is the Minimum Salary for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

The general salary threshold is currently £52,500 per year. The worker must also normally be paid at least 100% of the applicable going rate for their occupation code. This means £52,500 is not necessarily sufficient: if the pro-rated going rate is higher, the higher figure must be paid.

What Is a High Earner Under the Senior or Specialist Worker Route?

A high earner is a Senior or Specialist Worker whose sponsored gross annual salary is at least £73,900 under the applicable salary calculation rules. High earners do not need to complete the normal 12 months of overseas work before applying and can potentially spend up to nine years in any ten-year period on qualifying Global Business Mobility and predecessor routes.

Do I Need to Have Worked for My Overseas Employer for 12 Months?

Usually, yes. Unless you qualify as a high earner, you must normally have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a cumulative period of at least 12 months and must still be working for the sponsor group when you apply. Specific permitted interruptions in employment can be disregarded.

Is There an English Language Requirement for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

No. The Senior or Specialist Worker route does not contain an English-language requirement. Applicants must nevertheless satisfy all other relevant requirements, including sponsorship, eligible occupation, salary, overseas employment where applicable, financial requirements and Part Suitability.

Can I Switch From a Student Visa to a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

Potentially. Students are subject to additional switching restrictions. Depending on the circumstances, the applicant may need to have completed their sponsored course, have a job start date which complies with the course-completion rules, or, in the case of a PhD student, have completed the required period of PhD study.

Can My Partner and Children Come to the UK With Me?

Yes, a qualifying partner and dependent children can normally apply to accompany or join a Senior or Specialist Worker. Adult children may continue as dependants in certain circumstances where they previously held dependent-child permission and are not leading an independent life. Additional maintenance requirements may apply.

Can a Senior or Specialist Worker Have a Second Job?

Generally not under the ordinary rules of the route. Senior or Specialist Workers are normally permitted to work only in their sponsored job, although voluntary work and study are permitted. A limited transitional supplementary-employment provision remains available to certain workers whose qualifying Intra-Company immigration history began under the Rules in place before 11 April 2022.

How Long Can I Stay in the UK as a Senior or Specialist Worker?

A single grant can be for up to five years, but cumulative limits also apply. Most Senior or Specialist Workers are limited to five years in any six-year period across relevant Global Business Mobility and predecessor routes. High earners can normally remain for up to nine years in any ten-year period.

Does the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Lead to Settlement?

No. The route does not directly lead to indefinite leave to remain. A person may be able to switch into another route which leads to settlement, and lawful time as a Senior or Specialist Worker can generally contribute towards the separate 10-year Long Residence route where all of its requirements are satisfied.

What Can I Do if My Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Is Refused?

A refusal under this route normally carries a right to Administrative Review. Whether Administrative Review, a fresh application or another legal remedy is appropriate will depend on the reason for refusal. The usual Administrative Review deadline is 28 days for an overseas refusal and 14 days for an in-country refusal where the applicant is not detained.