Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence Application Guidance

The Global Business Mobility sponsor licence enables overseas businesses to recruit overseas workers to work in the UK. The global business mobility route is made up of 5 individual categories. For example, the Senior or Specialist Worker visa can be used to sponsor overseas workers of foreign businesses to work in a UK branch or subsidiary (this replaced the former intra-company transfer visa). The UK Expansion Worker visa enables foreign businesses to send overseas staff to the UK to establish a new branch here. There are 3 other visa categories under the Global Business Mobility route catering to other overseas business needs, such as Graduate Trainee visa, Service Supplier visa, Secondment Worker visa . For more information, please visit our dedicated Global Business Mobility visa page.

Global business mobility sponsor licence requirements

To make a successful application for a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence, you will need to demonstrate that you meet all of the following requirements:

• Be a genuine overseas business that is operating lawfully in the UK (or you genuinely intend to establish a presence in the UK).
• You must be honest, dependable, reliable and have not behaved in a way that is not conducive to the public good.
• Meet your licenced sponsor duties – this means you must have sponsor management systems and processes in place for effective record-keeping, monitoring (e.g. absences and attendance of sponsored workers), and reporting.
• Intend to hire overseas workers for eligible occupations and with the required level of skill.
• Meet the minimum salary requirements
• Meet the rules on third-party working (if applicable)
• Be able to demonstrate that there is a qualifying link between the sponsor and the overseas business (e.g. contract or common ownership).
• Nominate suitable and eligible persons to carry out key personnel roles: Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 and 2 Users.

If you plan to apply for a sponsor licence under the UK Expansion Worker route, you will also need to demonstrate that you have the following:

• A UK ‘footprint’ (your business must have premises in the UK, be registered with Companies House and not already be actively trading in the UK)
• An overseas trading presence
• A credible plan for expansion and to establish a business presence in the UK within 2 years

Global business mobility sponsor licence required documents

To exact documents that you will need to support your Global Business Mobility sponsor licence application will depend on your chosen route. The route-specific documents required are set out in Table 3 of ‘Appendix A: supporting documents for sponsor licence applications’ on the Home Office website. In summary, you will need to provide the following documents (this list is not exhaustive):

Service Supplier route - evidence of an eligible and genuine business contract with an overseas service provider for the supply of a service under a relevant UK trade commitment. This must be for 12 months or less and have been awarded through an open tender or similar process.

Senior or Specialist Worker and Graduate Trainee route – At least one document demonstrating a qualifying link between the UK entity and the overseas organisation. This may be in the form of:

• An affidavit or a statutory declaration identifying the connected entities both in the UK and overseas
• Audited accounts of the head office or parent company
• Companies House reference number
• If London Stock Exchange or FCA approved international stock exchange listed, a notarised statement by the company secretary
• Share register
• Joint venture agreement

Secondment Worker route – evidence of a business contract with an overseas company for goods or investment with a value of £10 million a year or more and no less than £50 million in total.

Expansion worker route – Documents from each of the following categories:

• Proof of UK ‘footprint’ - e.g. commercial property that you have purchased or leased
• Evidence of overseas trading presence - e.g. corporate or business bank statements showing active transactions for services
• Evidence of planned expansion to the UK - e.g. availability of funding, business plan and market research
• Other documents – e.g. annual reports and investor information, and Articles of Association

How to apply for a global business mobility sponsor licence

To apply for a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence, you will need to complete the following steps:

1. Put in place the necessary HR systems and processes to meet the duties and obligations of a licenced sponsor. It is advisable to have a mock audit by a third-party specialist in immigration policy to ensure your compliance before proceeding.
2. Complete and submit the online GBM sponsor licence application form.
3. Pay the application fee: £1,476 for large sponsors or £536 for small sponsors.
4. Within 5 working days, provide or upload any supporting documents requested, including a submission sheet that has been signed and dated by your Authorising Officer.
5. In some cases, UKVI may conduct a compliance visit of your premises or a digital compliance inspection.

UKVI will write to you to confirm whether they have approved or refused your application for a GBM sponsor licence. Applications can take up to 8 weeks to process. However, you may be able to get a decision within 10 working days by paying an additional fee of £500.

Skilled worker sponsor licence vs global business mobility sponsor licence

Sponsor licences can only be used for their intended immigration route. You cannot use a Skilled Worker sponsor licence to sponsor overseas workers under the Global Business Mobility route. While both types of sponsor licence enable overseas nationals to work in the UK, there are some important differences. The Skilled Worker sponsor licence can only be used by UK-based businesses to hire overseas workers to work long-term in eligible roles. The Global Business Mobility sponsor licence, on the other hand, can only be used by overseas businesses with a contract or presence in the UK (or the intention to establish a presence here).

It is also important to understand that Global Business Mobility sponsor licences are category specific and can only be used for the originally intended route (e.g. Senior or Specialist Worker or Expansion Worker). Furthermore, Senior or Specialist Worker sponsor licences are classed as a ‘Worker’ licence (the same as the Skilled Worker licence). The Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier, Expansion Worker, and Secondment Worker sponsor licences are classed as ‘Temporary Worker’ licenses.

How can Reiss Edwards help?

Reiss Edwards specialises in all aspects of sponsor licence applications. Our immigration Solicitors can:

• Review your eligibility for a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence and explain which sponsor licence is suitable for your needs
• Carry out a mock audit to ensure that your business will meet any future pre-compliance or compliance visits by a UKVI compliance officer
• Advise how any shortfalls in your compliance can be overcome
• Advise how to put in place the necessary HR systems and processes to meet your sponsorship duties and obligations
• Review your sponsor licence application prior to submission
• Handle a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence application refusal

For assistance with applying for a GBM sponsor licence, please speak to our immigration lawyers for a free telephone consultation on 020 3744 2797 or complete our enquiry form.