The Global Business Mobility visa is not a single visa but a framework of five sponsored temporary work routes designed for overseas businesses deploying staff to the UK.
Sponsorship by a UK entity holding the appropriate licence is mandatory across all routes.
Each route serves a specific commercial purpose and has its own eligibility, salary and evidential requirements.
Time spent under GBM routes is capped and does not lead to settlement.
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Overview
Global Business Mobility (GBM) is an umbrella category covering five distinct visa routes that allow overseas companies to send personnel to the UK for temporary assignments. These include the Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker routes.
These routes are designed for business mobility rather than migration. They facilitate short-term deployment linked to corporate structure, contracts or expansion, but do not provide a pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Time spent across GBM routes is combined and subject to strict cumulative limits, typically 5 years in any 6-year period, or 9 years in 10 years for high earners under the Senior or Specialist Worker route.
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GBM Routes
There are five distinct visa routes under the Global Business Mobility framework, each with a defined purpose:
Senior or Specialist Worker – for senior managers or specialist employees assigned within a multinational group.
Graduate Trainee – for structured graduate training programmes requiring a UK placement.
UK Expansion Worker – for establishing a UK entity where no active trading presence yet exists.
Service Supplier – for delivering services under an international trade agreement.
Secondment Worker – for assignments linked to high-value contracts or investments.
Each route operates independently with different requirements, salary thresholds and evidential standards.
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Core Requirements
All GBM applications require a valid Certificate of Sponsorship issued by an authorised UK sponsor.
Applicants must meet route-specific criteria, which may include minimum overseas employment periods, skill level requirements and salary thresholds. Financial maintenance requirements apply unless certified by the sponsor.
Applications are document-sensitive, and inconsistencies between sponsorship records and supporting evidence are a common cause of refusal.
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Sponsorship and Compliance
Employers must hold the correct sponsor licence for the relevant GBM route before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Sponsors are subject to strict Home Office compliance duties, including record keeping, monitoring workers and reporting changes through the Sponsorship Management System.
Failure to comply can result in licence suspension or revocation, directly affecting sponsored workers and wider business operations.
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Duration and Limits
GBM visas are strictly temporary. Permission is granted only for the period required for the specific assignment.
Most routes allow limited extensions, but all are subject to cumulative caps that restrict long-term use. These routes are not designed for ongoing employment in the UK.
Applicants seeking long-term residence must switch into an appropriate route, such as Skilled Worker, where eligible.
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Application Process
Applications are made online with UK Visas and Immigration following assignment of a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Applicants must submit supporting documents, verify identity through biometrics or the ID Check app, and pay the relevant application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge where applicable.
Standard processing times are typically around three weeks for overseas applications, with priority services available in some cases.
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Summary
Global Business Mobility visas provide structured, short-term solutions for international workforce movement into the UK, but require careful route selection, strict compliance and clear evidential preparation to avoid refusal or compliance risk.