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UK Expansion Worker — Global Business Mobility

United KingdomWork

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Get your free results Read the five questions ↓

What type of worker, employment situation, occupation or professional activity is this pathway actually designed for?

The UK Expansion Worker visa is designed for a senior manager or specialist employee of an overseas business who comes to the UK to set up a branch of that business which has not started trading in the UK yet.

See recorded sources
  • Overview
    A UK Expansion Worker visa allows you to come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet. You must already work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee.

Does the applicant need a job offer, employer, sponsor, transfer relationship or other employer involvement? What is important about that employer relationship?

The applicant must have a valid certificate of sponsorship from their employer and must have worked for that employer outside the UK.

See recorded sources
  • Eligibility
    have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer
  • Eligibility
    have worked for your employer outside the UK

What are the few decisive professional characteristics of the pathway: occupation, qualifications, experience, salary, skill level, shortage status, labour-market condition or equivalent?

The decisive professional characteristics are that the applicant must already work for the overseas business as a senior manager or specialist employee, do a job on the list of eligible occupations, and be paid the minimum eligible salary required for the job.

See recorded sources
  • Overview
    You must already work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee.
  • Eligibility
    do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
  • Eligibility
    be paid the minimum eligible salary required for your job

What work does the permission allow? Is the holder tied to an employer, occupation or sector? Can family accompany where clearly established?

The holder can work for their sponsor in the job described in the certificate of sponsorship, study, bring their partner and children as dependants if eligible, travel abroad and return to the UK, and do voluntary work, which must be unpaid and for a registered charity, a voluntary organisation, an associated fundraising body or a statutory body. They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension, change jobs unless eligible and updating the visa, or have a second job.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    With a UK Expansion Worker visa you can: work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship study bring your partner and children with you as your ‘dependants’, if they’re eligible travel abroad and return to the UK do voluntary work
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    Any voluntary work you do must be unpaid and for one of the following: a registered charity a voluntary organisation an associated fundraising body (an organisation that raises money for a charity or voluntary organisation) a statutory body (a government-appointed body, for example Historic England)
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    You cannot: apply for most benefits (public funds), or the State Pension change jobs unless you are eligible and you update your visa have a second job

How long is the permission normally granted for, how is it renewed, and what longer-term residence direction exists if officially stated?

Permission is granted for whichever is shorter of 12 months after the job start date on the certificate of sponsorship, or the time on the certificate plus 14 days. The visa can be extended by 12 months, with a maximum stay of 2 years on a UK Expansion Worker visa, and time on the listed Global Business Mobility and intra-company visas is capped at 5 years in any 6 year period. Applying to settle permanently (indefinite leave to remain) is listed among what the holder cannot do.

See recorded sources
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    You can stay in the UK with a UK Expansion Worker visa for whichever is shorter of: 12 months after the start date of the job on your certificate of sponsorship the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    If you want to stay longer in the UK, you can extend your visa by 12 months. The maximum time you can stay in the UK on a UK Expansion Worker visa is 2 years.
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    You can only stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in any 6 year period if you’ve spent time on any of these visas: Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa Intra-company Transfer visa Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility) Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility) UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
  • https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
    apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’)

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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