GBM Expansion Worker

1. Eligibility

To be eligible for a UK Expansion Worker visa you need to:

• have worked for your employer outside the UK
• have a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid the minimum eligible salary required for your job

2. How to apply

The visa application process consists of 2 stages:

• Registering a branch office of an overseas company in the UK. The owner of the registered company is the head office of the company. After that, you have to apply for a sponsorship license (SL). The standard period for obtaining a SL is 6-8 weeks. There is no service to fast-track the obtaining of a license.
• Applying for the UK Expansion Worker visa. Here the employee requires a Certificate of 
Sponsorship from the company, which is issued after receiving the Sponsorship License.

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. The time for obtaining a visa is 2-4 weeks, and expedited decision-making is possible for an additional fee.

As part of your application, you will need to prove your diploma (the minimum acceptable educational attainment required is RFQ Level 6 — which equates to a Master’s degree or two Bachelor’s degrees).

3. GBM Visa Requirements

Sponsor requirements for UK Expansion Workers

The UK Expansion Worker route can only be utilized if the business hasn’t started trade in the UK, unlike other sponsored work routes, however, the employing organization must be a branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of an established overseas business.

If a linked overseas employer is looking to send a senior or specialist employee to the UK on a temporary work assignment in a business that is already trading in the UK, they should instead apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, or even a Skilled Worker visa, although the UK employer would need to be licensed to sponsor under these routes instead.

Other requirements include the following:

• The company must have been operating abroad for at least 3 years.
• The company can send up to 5 employees on that visa type.

UK Expansion Worker visa requirements

With a UK Expansion Worker visa, an employee has to:

• be a co-owner of a share in the company
• be employed by the company for at least 12 months with an annual salary of 
 £45,800 (this does not include dividends or bonuses)

The financial requirements are min. £1,270 in your personal bank account.

The UK Expansion Worker visa is issued for 12 months and can be extended for the next 12 months without leaving the country. The maximum time of the visa is 2 years. After that, you can move on to other visas under Global Business Mobility or Skilled Worker routes.

This visa can be transferred from other visas within the country.

It is not possible to transfer from this visa to a Permanent residence, but there are opportunities to transfer to other visas that may lead to Permanent residence.

A partner and children can apply to join you as your ‘dependants’ if they’re eligible.

4. Application process

Using their CoS reference number, the applicant must submit an online application in order to be considered for a UK Expansion Worker visa. As specified on the sponsorship certificate, they have up to three months to apply for a visa before their scheduled start date of employment in the UK.

They will have to substantiate their identification and submit any supporting documentation with their application. To accomplish this and supply their biometric data, they might also need to make an appointment. When they apply, they will be informed if an appointment is required.

The applicant must have:

• a valid CoS from a UK-licensed sponsor
• a passport or other travel document showing their identity and nationality
• an evidence that they have worked for their employer outside the UK for a period of at least 12 months, where applicable
• a valid tuberculosis test certificate

After the applicant has verified their identity, submitted their supporting documentation and paid the appropriate charge, a decision should be made with three weeks for applicants outside of the UK and eight weeks for those inside the UK.

5. How much it costs

The application costs for a UK Expansion Worker visa are:

• a SL fee — £536
• an application fee — £259
• a CoS fee — £21
• a HIS healthcare surcharge — £624

The costs of company registration and the provision of a physical address for the office must be paid separately.

6. How long it takes

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. Your sponsorship certificate mentions this date.

You will be required to certify your identity and submit supporting documents with your application.

If you need an appointment to do this, you might need to allow an extra time. When you start your application, you’ll discover whether you require one.

7. Need assistance with the UK Expansion Worker visa? We can help

Our company provides a comprehensive service with a company registration, physical office location, obtaining a Sponsor License, visa processing and further support in accounting and taxes.

Our company has Certified Public Accountant and Immigration Support licenses.

If the company is already registered in the UK and has been operating for several years, then the employee should apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa.

If the company is already registered in the UK and has been operating for several years, then the employee should apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa.

Book a consultation with our adviser to start the process of obtaining a license and visa.