Global Business Mobility
The Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes allow overseas businesses to send workers to the UK on a temporary work assignment. There are five GBM routes.
Senior or Specialist Worker
This route allows migrants to come to the UK to undertake temporary work assignments, where the worker is a senior manager or specialist employee and is being assigned to the sponsor by a linked overseas business.
Graduate Trainee
This route allows migrants to undertake temporary work assignments where this worker is on a structured graduate training programme leading to a senior management or specialist position with a linked oversea business and is required to do a work placement in the UK as part of that programme.
UK Expansion Worker
This route allows migrants to come to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary of an overseas business that has not yet begun trading in the UK.
Service Supplier
This route allows migrants to undertake temporary work assignments in the UK where the worker is either contractual service supplier employed by an oversea service provide, or is an independent professional established outside the UK and the work is part of a contract covered by one of the UK’s international trade commitments that is currently in force or being provisionally applied.
Secondment Worker
This route allows migrants to undertake temporary work assignments in the UK where the worker is being seconded to the UK as part of a high value contract or investment by their employer overseas.
The maximum total stay allowed for migrant under each category is:
Senior or Specialist Worker
- 5 years in any 6 year period if you are paid less than £73,900 a year;
- 9 years in any 10 year period if you are paid £73,900 a year or more.
Graduate Trainee
- Up to one year.
UK Expansion Worker
- Initial visa granted for one year and this is extendable for a further year, up to a maximum of two years in total.
Service Supplier
- Up to 6 months unless exception applies (eg if the sponsored work is covered by the listed commitment).
Secondment Worker
- Initial visa for one year and this is extendable for a further year, up to a maximum of two years in total.
Permanent Settlement?
None of the GBM routes are a route to settlement.