Unlocking opportunities abroad: A comprehensive guide to Specialist Worker Visas
13.07.2024 - 03:00
/ traveldailynews.com
/ Stavros Andriopoulos
The Senior or Specialist Worker Visa allows senior managers or specialist employers from overseas to work in a UK branch of their organisation.
As organisations grow, they seek opportunities to expand their reach beyond national borders and tap into new markets. One critical aspect of doing business abroad is navigating the visa and immigration process to ensure that key personnel can operate legally in a foreign country.
For companies aiming to establish or expand their presence in the United Kingdom, the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa and other relevant Global Business Mobility (GBM) visas might provide the right pathway to migrate skilled employees.
This guide discusses the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa and how it can help your employees to easily contribute their expertise to and drive the success of your UK operations.
An overview of the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa
The Senior or Specialist Worker route is one of the five Global Business Mobility visas. They allow overseas businesses to send their existing workers to the UK for a temporary work assignment that a UK-based worker cannot do. Each GBM visa caters to specific purposes and requirements.
The Specialist Worker Visa is specifically designed for individuals who are senior managers or specialist employers in their overseas companies. It allows them to enter the UK and undertake an assignment at a UK subsidiary or branch of their overseas organisation.
The UK Specialist Worker route is a temporary worker visa. As such, any time spent on the visa will not count towards settling permanently or obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
Once a specialist worker exhausts their maximum allowable stay in the UK, which can be up to 9 years if they’re high-income earners, they must leave the country. However, they may be able to switch to another visa that counts towards ILR for a permanent stay in the country.
Eligibility requirements for Senior or Specialist Worker Visa
Employees applying under the Specialist Worker route must fulfil the following requirements to be eligible for the visa:
If the specialist worker is applying with their dependents, they must prove they have a certain amount of money to support them in their first month in the UK. The required amount is:
Documents required for the Specialist Worker Visa
When applying for the visa, applicants are expected to provide the following documents:
How to make an application for the Specialist Visa
Individuals intending to apply for the Specialist Visa are required to first obtain a certificate of sponsorship from their employer before starting the application process. They’ll have three months from obtaining the certificate to make their application.
The Specialist Visa