Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence Guidance

Table of Contents

• What is the Global Business Mobility sponsor licence?
• How to choose the right Global Business Mobility route
• What are the Global Business Mobility sponsor licence requirements?
• What documents are required for a Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence application?
• How to apply for a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence

What is the Global Business Mobility sponsor licence?

A Global Business Mobility sponsor licence gives international businesses and organisations the legal right to sponsor eligible overseas staff to travel to and work in a linked business (e.g., a subsidiary or customer) in the UK on a temporary basis. Businesses can also use the route to send staff to the UK to set up a presence here or as part of a graduate scheme, trade agreement or secondment. Importantly, the reason for coming to the UK must fit within one of the five Global Business Mobility routes.

There is no single Global Business Mobility sponsor licence that automatically covers all five routes. The applying organisation must be approved for every route it plans to use. An organisation can be approved for more than one Global Business Mobility route. However, it must meet the requirements for each route.

Employers need apply for a Worker sponsor licence for the Senior or Specialist Worker route, or a Temporary Worker sponsor licence for the Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker routes.

How to choose the right Global Business Mobility route

The correct Global Business Mobility route for your business will depend on a range of factors, including the purpose of the assignment and whether the UK entity is linked to the overseas business.

• Senior or Specialist Worker – often used when a multinational group wants to transfer an existing senior manager or specialist employee to a linked UK entity. The UK sponsor and overseas business must have the required ownership, control or joint venture link.
• Graduate Trainee – may apply when an overseas employee is on a structured graduate training programme. The programme must lead to a senior management or specialist role. It must also include a legitimate UK work placement with a linked business.
• UK Expansion Worker – when an overseas business wants to establish a UK branch or subsidiary. It is only available if the overseas business has not yet started trading in the UK. The workers must be senior managers or specialist employees who will support the expansion.
• Service Supplier – when a contractual service supplier or independent professional will provide services in the UK. The work must be carried out under a qualifying contract covered by an eligible UK trade commitment.
• Secondment Worker – when an overseas employee will be seconded to the UK. The secondment must form part of a qualifying high-value contract or investment between the overseas employer and the UK sponsor.

Because the rules vary for each available route, it is important to check which is most suitable for your needs before applying. This will avoid being refused because you have selected the wrong option. If you believe that you may need more than one licence, you can apply for each at the same time.

What are the Global Business Mobility sponsor licence requirements?

To secure a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence, your organisation must be able to show it meets three overarching requirements:

• The general sponsor licence requirements: prove your organisation is legitimate, suitable to hold a sponsor licence and capable of fulfilling its sponsor duties.
• Global Business Mobility sponsor licence requirements: to prove your organisation is able to offer employment that satisfies the Global Business Mobility rules and it has a qualifying overseas business link.
• Global Business Mobility route-specific requirements

The general sponsor licence requirements

Regardless of the type of Global Business Mobility sponsor licence you are applying for, your organisation must meet the general sponsor licence requirements, including:

• The organisation must be genuine and operating or trading lawfully in the UK. For UK Expansion Worker applications, the business must instead have a qualifying UK footprint and must not already be actively trading in the UK.
• If the organisation’s activities require registration with a regulatory body, inspection authority or licensing authority, it must hold the necessary registration or licence.
• The organisation must be honest, dependable and reliable, and must not have engaged in conduct that is not conducive to the public good. The Home Office examines its history, key personnel and individuals involved in its management.
• The organisation must have suitable HR and recruitment practices to monitor sponsored workers, maintain required records, report relevant changes and demonstrate compliance with sponsorship duties.
• The organisation must be able and intend to offer genuine work that meets the Home Office’s definition of an eligible role.
• The organisation must have an Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User, subject to the special arrangements for UK Expansion Worker applications.
• It must comply with UK employment law. This includes the National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Regulations. It must also protect worker welfare.

Global Business Mobility sponsor licence requirements

Under the Global Business Mobility requirements, the organisation must be able to offer employment that:

• Meets the skill level for the relevant route
• Meets the salary requirements where these apply
• Is genuine
• Meets the rules on third-party working where these apply
• Complies with the National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Regulations, and
• Otherwise meets the definition of an eligible role

The organisation must also have a qualifying link with the relevant overseas business. The type of link depends on the route. A UK Expansion Worker sponsor must meet additional requirements for that route.

Global Business Mobility route-specific requirements

The route-specific requirements are as follows:

• Senior or Specialist Worker – The UK sponsor must be linked to an overseas business through common ownership or control or an eligible joint venture. If the link is through a joint venture, the worker must work as part of that joint venture. The arrangement must already be operating.
• Graduate Trainee – The UK sponsor and overseas business must be linked through common ownership or control or an eligible joint venture. The linked overseas business must offer a structured graduate training programme that includes a genuine UK work placement.
• UK Expansion Worker – The planned UK business must be linked to the overseas business through an accepted form of common ownership or control. The overseas business must normally have traded overseas for at least three years. It must have a UK footprint but must not already be actively trading in the UK. It must also have credible plans to establish a UK trading presence within two years.
• Service Supplier – The UK sponsor must have an eligible contract with an overseas service provider. The service must be covered by a relevant UK trade commitment. The overseas service provider must have no commercial presence in the UK. The contract must be genuine and must not exceed 12 months.
• Secondment Worker – The UK sponsor must have an eligible contract with an overseas business. The contract must be for goods or investment worth at least £10 million per year and at least £50 million in total.

A Service Supplier or Secondment Worker sponsor must register the qualifying contract when it applies. It can only assign a Certificate of Sponsorship for work under an approved contract. It must tell the Home Office about a new contract and obtain approval before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship under it.

What documents are required for a Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence application?

When applying for a sponsor licence under the Global Business Mobility route, you will need to show that your organisation meets the general sponsor requirements and the requirements for its chosen route. The exact documents depend on the route and the organisation’s circumstances. After completing the online application, you will receive a submission sheet. It will tell you which supporting documents to provide.

General supporting documents

The documents required depend on the organisation’s legal structure and the Global Business Mobility route selected. There is no single document list that applies to every applicant. You will need to provide the documents listed in Appendix A of the sponsor guidance to confirm the organisation’s identity and show that it is entitled to operate in the UK. Depending on the organisation’s circumstances, this may include:

• Companies House registration details
• Evidence of the organisation’s UK premises
• Corporate bank statements
• Audited accounts
• Evidence of any registration or authorisation needed to operate lawfully, and
• Documents showing the ownership and control of the organisation

Route-specific supporting documents

In addition to general supporting documents, employers must provide details of the relevant overseas businesses and supporting evidence demonstrating that they meet the requirements of their chosen Global Business Mobility routes. The documents required for each separate route are summarised as follows:

• Senior or Specialist Worker – The evidence must show a qualifying link with the overseas business. Where the link is through a joint venture, documents can include Companies House details, public announcements and the signed joint venture contract or partnership agreement. Informal cooperation agreements are not enough.
• Graduate Trainee – The organisation must show the qualifying overseas link. It must also provide evidence of the structured graduate training programme. This can include a programme brochure, recruitment evidence or a corporate website that gives details of the programme.
• UK Expansion Worker– The organisation must provide evidence of its UK footprint, such as a lease or purchase agreement for UK premises or a Companies House reference for its UK branch or subsidiary. It must also demonstrate its qualifying link to the overseas business and its overseas trading history, supported by documents such as corporate bank statements covering the previous 12 months and business accounts covering the previous three years. A UK expansion business plan is also required.
• Service Supplier – The organisation must register the qualifying service contract. The contract must be with an overseas service provider and cover a service under a relevant UK trade commitment.
• Secondment Worker – The organisation must register the qualifying contract for goods or investment. The evidence must show that the contract meets the required value.

How to apply for a Global Business Mobility sponsor licence

If the organisation already has a Worker or Temporary Worker sponsor licence, it does not normally need a separate licence. It can apply to add the relevant Global Business Mobility route through the Sponsorship Management System. The organisation must still meet the requirements for the new route. It must also provide the required supporting evidence. An additional fee may apply when it adds the Senior or Specialist Worker route.

For a new Global Business Mobility sponsor licence, the main steps are:

1. Choose the correct route – Identify the purpose of the assignment and the required overseas business link. Select every Global Business Mobility route the organisation plans to use.
2. Check the requirements – Confirm that the organisation meets the general sponsor rules. It must also meet the Global Business Mobility and route-specific requirements.
3. Appoint Key Personnel – Put eligible people in place to manage the licence and assign Certificates of Sponsorship. UK Expansion Worker applications have additional rules concerning Key Personnel.
4. Gather the supporting evidence – Prepare the documents required by Appendix A. Include evidence of the qualifying overseas link and any route-specific documents.
5. Complete the online application – Enter the organisation’s details and select the relevant route or routes. Provide details of the linked overseas businesses.
6. Register a qualifying contract where required – A Service Supplier or Secondment Worker applicant must register the relevant contract as part of the licence process.
7. Pay the application fee – The applicable licence category and fee depend on the selected route. Senior or Specialist Worker is a Worker route. The other four routes are Temporary Worker routes.
8. Submit the supporting evidence – Send the required documents showing the organisation meets the requirements for each selected route.

Once you have submitted your application, supporting evidence, and payment, it normally takes around 8 weeks to receive a decision from the Home Office. If the licence is granted, your organisation can sponsor workers only under its approved routes. It must then comply with its sponsor duties and assign Certificates of Sponsorship in line with the relevant Global Business Mobility requirements.

 

Reference:

GOV.UK: Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker