The Global Business Mobility visa UK framework is the umbrella for five sponsored routes that overseas employers use to deploy staff into a linked UK entity. It replaced the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT), Intra-Company Graduate Trainee, Sole Representative and parts of the T5 International Agreement categories in April 2022, and was reshaped again by the July 2025 salary reforms. This 2026 guide covers what GBM is, the five GBM routes side by side, the £52,500 general salary threshold and £73,900 high-earner level, the 8 April 2026 fee schedule, and the critical settlement question — time on a GBM visa does not count toward Indefinite Leave to Remain.
GBM is a five-route framework for overseas businesses to send existing staff into linked UK operations on a temporary basis. The two main routes — Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker — require a £52,500 minimum salary (or the SOC going rate, whichever is higher). None of the five routes leads to settlement; a switch to Skilled Worker is needed for the ILR pathway.
Global Business Mobility Visa UK 2026: Complete Guidance
Global Business Mobility — frequently shortened to GBM and occasionally miscalled "premium business mobility" — is not a single visa but a framework of five sponsored routes inside Appendix Global Business Mobility of the Immigration Rules. Each route handles a different deployment scenario: a senior intra-company transfer, a structured graduate training rotation, setting up a new UK branch, supplying services under a trade agreement, or a high-value contract secondment. The UK entity must hold a valid sponsor licence under the relevant category before any Certificate of Sponsorship can be assigned.
What is the Global Business Mobility Visa?
The Global Business Mobility visa is a UK work visa framework comprising five separate sponsored routes for overseas businesses to transfer existing employees to linked UK operations for temporary assignments: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, and Secondment Worker. All require sponsorship; none leads directly to settlement.
GBM exists because multinational employers needed a structured, points-based way to bring staff into the UK without the friction of the Skilled Worker route — particularly the English language requirement, which does not apply to any GBM route. The trade-off is that GBM is explicitly temporary. Time accrued on GBM (and on its ICT predecessors) is cumulative, counts toward strict maximum stays, and does not move the applicant any closer to settlement.
Features Common to All Five GBM Routes
- Sponsorship required: The UK entity must hold a sponsor licence under the relevant GBM sub-category and assign a Certificate of Sponsorship before applying.
- Linked-entity rule: The applicant must work for a business linked to the UK sponsor by common ownership, common control, or a qualifying contract (depending on route).
- Overseas work history: Generally 12 months continuous work outside the UK for Senior/Specialist Workers and UK Expansion Workers (waived for high earners); 3 months for Graduate Trainees.
- No English requirement: Unlike the Skilled Worker route, no GBM route tests English at B1 or any other level.
- Dependants allowed: Partners and children may accompany the main applicant.
- No direct settlement: None of the five routes provides a pathway to permanent UK settlement (ILR) — qualifying time accrues only after switching to a settlement-eligible route.
The 5 Global Business Mobility Routes Compared
Each GBM route serves a distinct purpose, attracts different points (60 for the three skilled routes; 40 for Service Supplier and Secondment Worker, which carry no general salary threshold), and is capped at a different maximum stay. Choosing the wrong route is an automatic refusal — a recurring issue where employers default to Senior or Specialist Worker without checking whether the deployment actually meets that route's criteria.
| GBM Route | Designed For | Maximum Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker route guidance | Intra-company transfer of senior managers or specialists into a linked UK entity | 5 years in any 6 (9 in 10 if earning £73,900+) |
| Graduate Trainee route requirements | Workers on a structured graduate training programme rotating into the UK | 12 months total |
| UK Expansion Worker visa for new branches | Setting up a new UK branch of an overseas business with no UK trading presence | 2 years total (1+1) |
| Trade agreement service provider visa | Contractual service supply under a qualifying UK international trade agreement | 6 months (12 under UK-EU TCA) |
| High-value contract secondment route | Secondments tied to high-value contracts (typically £50m+) between overseas and UK entities | 2 years total |
Time on any GBM route counts toward the cumulative maximum across all GBM and predecessor ICT routes. Someone who used 4 years on an old Intra-Company Transfer visa has 1 year left on a Senior or Specialist Worker visa before triggering the cooling-off period. The cooling-off requirement is normally 12 months outside the UK (or 6 months for high earners) before another GBM application can be made.
Points Assessment Across the Five Routes
All GBM applications are decided on a mandatory points basis. The Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee and UK Expansion Worker routes require 60 points (sponsorship, job at appropriate skill level, salary). Service Supplier and Secondment Worker require only 40 points because they have no general salary threshold — only the going rate or, for Service Suppliers, the National Minimum Wage. The skill threshold across all skilled GBM routes is RQF Level 6 (degree-level), and the role must use a SOC 2020 code eligible under the GBM appendix.
Global Business Mobility Salary Requirements 2026
Senior or Specialist Workers and UK Expansion Workers must be paid at least £52,500 per year, or 100% of the SOC 2020 going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. Graduate Trainees need £25,410 or 70% of the going rate. Service Suppliers and Secondment Workers have no general threshold and are assessed against route-specific tests.
The salary landscape changed materially in July 2025 when the general threshold for the two main GBM routes rose from £48,500 to £52,500. The threshold sits in parallel with — but is separate from — the Skilled Worker general salary level. Going rates for every eligible role are set out in Appendix Skilled Occupations, and the higher of the two figures must be paid.
| Route | General Threshold 2026 | Going Rate Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker | £52,500 | 100% of SOC 2020 going rate |
| UK Expansion Worker | £52,500 | 100% of SOC 2020 going rate |
| Graduate Trainee | £25,410 | 70% of SOC 2020 going rate |
| Service Supplier / Secondment Worker | No general threshold | Route-specific (NMW for Service Supplier) |
| High-earner level (extended stay) | £73,900 | Unlocks 9-in-10-year stay and waives 12-month overseas rule |
What Counts Toward the Salary Threshold
Only guaranteed gross basic pay (capped at 48 working hours per week) counts toward the threshold, plus a defined list of guaranteed allowances such as London weighting and mobility premiums paid throughout the UK assignment. Bonuses, overtime, shift premiums, employer pension contributions, and most in-kind benefits are excluded. Accommodation allowances are capped — 30% of the salary for Senior or Specialist Workers and 40% for Graduate Trainees — and only the amount inside the cap can be counted. The full pay-assessment rules sit alongside the Skilled Worker pay floor, which uses the same calculation method but with a lower £41,700 general threshold and different exclusions.
Hitting £52,500 is not enough on its own. If the SOC 2020 occupation code's going rate is £58,000, the worker must be paid £58,000. Where a sponsor selects an occupation code with a lower going rate that does not actually fit the role, UKVI will refuse the application on the basis that the most appropriate code has a higher going rate than the proposed salary. Verifying the correct RQF Level 6 eligible occupation codes upfront avoids this category of refusal.
GBM Visa Fees from 8 April 2026
All GBM application fees rose on 8 April 2026 as part of the Home Office's annual fee uplift. The fee depends on the route, where the application is made (inside or outside the UK), and the duration of the Certificate of Sponsorship for Senior or Specialist Workers. The four shorter routes — Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker — share a single £340 flat fee.
| Route & Application Type | Fee from 8 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Senior or Specialist Worker — outside UK, CoS ≤3 years | £819 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker — outside UK, CoS >3 years | £1,618 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker — inside UK, CoS ≤3 years | £943 |
| Senior or Specialist Worker — inside UK, CoS >3 years | £1,865 |
| Graduate Trainee (in or outside UK) | £340 |
| UK Expansion Worker (in or outside UK) | £340 |
| Service Supplier (in or outside UK) | £340 |
| Secondment Worker (in or outside UK) | £340 |
Source: Home Office, Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026.
Additional Costs Beyond the Application Fee
- Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS): £1,035 per year for adults; £776 per year for under-18s; payable upfront for the full grant period. See the annual NHS healthcare charge guide for exemptions and payment mechanics.
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) — sponsor pays: £525 for Senior or Specialist Worker; £55 for Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker.
- Immigration Skills Charge — sponsor pays: £1,320 first year for large sponsors (£480 for small/charitable), plus £660 per additional 6 months (£240 small). Senior or Specialist Worker only — Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker are exempt.
- Sponsor licence application: £611 (small/charitable) or £1,682 (medium/large) from 8 April 2026.
- Priority service: £500 for a 5-working-day decision; £1,000 for super-priority (next working day), subject to capacity at the visa application centre.
- Maintenance funds: £1,270 in personal funds for 28 days unless the sponsor certifies maintenance.
A complete side-by-side of every work-visa application fee — including how GBM stacks up against Skilled Worker, Health and Care, Innovator Founder and the T5 sub-routes — sits in the complete UK work visa cost breakdown. Standard how long decisions take after biometrics is typically 3 weeks for entry clearance and 8 weeks in-country, with priority service available on most GBM routes.
Sponsor Licence and Eligibility
Every GBM route requires the UK entity to hold a valid sponsor licence under the matching GBM sub-category before it can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship. For Senior or Specialist Worker and Graduate Trainee, ICT licence holders had their licences automatically converted to GBM equivalents on 11 April 2022. UK Expansion Worker licences sit on a special pathway because the UK entity does not yet exist as a trading business — the application is for a "provisional" rated licence that converts to A-rated once trading begins.
The corporate linkage between the UK sponsor and the overseas employer is the area UKVI scrutinises most heavily. Common ownership and control must be evidenced by share registers, group charts and audited accounts; joint-venture and contract-based routes (Service Supplier, Secondment Worker) require the contract itself to fall under a UK international trade agreement and to have been approved by the Home Office. The detailed eligibility, evidential and compliance rules are in the official Sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker caseworker guidance.
Sponsor-side compliance for GBM mirrors the wider UK sponsor licence framework — accurate record-keeping, reporting changes via the Sponsor Management System within 10 working days, right-to-work checks against eVisa share codes, and readiness for audit visits. From 1 January 2026 all GBM applicants verify identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app and receive an eVisa rather than a physical document.
Documents Required for a GBM Application
- Valid Certificate of Sponsorship reference number (used within 3 months of issue)
- Current passport with at least one blank page
- Evidence of overseas employment with the linked entity (12 months for Senior/Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker; 3 months for Graduate Trainee)
- Tuberculosis test certificate if applying from a listed country
- Evidence of £1,270 maintenance funds held for 28 consecutive days (unless sponsor-certified)
- Police clearance or criminal record certificate where required for the role
- Service Suppliers: documentary evidence of nationality or residence and the underlying trade agreement
Does the Global Business Mobility Visa Lead to Settlement (ILR)?
No GBM route leads to settlement. Time spent on any of the five GBM routes does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain. To reach ILR, a GBM visa holder must switch to a settlement-eligible route — most commonly Skilled Worker — and the qualifying clock starts only from the date of the switch.
This is the single most important structural feature of GBM and the source of most strategic missteps. A senior executive who spends 5 years on a Senior or Specialist Worker visa is, from a settlement perspective, no closer to ILR than they were on day one. The same applies to 9 years at the high-earner level. The cumulative time only ever counts against the maximum GBM stay, never toward Indefinite Leave to Remain.
GBM vs Skilled Worker: Settlement and Practical Differences
| Feature | Global Business Mobility | Skilled Worker |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement (ILR) | No direct route | ILR after 5 qualifying years |
| English language | Not required | B1 CEFR required |
| Overseas work history | 12 months (3 for Graduate Trainee) | Not required |
| Sponsor | UK entity linked to overseas employer | Any licensed UK sponsor |
| General salary 2026 | £52,500 (Senior/Specialist & Expansion) | £41,700 |
| Maximum stay | 2–9 years route-dependent | Indefinite (extendable) |
Switching from GBM to Skilled Worker
GBM holders can switch in-country to Skilled Worker provided they meet every Skilled Worker requirement at the point of switching: a new Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed Skilled Worker sponsor, salary at or above £41,700 (or the going rate), B1 English, an eligible RQF Level 6 occupation, and the financial requirement. Once switched, the Skilled Worker clock starts at zero — none of the prior GBM time counts toward the qualifying period for Skilled Worker settlement.
For employees genuinely intended for long-term UK residence, the switch is usually planned at the end of year one or year two of GBM, well before the maximum-stay ceiling triggers. Delaying the switch is the most expensive option: every additional year on GBM is a year added to the eventual 6-year total (GBM time + 5 years Skilled Worker) before ILR can be granted. The mechanics of switching to the Skilled Worker route from inside the UK are straightforward where the receiving sponsor is licensed and the role meets the salary and skill tests.
Alternative Routes for Long-Term Plans
Skilled Worker is not the only settlement-eligible route open from inside the UK. Innovator Founder, Global Talent, the Health and Care visa stream of Skilled Worker, and the spouse route for those married to a British citizen or settled person all lead to ILR on their own timelines (2–10 years depending on route and history). Each has its own sponsorship, endorsement or relationship-based requirements; none is a substitute for Skilled Worker where the underlying scenario is straightforward continued sponsored employment by a UK employer.
- GBM is a framework of five sponsored routes, not a single visa — choose the route that matches the deployment scenario.
- Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker require £52,500 minimum salary (or higher going rate) from July 2025 onward.
- High earners at £73,900+ unlock a 9-in-10-year stay and have the 12-month overseas work rule waived.
- Application fees on 8 April 2026: £819–£1,865 for Senior/Specialist Worker depending on length and location; £340 for the four shorter routes.
- No English language requirement applies to any GBM route — a clear differentiator from Skilled Worker.
- None of the five routes leads to settlement; switching to Skilled Worker resets the qualifying clock at zero.
- All grants from 2026 are eVisas accessed via the UK Immigration: ID Check app.
Where a GBM refusal has been issued, the available remedy depends on the ground of refusal. Administrative review is the standard route for caseworker error on the points assessment, evidential review or salary calculation — the process and time limits sit in the dedicated guide to how to challenge a Global Business Mobility refusal.
It is a UK work-visa framework introduced on 11 April 2022 covering five sponsored routes: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker. Each is designed for a specific type of temporary deployment by an overseas business into a linked UK entity. The framework replaced the Intra-Company Transfer, Intra-Company Graduate Trainee, Sole Representative and part of the T5 International Agreement categories.
The five routes are: (1) Senior or Specialist Worker for intra-company transfers of senior managers and specialists; (2) Graduate Trainee for workers on a structured graduate training programme; (3) UK Expansion Worker for setting up a new UK branch where no UK trading presence exists; (4) Service Supplier for contractual service delivery under a UK international trade agreement; and (5) Secondment Worker for secondments tied to a high-value contract between overseas and UK entities.
From July 2025 onwards, the Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker general threshold is £52,500 per year, or 100% of the SOC 2020 going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. Graduate Trainees need £25,410 or 70% of the going rate. Service Supplier and Secondment Worker have no general salary threshold but must meet route-specific tests including the National Minimum Wage and the SOC going rate where applicable.
From 8 April 2026: Senior or Specialist Worker is £819 (outside UK, CoS ≤3 years), £1,618 (outside UK, CoS >3 years), £943 (inside UK, CoS ≤3 years) or £1,865 (inside UK, CoS >3 years). Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker are each £340. All applicants also pay the Immigration Health Surcharge at £1,035 per adult per year, plus any optional priority service fee.
No. None of the five GBM routes leads directly to Indefinite Leave to Remain. Time spent on any GBM route — including at the high-earner level — does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period for ILR. The standard path to settlement is to switch to Skilled Worker (or another settlement-eligible route) inside the UK, at which point the qualifying clock starts at zero.
Senior or Specialist Workers can stay up to 5 years in any 6-year period, extended to 9 years in any 10-year period for high earners on £73,900 or more. Graduate Trainees are capped at 12 months in total. UK Expansion Workers and Secondment Workers are capped at 2 years total. Service Suppliers are normally limited to 6 months per contract, or up to 12 months under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the UK-Swiss Agreement.
No. None of the five GBM routes tests English language ability. This is one of the most significant differences from the Skilled Worker route, which requires B1 CEFR. If a GBM holder later switches to Skilled Worker or applies for settlement under another route, the English requirement of that route will then apply at the point of application.
Yes. In-country switching is permitted provided every Skilled Worker requirement is met at the point of application — a Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed Skilled Worker sponsor, salary at or above £41,700 or the going rate, B1 English, an eligible RQF Level 6 occupation, and the financial maintenance requirement. Time on GBM does not transfer toward the Skilled Worker 5-year ILR qualifying period; the clock starts from the date the Skilled Worker permission begins.
A worker sponsored as a Senior or Specialist Worker or UK Expansion Worker on a gross annual salary of £73,900 or more (based on a maximum of 48 working hours per week) qualifies as a high earner. This unlocks two benefits: maximum stay extends from 5-in-6 years to 9-in-10 years, and the standard 12-month overseas employment requirement is waived. The £52,500 general threshold still applies; £73,900 is the additional level that activates these provisions.
Yes. The UK entity must hold a sponsor licence under the matching GBM sub-category before a Certificate of Sponsorship can be assigned. ICT licence holders had their licences converted automatically to Senior or Specialist Worker / Graduate Trainee equivalents on 11 April 2022. UK Expansion Worker licences sit on a provisional pathway because the UK entity does not yet have trading status — the licence converts to A-rated once trading begins.