The Senior or Specialist Worker visa UK is the main route inside the Global Business Mobility framework — the modern successor to the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa, used by multinationals to move senior managers and specialists into a linked UK entity. From July 2025 the general salary threshold is £52,500, and from 8 April 2026 the application fee runs £819 (outside UK, ≤3 years) to £1,865 (inside UK, >3 years). The route does not lead to settlement directly: the standard pathway to ILR is to switch to Skilled Worker once UK long-term residence becomes the goal.
Designed for intra-company transfers, this route needs no English test and no Resident Labour Market check, but requires £52,500 minimum salary (or higher going rate), 12 months overseas employment with the linked sponsor, and an Immigration Skills Charge paid by the employer at £1,320 per year for large sponsors. Maximum stay is 5 years in any 6 (or 9 years in 10 for £73,900+ earners). No direct path to settlement.
- What is the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?
- Eligibility Requirements 2026
- Salary Threshold and Going Rate Rules
- Application Fees from 8 April 2026
- Sponsor Costs: Licence, CoS and ISC
- How to Apply Step by Step
- Senior or Specialist Worker vs Skilled Worker
- Switching to Skilled Worker for ILR
- Frequently Asked Questions
Senior or Specialist Worker Visa UK 2026: Complete Guidance
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is the most-used sub-route inside the wider GBM five-route framework — and the only one in that framework that triggers the Immigration Skills Charge. It replaced the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Long-Term Staff visa on 11 April 2022 under Appendix Global Business Mobility, and is the route searched as "tier 2 ICT visa", "intra-company transfer", or simply "GBM visa". Existing ICT licences converted automatically to GBM Senior or Specialist Worker licences on the same date.
What is the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is a UK work visa under the Global Business Mobility framework for senior managers and specialist employees being transferred from an overseas business to a linked UK entity. Applicants need sponsorship from a licensed UK sponsor, £52,500 minimum salary (or the SOC 2020 going rate), 12 months continuous employment with the linked overseas business (waived for £73,900+ earners), and a job at RQF Level 6 (degree level).
The route splits into two types of worker. Senior managers are employees in high-level positions responsible for the establishment, strategy, resource allocation, or significant decision-making of the UK entity. Specialist workers are employees holding advanced or proprietary knowledge of the sponsor's products, services, processes, or operations that cannot readily be sourced from the UK labour market. The points-based assessment is identical for both, and the sponsor selects the SOC 2020 occupation code on the Certificate of Sponsorship.
Maximum Stay and the Cumulative Rule
- Standard maximum stay: 5 years within any rolling 6-year period for workers earning below £73,900.
- High-earner maximum stay: 9 years within any 10-year period for workers earning £73,900 or more.
- Cumulative count: Time spent on any earlier GBM route — including Intra-Company Transfer permission held before 11 April 2022 — counts toward the maximum stay cap.
- Cooling-off: After reaching the cap, the standard cooling-off period is 12 months outside the UK (6 months for high earners) before another GBM application can be made.
- CoS-linked duration: Each grant runs for the Certificate of Sponsorship period plus 14 days, up to the maximum stay cap.
Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Eligibility 2026
Eligibility requires 60 mandatory points: 20 for valid sponsorship by a Senior or Specialist Worker licensed sponsor, 20 for the job being at RQF Level 6 (degree level), and 20 for salary at or above £52,500 and the SOC 2020 going rate. Applicants must be 18+, have 12 months continuous employment with the overseas linked business (waived for £73,900+), and meet maintenance and TB-screening requirements where applicable.
Mandatory Points Breakdown
| Points Category | Points | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsorship | 20 | Valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a licensed Senior or Specialist Worker sponsor |
| Job at appropriate skill level | 20 | Role at RQF Level 6 (degree-equivalent) under an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code |
| Salary | 20 | At least £52,500 per year AND at least 100% of the SOC 2020 going rate for the occupation |
| Total required | 60 | All three categories are mandatory — none can be traded |
Additional Eligibility Tests
- Age: 18 or over at the date of application.
- Overseas employment: 12 months continuous work with the overseas business linked to the UK sponsor by common ownership, common control or qualifying contract. Waived for high earners on £73,900+.
- Linked-entity evidence: The corporate linkage between overseas employer and UK sponsor must be evidenced by share registers, group charts and audited accounts where requested.
- Genuine vacancy: The UK role must be a genuine position, not created primarily to facilitate the visa.
- Maintenance: £1,270 in personal savings held for 28 consecutive days, or A-rated sponsor certifies maintenance on the CoS.
- Suitability: No refusal under Part 9 grounds of the Immigration Rules; for some roles a police clearance certificate is required.
- TB certificate: Required when applying from a listed Appendix Tuberculosis country.
- No English requirement: Unlike the Skilled Worker route — which now requires B2 CEFR from 8 January 2026 — no English test applies to Senior or Specialist Worker applications at entry or extension.
Salary Threshold and Going Rate Rules
The general salary threshold rose from £48,500 to £52,500 on 22 July 2025 and remains in force for 2026 applications. The threshold operates as a floor — every applicant must clear £52,500 — but the going rate for the SOC 2020 occupation code must also be met. Where the going rate for the chosen occupation exceeds £52,500, the higher figure applies. Going rates are published in Appendix Skilled Occupations and are the same as those used for the Skilled Worker £41,700 salary threshold calculations.
| Salary Tier | Threshold | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| General threshold (since 22 July 2025) | £52,500 | Minimum salary floor — must be paid alongside meeting the going rate |
| Going rate (occupation-specific) | 100% of SOC 2020 rate | Whichever is higher of £52,500 or the going rate applies |
| High earner threshold | £73,900 | Waives the 12-month overseas employment rule; unlocks 9-in-10-year maximum stay |
What Counts Toward the Salary Threshold
Only guaranteed gross basic pay counts toward the threshold — capped at 48 working hours per week — 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 at 30% of total salary and only the in-cap portion counts. The role must use an SOC 2020 occupation code consistent with the actual job content.
From 8 April 2026 the Home Office assesses salary compliance per individual pay period — not just the annual total. For monthly-paid workers, salary over any 3-month period must be at least one quarter of the annual minimum; for more frequently paid workers, salary over any 12-week period must equal at least 12/52 of the annual threshold. This affects roles with variable bonuses or commission-based pay where the basic salary alone must satisfy the floor in every pay cycle.
Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Fees from 8 April 2026
All Senior or Specialist Worker application fees rose on 8 April 2026 as part of the Home Office's annual fee uplift. The fee depends on three variables: whether the application is made inside or outside the UK, and whether the Certificate of Sponsorship is for 3 years or less, or for more than 3 years. The complete schedule is in the Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026.
| Application Type | CoS Duration | Fee from 8 April 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Outside UK (entry clearance) | ≤3 years | £819 |
| Outside UK (entry clearance) | >3 years | £1,618 |
| Inside UK (extension or switch) | ≤3 years | £943 |
| Inside UK (extension or switch) | >3 years | £1,865 |
| Priority service | 5 working days | +£500 |
| Super Priority service | Next working day | +£1,000 |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026.
Immigration Health Surcharge
All Senior or Specialist Worker holders must pay the annual NHS surcharge per year of leave upfront for the full grant period. The current rate is £1,035 per adult per year and £776 per child per year — so a 3-year visa pays £3,105 adult IHS, and a 5-year visa pays £5,175. Total adult upfront cost for a typical 3-year entry-clearance application is £819 + £3,105 = £3,924.
Sponsor Costs: Licence, CoS and Immigration Skills Charge
UK sponsors pay several costs that cannot lawfully be passed on to or recovered from the worker. These are the sponsor's statutory responsibilities under the sponsor licence and SMS compliance regime, and incorrect payment can invalidate the Certificate of Sponsorship and result in visa refusal. The Senior or Specialist Worker route is the only GBM sub-route that triggers the Immigration Skills Charge — the Graduate Trainee training route, UK Expansion Worker route for setting up a branch, Service Supplier route under trade agreements and Secondment Worker route for high-value contracts are all ISC-exempt.
| Sponsor Cost | Small / Charitable Sponsor | Medium / Large Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor licence application (8 April 2026) | £611 | £1,682 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £525 | £525 |
| Immigration Skills Charge — first 12 months | £480 | £1,320 |
| Immigration Skills Charge — each additional 6 months | £240 | £660 |
| 3-year ISC total | £1,440 | £3,960 |
| 5-year ISC total | £2,400 | £6,600 |
A targeted ISC exemption applies where the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued on or after 1 January 2023, the worker is an EU national (or holds a Latvian non-citizen's passport), the worker normally works in the EU for the sponsor's EU business, and the temporary UK transfer is for no more than 36 months. This is the only routine ISC exemption inside the Senior or Specialist Worker route and reflects the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement on intra-corporate transferees. Full sponsor mechanics sit in the Sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker caseworker guidance.
Total Cost Worked Example — 3-Year Assignment
- Worker pays: £819 application fee + £3,105 IHS = £3,924 upfront.
- Sponsor pays (medium/large): £525 CoS + £3,960 ISC = £4,485 at CoS assignment.
- Combined Day-1 government cost (worker + sponsor): £8,409 — before any priority service, dependant fees, or sponsor licence fee.
How to Apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa
The application starts on the sponsor side — the Certificate of Sponsorship reference must exist before the worker submits anything. The CoS is valid for 3 months from the date of assignment, and the worker must apply within that window. Applications are made online on gov.uk no earlier than 3 months before the CoS start date.
- Step 1: UK sponsor confirms its Senior or Specialist Worker licence is current and A-rated.
- Step 2: Sponsor pays £525 CoS and applicable ISC, then assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship with the worker's job and salary details.
- Step 3: Worker completes the online application on gov.uk no earlier than 3 months before the CoS start date.
- Step 4: Worker pays the £819 / £943 / £1,618 / £1,865 application fee (per type) and Immigration Health Surcharge.
- Step 5: Verify identity — UK Immigration: ID Check app for eligible passports, biometric appointment at a Visa Application Centre otherwise.
- Step 6: Upload supporting evidence — passport, maintenance, TB certificate, criminal record certificate where required, and any role-specific evidence.
- Step 7: Receive decision — typically 3 weeks for entry clearance and up to 8 weeks for in-country applications. Home Office decision timelines include priority and super-priority options.
Switching Into the Route From Inside the UK
In-country switching to Senior or Specialist Worker is permitted from most sponsored work routes and from some non-work routes — including, for instance, switching from a Skilled Worker visa where an intra-company transfer becomes the appropriate structure. The 12-month overseas employment rule still applies unless the high-earner waiver is met. Switching is NOT permitted from Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or where the applicant is on immigration bail.
Senior or Specialist Worker vs Skilled Worker — Key Differences
The two main UK sponsored work routes look superficially similar but produce very different outcomes on cost, English requirements, and settlement. Choosing the wrong route — typically defaulting to Senior or Specialist Worker where the role does not meet the intra-company transfer criteria — leads to refusal and re-application costs. The Skilled Worker visa for permanent UK staff is the right route where there is no overseas linked employer.
| Feature | Senior or Specialist Worker | Skilled Worker |
|---|---|---|
| General salary threshold 2026 | £52,500 | £41,700 |
| English language requirement | None | B2 CEFR (from 8 January 2026) |
| Overseas employment | 12 months required (waived at £73,900+) | Not required |
| Sponsor type | UK entity linked to overseas employer | Any licensed UK sponsor |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Yes — £1,320/year large sponsor | Yes — £1,320/year large sponsor |
| Maximum stay | 5 years in 6 (9 in 10 for £73,900+) | Indefinite (renewable) |
| Path to ILR | No — must switch routes | Yes — 5 years of qualifying residence |
| Best fit | Intra-company transfer of established staff | External UK hires intending long-term residence |
Switching to Skilled Worker for the Settlement Pathway
No GBM route — including Senior or Specialist Worker — leads to settlement. The qualifying clock for the five-year settlement clock under Skilled Worker starts only from the date of switch, so a worker on 4 years of Senior or Specialist Worker permission who then switches to Skilled Worker faces a further 5 years before ILR (total 9 years in the UK). Where long-term residence is the goal, the strategic move is to switch earlier rather than later.
The 8 January 2026 introduction of B2 CEFR English at entry on the Skilled Worker route applies to in-country switches too — so a Senior or Specialist Worker switching to Skilled Worker now needs to demonstrate B2 English before the switch is granted. Plan the English test (SELT, qualifying UK degree, or majority-English national exemption) alongside the salary and sponsor checks. Where Indefinite Leave to Remain — not Skilled Worker per se — is the goal, the ILR settlement framework overview compares the qualifying periods across every route.
- £52,500 general salary threshold from 22 July 2025; £73,900 high earner level unlocks 9-in-10-year stay and waives the 12-month overseas rule.
- Application fees from 8 April 2026: £819 / £1,618 outside UK; £943 / £1,865 inside UK (for ≤3 years / >3 years CoS).
- Immigration Skills Charge applies — £1,320/year large sponsor, £480/year small/charitable — paid by the employer.
- No English language test on the route, distinguishing it sharply from the Skilled Worker route at B2 CEFR from 8 January 2026.
- 12 months continuous overseas employment with the linked business required (waived for £73,900+ earners).
- Maximum stay: 5 years in any 6-year period (9 years in 10 for high earners). Cumulative with previous GBM and ICT time.
- No direct path to settlement — switching to Skilled Worker resets the qualifying clock at zero.
- Per-pay-period salary compliance under SW 14.3B applies from 8 April 2026.
Where a Senior or Specialist Worker application has been refused, the standard remedy is administrative review for caseworker error on points scoring, salary calculation, or evidential evaluation. The procedure and 28-day deadline sit inside the guide to how to challenge a Senior or Specialist Worker refusal. A wider side-by-side of work-visa application fees, including how this route compares to Health and Care, Skilled Worker and the remaining four GBM sub-routes, sits in the side-by-side UK work visa fee comparison. Official information sits on the gov.uk Senior or Specialist Worker overview.
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa replaced the Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Long-Term Staff visa on 11 April 2022 under the Global Business Mobility framework. Existing ICT licences converted automatically to GBM Senior or Specialist Worker licences. The core mechanic — intra-corporate transfer of an established employee from an overseas linked business to a UK entity — is the same. The current route uses the £52,500 / £73,900 thresholds (from 22 July 2025) and is administered under Appendix Global Business Mobility rather than the old Tier 2 ICT rules.
The general threshold is £52,500 per year (raised from £48,500 on 22 July 2025) or 100% of the SOC 2020 going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. High earners on £73,900 or more unlock two benefits: the 12-month overseas employment rule is waived, and the maximum stay extends from 5 years in 6 to 9 years in any 10-year period. From 8 April 2026 the threshold must also be met in every individual pay period, not just on the annual average.
From 8 April 2026: £819 (outside UK, CoS ≤3 years), £1,618 (outside UK, CoS >3 years), £943 (inside UK, ≤3 years) or £1,865 (inside UK, >3 years). The Immigration Health Surcharge is £1,035 per adult per year — so a 3-year entry-clearance application costs £819 + £3,105 = £3,924 for an adult. The sponsor separately pays £525 per Certificate of Sponsorship and £1,320 per year Immigration Skills Charge (£480 for small/charitable sponsors).
No. Time spent on the Senior or Specialist Worker visa — or any GBM route — does not count toward the 5-year qualifying period for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The standard path to settlement is to switch in-country to the Skilled Worker route once all Skilled Worker requirements are met (including B2 CEFR English from 8 January 2026 and £41,700 minimum salary). The qualifying clock for ILR then starts from the date of the switch.
Maximum stay is 5 years in any rolling 6-year period for workers earning below £73,900. Workers on £73,900 or more (high earners) can stay up to 9 years in any 10-year period. Time on the route is cumulative with any previous GBM or pre-2022 Intra-Company Transfer permission, and once the cap is reached a cooling-off period applies — 12 months outside the UK for standard cases, 6 months for high earners.
No. The Senior or Specialist Worker route has no English language requirement at entry or extension. This is a significant practical difference from the Skilled Worker route, which from 8 January 2026 requires new applicants to demonstrate B2 CEFR proficiency. The English requirement would only arise on a later switch to Skilled Worker or on an application for naturalisation as a British citizen — neither of which applies on the Senior or Specialist Worker route itself.
Yes, in the standard case — the applicant must have worked for the overseas linked business for at least 12 continuous months. The rule is waived for high earners on £73,900 or more, who can apply on the basis of the salary alone. The 12 months can include time spent outside the UK on legitimate annual leave or short business trips, but should otherwise be continuous employment in the corporate group structure linked to the UK sponsor.
Yes. Spouses, civil partners, unmarried partners (2+ years' cohabitation) and children under 18 can apply as dependants. Each dependant pays the same application fee tier and the Immigration Health Surcharge separately. Dependent partners can work without restriction (with the exception of work as a professional sportsperson or coach). Dependants are granted permission to match the main applicant's stay.
If the UKVI revokes the sponsor's licence, the Home Office curtails the worker's permission and provides a grace period of typically 60 days to either secure a new sponsor (and submit a fresh application), switch to a different visa route the worker qualifies for, or leave the UK. Time is critical — the curtailment notice is treated as starting the clock and any new application must be in before the curtailment date.