The Intra-Company routes will replace the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) Long-term Staff and Graduate Trainee routes from 1st December 2020. It is important to note that these routes will also apply to EEA nationals who arrived in the UK after 31st December 2020.
There are two Intra-Company routes:
- Intra-Company Transfer for established employees who are being transferred by their overseas employer to do a skilled job for a linked employer in the UK; and
- Intra-Company Graduate Trainee for employees taking part in a structured graduate training programme who are being transferred by their overseas employer to a linked employer in the UK.
A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on these routes. However, the Intra-Company routes do not lead to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.
However, the employer will need a valid Intra-Company routes sponsor licence to employ skilled workers. If you are an employer who already holds a Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) sponsor licence, you do not need to apply for a new licence. The Home Office has confirmed that your existing licence, along with your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation, will be converted into an Intra-Company sponsor licence with the same expiry date as your current Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer) licence.
The applicant needs to score at least 60 points as per below for the visa application to be approved:
| Eligibility | Points |
| Sponsorship with valid CoS | 20 |
| Job at appropriate skill level (level 6 or above) | 20 |
| Salary at required level | 20 |
| Total | 60 |
Switching & Financial requirement
Individuals in the UK on another immigration route can ‘switch’ to the Intra-Company routes if they meet all the relevant immigration requirements and were not last granted permission on any of the following routes:
- Visitor
- Short-term student
- Parent of a Child Student
- Seasonal Worker
- Domestic Worker in a Private Household
- Outside the Immigration Rules
This provides more flexibility for UK visa holders who, in most case, will not need to leave the UK and apply from their home country.
Moreover, if the worker is applying for entry clearance from outside the UK or has been in the UK for less than one year at the date of application, they must show they have enough funds to support themselves and any family members in the UK.
They will need to evidence that they have at least £1,270 on their bank account at the date of the application submission or their employer can certify maintenance on their CoS. By certifying the maintenance, the employer confirms that it will, if necessary, maintain and accommodate the individual, at least £1,270, up to the end of their first month of employment in the UK.
Intra-Company Transfer
This route is for established workers of multinational companies who are being transferred by their overseas company to do a skilled role for a linked entity in the UK.
A worker applying for entry clearance or permission to stay on the Intra-Company Transfer route must:
- be currently working for the sponsor group; and
- have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for at least 12 months, unless they are applying as a high earner (gross annual salary of £73,900 or more based on working a maximum of 48 hours per week)
Workers on the Intra-Company Transfer route can stay in the UK for a cumulative total of 5 years in any 6-year period, unless they are a high earner, in which case the maximum period is a cumulative total of 9 years in any 10-year period.
Intra-Company Graduate Trainee
This route is for workers taking part in a structured graduate training programme who are being transferred by the overseas entity to a role in the UK. The job must be part of a structured graduate training programme, with clearly defined progression towards a managerial or specialist role within the sponsor group.
The trainee must have worked outside the UK for the sponsor group for a continuous period of at least 3 months immediately before the date of their application. This route is limited to 20 trainees for each financial year and the visa is granted for a maximum period of 1 year at any one time.
Should you wish to discuss this new Intra-Company visas in more detail, please contact our expert team of London immigration lawyers at Barar and Associates at barar.london@bararassociates.co.uk or call us on 020 7487 8370. You can access more information about us via https://bararassociates.com/
