Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Transfer Workers to a UK Branch with ICT Visa

The Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer Visas category allowed multinational companies to transfer workers from their overseas operations to a UK branch. This Visa has now been discontinued and taken over by the Senior or Specialist Visa.

Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Transfer Workers to a UK Branch Using the New Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

The Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT) Visa had been a popular way for international companies to move workers from overseas operations to their office or facility in the UK. However, that visa has been discontinued and replaced with the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa.

About the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Like the Tier 2 ICT Visa, the new Senior or Specialist Worker Visa is designed to make it easy for multinationals to move personnel from overseas branches to a branch in the UK. As the name implies the worker in question must be a senior manager or an employee with specialist knowledge whose services are required to assist in the company’s UK operations.

Requirements for Obtaining a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

Here are the requirements for those applying for the new Senior or Specialist Worker Visa:

• You must be at least 18 years of age.
• You must currently work for a business that is directly linked by common ownership or control to your UK sponsor, or by a joint venture undertaken by the companies on which your services are required.
• You must have worked for the foreign business for at least 12 months.
• If your salary is more than £73,900 per year the 12-month work requirement may be waived.
• You must possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from the UK company.
• The job you aspire to transfer to must be genuine and require at least RQF Level 6.
• The absolute minimum salary for the job is £42,400 (this has been raised from the previous minimum of £41,500).
• You can prove an ability to support yourself.
• Your UK sponsor has paid the Immigration Skills Charge (the Immigration Skills Charge ranges from £1,000 for less than 12 months to £2,500 for up to 30 months).

Note that in some cases the minimum acceptable salary for the proposed position may be considerably higher than £42,400 based on the UK government’s Going Rate policy.

Note also that as long as you satisfy all of the above-listed requirements for the new Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, switching from the old Tier 2 ICT Visa to its replacement should be relatively easy.

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that like the Tier 2 ICT Visa, the new Senior or Specialist Worker Visa does not provide an avenue for settlement in the UK.