The secondment worker visa enables an overseas employer to transfer an individual employee to the UK to do a specified job for a different organisation. The overseas employer and the UK organisation must have a high-value contract, worth at least £50 million.
The secondment worker visa is not a route to settlement; applicants are only able to stay in the UK for a maximum of 5 years in any 6 year period.
To be eligible for the secondment worker visa, certain requirements must be met. You must:
The secondment worker visa application will be made online. As part of your application, certain documents must be provided. You must have:
If you are applying with your partner and/or children, you will also need to provide documents to establish your relationship.
You may also need to provide evidence that you have worked for your employer outside the UK.
For any documents which are not in English or Welsh, you will need to provide certified translations.
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Our lawyers can provide detailed guidance on all aspects of the Secondment worker visa. We will prepare the entire application alongside a detailed letter of representation, setting out how the relevant rules are met.
Latitude Law has significant experience of preparing successful Secondment worker visa applications.
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As a boutique law firm specialising in UK-inbound immigration, our experts understand the complexity and uncertainty that constantly shifting visa and residence policies create for Secondment Workers. Our lawyers can provide up-to-the-minute legal advice on how any changes will impact your application.
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As the requirements for a Secondment Worker visa can be complex, to ensure success, you should seek specialist advice from an immigration solicitor before you proceed with an application. Latitude Law’s specialist lawyers can advise you about your individual requirements and ensure that the conditions of your work are compliant with the very latest immigration rules.
The costs involved in applying for a Secondment Worker Visa include:
Once an application has been submitted and the fee has been paid, a decision will usually be made within three weeks for those applying outside of the UK and around eight weeks for in-country applications.
A secondment worker can be joined by their spouse/partner and any dependent children under the age of 18 if they meet the relationship and financial requirements.
A spouse or partner needs to show proof of funds of £285 to be eligible for application, while dependent children under the age of 18 need £315, with any additional children needing £200 each.
Applications can be made at the same time as the primary visa holder, and visas will end on the same date as the holder of the Secondment Worker visa.
The Secondment Worker visa does not provide the visa holder with a path to settlement in the UK. To obtain indefinite leave to remain, a visa holder must apply under a different immigration route, provided they are eligible to make an application.
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa enables businesses with linked entities overseas to transfer existing employees to the UK for a specified period of time. The employee will need to be assigned to a UK business that is linked to their employer overseas to be considered for this type of visa.
The Expansion Worker visa route to allows for senior or specialist employees to temporarily work in, and expand a business’s presence to the UK. A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed sponsor is required to permit overseas workers to enter the UK as expansion workers.
A Skilled Worker visa is available for skilled workers of all nationalities that have been offered a position from an eligible UK company who is a registered sponsor. This route can lead to settlement and applicants can be joined by dependent partners and children.
