Senior or Specialist Worker Visa – Global Business Mobility

There are various fees involved in the application process for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, including an application fee and an annual immigration health surcharge.

When applying from outside of the UK, the application fee for a senior or specialist worker is £719 when requesting up to three years’ leave, and £1,420 for more than three years’ leave to remain (permission to stay). For applications within the UK intending to extend a visa or switch to this route, the fee is £827 for up to three years’ leave, and £1,500 for more than three years.

The immigration healthcare surcharge is set at £624 for every year that the applicant is granted leave to remain in the UK, which means the total cost for three years would be £1,872 together with the application fee.

For applications made outside of the UK, once you have submitted your application online, provided evidence of your identity and provided supporting documentation online, the current timescale for a decision is within three weeks. There may be a delay in the decision-making times should the Home Office require further information or supporting documents from you.

Out-of-country visa priority services, which can be used to receive an expedited decision for work visas are currently suspended as the Home Office is prioritising Ukraine Visa Scheme applications. Applicants for work visas may take longer to process.

Dependent spouses or partners and children under the age of 18 can make applications under the Senior or Specialist Worker route. However, if an application is made, the dependant will need to satisfy both a relationship and financial requirement.

The financial requirements mean that a spouse or partner of a senior or specialist worker must be able to show funds of at least £285, while child rates are set at £315 for the first, then £200 per additional child. If an employer can certify that they will maintain and accommodate dependants of senior or specialist workers, there will be no financial requirement.

An application for a dependant can be made at the same time as a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa application, or at a later date. Their visa will end on the same date as the period of leave granted to the primary visa holder.

The Senior or Specialist Worker Visa is a temporary work visa. This means that, regardless of how much they earn or whether their UK sponsor would like them to stay in the UK, there is no eligibility to apply for settlement.

None of the five routes under Global Business Mobility provide a path to settlement. To apply for settlement, individuals must switch to a different immigration route, provided they meet the specific criteria for that route.