The Global Business Mobility UK Expansion Worker route is for overseas workers who are senior managers or specialist employees and who are being assigned to the UK to undertake work related to a business’s expansion to the UK.
The overseas organisation which is expanding into the UK must be registered with the Home Office to sponsor expansion workers and assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to the individual(s).
The individual(s) to be sponsored must work for the overseas business as either a senior manager or specialist employee and have been employed by that organisation for at least 12 months. This can be avoided if the individual(s) earn over £73,900 per year or are a Japanese national doing work for a Japanese company expanding into the UK.
The role that they will fulfil must be on the list of the Home Office’s eligible occupations and pay at least £42,400 per year or the ‘going rate’ for the specific role, whichever is higher.
This route can only be used when the business has not yet begun trading in the UK. If the business is already trading in the UK, workers should consider the Senior or Specialist Worker visa instead.