The senior or specialist worker visa comes under the umbrella of GBM (Global Business Mobility). The visa allows individuals to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at their employer’s UK branch. Since April 2022, the visa has replaced the Tier 2 (Intra-Company Transfer or ICT) Long-term Staff visa. The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is a temporary work route and does not provide a direct route to settlement or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.
Sunrise Solicitors offers expert legal guidance in the senior or specialist worker visa application process. Our experienced team carefully reviews and prepares your application to help ensure that it meets the relevant Home Office requirements, while guiding you throughout the process.
Services For Senior or Specialist Workers
As specialist Senior or Specialist visa solicitors, we can provide fast, friendly and reliable fixed fee immigration advice and representations for the following applications:
Eligibility Criteria for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa
To qualify for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa, you must meet the following key requirements:
| Criteria | Details |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | Must have a valid CoS assigned by an employer authorised by the Home Office. The CoS must have been assigned no more than three months before the date of your visa application. |
| Duration of Overseas Employment | Must have worked for the employer outside the UK. If earning is less than £73,900 then at least 12 months of overseas work is required. If earning is £73,900 or more, this requirement is waived |
| Job Role | Must be doing a job that is on the UK Home Office’s list of eligible occupations. |
| Salary Threshold | You must normally be paid at least £52,500 a year or the applicable going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher. |
| Financial Maintenance | Must have at least £1,270 in savings to support themselves upon arrival, unless the employer certifies maintenance on the CoS. The funds must be held for 28 consecutive days within 31 days before the application. |
| English Language Requirement | No English language test is required for this visa route. |
The requirements that apply and the supporting evidence you need will depend on your individual circumstances. Meeting these key criteria does not guarantee that your application will be approved. The Home Office will consider all relevant validity, suitability and eligibility requirements, including whether the sponsored role is genuine and whether you genuinely intend and are able to undertake it. Your application may be rejected as invalid or refused if the relevant requirements are not met. Sunrise Solicitors can carefully assess your circumstances against the relevant Immigration Rules, identify potential issues and guide you throughout the application process.
Documents Required for the Application
The following is the list of documents required for the senior or specialist worker visa:
- Certificate of Sponsorship reference number provided by your employer.
- Valid passport or travel document confirming your identity and nationality.
- Your job title and annual salary.
- Your job’s four-digit occupation code.
- Your employer’s name and sponsor licence number.
- Valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate, if applicable.
- Evidence of your employment with the overseas employer, where required.
- Financial evidence showing that you have at least £1,270 in savings held for 28 consecutive days, unless you are exempt or your employer certifies maintenance on your Certificate of Sponsorship.
- Proof of your relationship with any dependants applying with you, such as a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or birth certificate.
- Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate, where required.
Any document that is not written in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation. The translation should confirm that it is a true and accurate translation of the original document and include the date of translation, the translator’s full name and their contact details.
Applying from Outside the UK (Entry Clearance Process)
The process of applying for the senior or specialist worker visa from outside is as follows:
- The licensed sponsor assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to the employee.
- The applicants must use the online application service on the UKVI website to apply.
- Verifying the identity using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app if eligible.
- If you are applying from outside the UK, the application fee is £819 per person for a visa of up to three years and £1,618 per person for a visa of more than three years.
- Paying the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) £1,035 per year
- Attending a biometric appointment
- The standard processing time is 3 weeks. For faster decisions applicants can either choose priority or super priority service. The fee for priority service is £500 with the decision time of 5 days. The super priority service fee is £1,000. The applicants get a decision by the next working day after a weekday appointment, or 2 working days after a weekend or bank holiday appointment. Both services are subject to availability and location.
- If the application is successful, the applicant will receive a decision and access to their eVisa. Where a travel document linked to the eVisa is issued, the applicant may need to collect it before travelling to the UK.
Switching to a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa (Inside the UK)
To switch to a Senior or Specialist Worker visa from inside the UK, it is necessary to check your current visa type. This is because applicants in certain immigration categories, including those with permission as a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker or Domestic Worker in a Private Household, cannot switch to this visa from inside the UK.
Applicants must meet all the standard eligibility requirements, including the 12-month overseas employment requirement, unless an exemption applies.
If you are applying from inside the UK to extend, switch or update your visa, the application fee depends on the length of your proposed stay. The fee is £943 per person for a stay of up to three years and £1,865 per person for a stay of more than three years.
Application Process for Switching
Applicants must apply online through the UKVI application service and meet all the relevant eligibility requirements. They will need to prove their identity either by using the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app or by attending a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) appointment.
Applicants must also provide the required supporting documents and pay the applicable visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge.
Applicants must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while their application is pending. The application will be withdrawn if they travel outside these areas before receiving a decision.
Extending a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa
An applicant can usually apply to extend their Senior or Specialist Worker visa if they are continuing in the same job, their job remains under the same occupation code, they are still working for the employer who assigned their current Certificate of Sponsorship, and they have not reached the maximum total permitted stay. The application must be submitted before the current visa expires.
Applicants can stay in the UK for up to five years in any six-year period if they earn less than £73,900 a year, or up to nine years in any ten-year period if they earn £73,900 a year or more.
Applicants must apply online, pay the relevant fee, prove their identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app or at a UKVCAS service point, and submit the required documents.
A partner or child’s visa will not automatically be extended when the main applicant extends their visa. They must submit separate extension applications either at the same time or before their current visas expire.
Dependants of Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Holders
A spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner may qualify as a dependant of a Senior or Specialist Worker. An unmarried partner must normally show that they have been in a relationship similar to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years. They may still qualify where they have not lived together because of work, study or cultural reasons, provided they can demonstrate an ongoing and genuine relationship.
Children under the age of 18 may also qualify as dependants. A child aged 18 or over may be able to continue as a dependant if they already have permission as the main applicant’s dependant and continue to meet the relevant requirements.
Each dependant must complete a separate application and pay the relevant visa application fee. The online form will confirm whether family members can be included in the main applicant’s application or must apply separately. Where applying separately, dependants will need the main applicant’s Global Web Form (GWF) number or Unique Application Number (UAN).
Financial Requirement for Dependants
The financial requirements for dependants are:
- £285 for a partner
- £315 for the first child
- £200 for each additional child
Where evidence of funds is required, the money must normally be held for at least 28 consecutive days. The 28th day must fall within 31 days before the application date.
Financial evidence will not normally be required if the family members have held valid UK permission for at least 12 months or the main applicant’s employer confirms on the Certificate of Sponsorship that it will support the family during their first month in the UK.
The partner and children of the main applicant can normally work, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach, study and travel abroad and return to the UK while their visas remain valid. They cannot access most public funds or the State Pension.
The Senior or Specialist Worker route does not directly lead to settlement for either the main applicant or their dependants. Certain applicants who have continuously held relevant Intra-company Transfer permission since before 6 April 2011 may not be subject
to the normal maximum stay limit. However, this does not make the Senior or Specialist Worker route a direct route to settlement.
Duration of Stay and Visa Conditions
A Senior or Specialist Worker can be granted permission for whichever is shorter:
- five years; or
- the period stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days.
The maximum total stay is five years in any six-year period where the applicant earns less than £73,900 a year. Applicants earning £73,900 a year or more can stay for up to nine years in any ten-year period. Time spent on certain other Global Business Mobility and previous Intra-company Transfer routes may also count towards this maximum period.
The applicant can work for their sponsor in the job described on their Certificate of Sponsorship. They can also study, travel abroad and return to the UK, and undertake permitted voluntary work.
Applicants cannot normally take a second job unless they previously held an Intra-company Transfer visa or a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Long-term Staff visa. Certain courses or research activities may require an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.
Applicants cannot access most benefits, public funds or the State Pension. There is no requirement to register with the police because the police registration scheme ended on 4 August 2022.
Settlement Prospects and Switching to Other Routes
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa does not provide a direct route to Indefinite Leave to Remain. However, an applicant may be able to switch to another immigration category that leads to settlement, such as the Skilled Worker route, provided they meet the relevant requirements.
Time spent on the Senior or Specialist Worker route does not normally count towards the five-year qualifying period for settlement under the Skilled Worker route. However, it can count towards settlement under the ten-year Long Residence route, provided the applicant maintains lawful and continuous residence and meets all the relevant requirements.
A person will usually need to obtain ILR or another qualifying form of settled status before applying for British citizenship. They must also meet the separate residence, good character, English language and Life in the UK requirements applicable to their circumstances.
Refusal of a Visa Application and Administrative Review
A Senior or Specialist Worker visa application may be refused if the applicant does not meet the salary, sponsorship, employment or other eligibility requirements. Incomplete, inconsistent or insufficient supporting evidence may also affect the application.
A refusal under this route will not normally carry a right of appeal. However, an applicant may be able to request an Administrative Review if they believe the Home Office made an eligible caseworking error. The refusal decision will confirm whether Administrative Review is available.
Depending on the circumstances, the applicant may instead submit a new application with corrected or additional evidence. Legal advice should be obtained before making a new application, particularly where the applicant’s existing permission has expired or an Administrative Review is pending.
Judicial Review may be considered where a Home Office decision is arguably unlawful, such as where it is procedurally unfair, irrational or based on an incorrect interpretation of the law. It is not simply a reconsideration of whether the Home Office reached the wrong factual conclusion.
At Sunrise Solicitors, we carefully prepare and review Senior or Specialist Worker visa applications to reduce the risk of avoidable refusal. If your application has been refused, our immigration lawyers can assess the decision and advise you on the most appropriate legal remedy.
Senior or Specialist Worker Visa vs Skilled Worker Visa
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa is designed for senior managers and specialist employees who are assigned to a UK branch or another linked UK business by their overseas employer. It is intended for temporary work assignments and does not directly lead to settlement.
Applicants can normally stay for up to five years in any six-year period. High earners receiving £73,900 a year or more may be able to stay for up to nine years in any ten-year period.
The Skilled Worker visa is for applicants sponsored to undertake an eligible job for a Home Office-approved UK employer. Unlike the Senior or Specialist Worker route, it can provide a direct route to ILR after five years, provided the applicant meets the relevant continuous residence, salary, sponsorship and other settlement requirements.
How Can Sunrise Solicitors Help?
Sunrise Solicitors offers expert assistance with Senior or Specialist Worker visa applications. Our team of expert solicitors can assess your eligibility and prepare your application with precision. We deal with entry clearance, switching and extension applications. We also provide expert advice on dependant visa applications.
Sunrise Solicitors is here to help you every step of the way. Contact us today and get free immigration advice.
FAQs
Is the Senior or Specialist Worker visa the same as the ICT visa?
No. The Senior or Specialist Worker visa replaced the Intra-company Transfer visa, previously known as the Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Long-term Staff visa, in April 2022.
How much does a Senior or Specialist Worker visa cost?
For applications made outside the UK, the application fee is £819 per person for a visa of up to three years and £1,618 per person for a visa of more than three years.
For applications made inside the UK, the fee is £943 per person for a visa of up to three years and £1,865 per person for a visa of more than three years.
Applicants must also usually pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £1,035 per year.
How long can I stay in the UK on a Senior or Specialist Worker visa?
You may stay in the UK for up to five years or for the period stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.
The maximum total stay is five years in any six-year period if you earn less than £73,900 a year, or nine years in any ten-year period if you earn £73,900 a year or more.
Can I extend the Senior or Specialist Worker visa or switch to it from another visa?
Yes. You may extend your Senior or Specialist Worker visa if you continue to meet the relevant requirements. You may also be able to switch to this visa from an eligible immigration route while inside the UK.
Does the Senior or Specialist Worker visa lead to Indefinite Leave to Remain?
No. The Senior or Specialist Worker visa does not provide a direct route to Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Can my partner work in the UK if they come as my dependant on this visa?
Yes. An eligible dependant partner can work in the UK, except as a professional sportsperson or sports coach. Dependants can also study in the UK.
What happens if my Senior or Specialist Worker visa is refused?
There is normally no right of appeal against a refusal under this route. However, you may be able to request an Administrative Review if you believe the Home Office made an eligible caseworking error. Your refusal letter will confirm whether Administrative Review is available.
Depending on your circumstances, you may also be able to submit a new application with corrected or additional evidence. In some cases, Judicial Review may be considered where the decision is unlawful.
