Service Supplier Visa UK

The Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier route is for overseas workers who are coming to the UK for a temporary work assignment. The worker must be either a contractual service supplier employed by an overseas service provider, or a self-employed independent professional based overseas. The assignment must involve services covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements. You must apply using a valid Certificate of Sponsorship, and the CoS must have been issued no more than 3 months before the date you submit your application. A dependent partner and dependent children can apply to come to the UK on this route. This route does not lead to settlement. This route is not suitable for people who want general employment in the UK, want to take a second job, or want a visa that leads directly to settlement. 

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Eligibility requirements for a Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier Route 

To qualify for a Service Supplier Visa (Global Business Mobility), you must: 

• Be aged 18 or over on the date of application.  

• Be an employee of an overseas business or a self-employed service provider based overseas.  

• Provide a service under a contract covered by a valid international trade agreement.  

• Provide services to a UK business approved as a sponsor by the Home Office, and listed as A-rated on the register of licensed sponsors (subject to limited exceptions where you are extending with the same sponsor).  

• Do an eligible job or prove you have the required qualifications and experience (normally a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, plus relevant experience, unless the service has different requirements).  

• Have a Certificate of Sponsorship from your UK sponsor. The Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued no more than 3 months before the date of application, and it must include a start date that is no more than 3 months after the date of application.  

• Meet the overseas work experience requirement. You must have worked outside the UK for a cumulative period of at least 12 months or have at least 12 months’ professional experience if you are a self-employed service provider, with limited permitted breaks.  

• Ensure the UK sponsor has registered the overseas contract with the Home Office, and that the Certificate of Sponsorship confirms which registered contract you will work on.  

• Show the job is genuine.  

• Meet the financial requirement without relying on public funds. You must usually have at least £1,270 available, unless you are exempt or the sponsor certifies maintenance on the Certificate of Sponsorship.  

• Provide a valid TB certificate if required.  

• Provide written consent from the relevant Government or international scholarship agency if you received an award covering both fees and living costs for UK study in the 12 months before you apply. 

Sunrise Solicitors assess whether your service contract is covered by a qualifying trade agreement and confirm that your role meets the Service Supplier visa requirements. We also review your Certificate of Sponsorship, supporting documents, and financial evidence to ensure compliance with Home Office rules. 

Entry requirements for a Service Supplier 

To meet the entry requirements for a UK Service Supplier visa, you must apply for and obtain entry clearance as a Service Supplier before you travel to the UK. This means you must make an overseas application and receive a decision granting you permission on this route before you arrive. 

If Appendix Tuberculosis applies to you, you must provide a valid medical certificate confirming that you have been screened for active pulmonary tuberculosis and that active pulmonary tuberculosis is not present. Where TB screening is required, failing to provide the certificate means you do not meet the entry requirements. 

These entry requirements sit alongside the other Service Supplier route requirements in Appendix SSU, including the sponsorship and points requirements, which you must also meet for a successful application. 

Points requirement for a Service Supplier 

The Service Supplier Visa is a points-based route. You must score 40 points in total. You must be awarded all 40 points to qualify. 

You can be awarded 40 points by meeting the requirements for: 

• Sponsorship (20 points) 

• Job at an appropriate skill level (20 points) 

a) Points for Sponsorship for a Service Supplier (20 points)

You will score 20 points for sponsorship if you have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship which confirms your name, that you are being sponsored as a Service Supplier, and the job details. The Certificate of Sponsorship must also confirm which registered contract you will work on. It must include a start date no more than 3 months after the application date, must not have been used in a previous granted or refused application, must not have been withdrawn or cancelled, and must confirm whether ATAS applies. 

Your sponsor must be authorised to sponsor a Service Supplier and must normally be A-rated unless you are continuing with the same sponsor you last held Service Supplier permission with. 

The sponsor must have a contract with an overseas service provider that is registered with the Home Office, covered by an eligible trade agreement, and it must be the contract on which you will work. The decision maker must have no reasonable grounds to believe the job is not genuine, amounts to hire to a third party or an ongoing routine service for a third party, or breaches National Minimum Wage or Working Time rules.

b) Points for job at appropriate skill level for a Service Supplier – Option A (20 points) 

You will score 20 points under Option A if you are sponsored for a job in an eligible SOC 2020 occupation code listed for this route, and the sponsor has chosen the most appropriate code. If you fall within the transitional provision, you may be sponsored under the separate transitional list until 4 April 2030.  

If ATAS applies, you must provide a valid ATAS certificate. You will not score these points unless you also score the 20 sponsorship points.  

c) Points for job at appropriate skill level for a Service Supplier – Option B (20 points) 

You will score 20 points for a job at an appropriate skill level under Option B if you meet the qualification and experience requirements for the service you will provide in the UK. You must normally have a university degree or equivalent level technical qualification, but different qualification requirements apply for certain services, including fashion and modelling, chef de cuisine, entertainment services, management consulting, advertising or translation, and technical testing and analysis.

You must also hold any professional qualifications or registrations required under UK law or sectoral requirements, and you must have the required sector experience, usually 3 years, or 6 years where applicable. These Option B requirements are set out in the Immigration Rules under Appendix Global Business Mobility routes for the Service Supplier route.

Nationality Requirement for a Service Supplier  

An applicant must meet the nationality requirement under SSU 8.1. The applicant must fall into one of the following categories, depending on the international agreement covering the service contract. 

Where an agreement is relied on below, the service you will provide must be covered by a relevant commitment under that agreement. 

• The applicant must be a national of the country or territory where the overseas service provider is established. 

• Where relying on a GATS commitment, the applicant must be a permanent resident of the country or territory where the employer is established, that country has made the relevant notification under GATS Article XXVIII(k)(ii)(2). 

• Under the UK–Switzerland Services Mobility Agreement, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Switzerland. 

• Under the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the applicant must be: 

• A national of an EU Member State; or 

• A person falling within the definition of “natural person of a Party” (EU) under Article 512(k). 

• Under the CARIFORUM–UK Economic Partnership Agreement, the applicant must be a national of a CARIFORUM State that has provisionally applied or brought into force the agreement. 

• Under the UK–Australia Free Trade Agreement, the applicant must be a permanent resident of Australia. 

• Under the UK–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, the applicant must be a permanent resident of New Zealand. 

• Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the applicant must be: 

• A national of a CPTPP Party; or 

• A permanent resident of Australia, Canada or New Zealand, subject to the CPTPP access table in SSU 8.1(i). 

• Under the CPTPP access table: 

• Contractual Service Suppliers: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Vietnam. 

• Independent Professionals: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand. 

• For CPTPP, the access table is decisive. The applicant must fall within the relevant category and be a national of a country listed for that category. Permanent residence can only be relied on where Australia, Canada or New Zealand are listed for that category. 

• Failure to meet the nationality requirement will result in refusal, even if all other eligibility requirements are satisfied. 

Overseas work requirement for a Service Supplier

You must meet the overseas work requirement set out in Appendix Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier (SSU 9.1–9.2) of the Immigration Rules. 

In most cases, you must show that: 

• You are currently working as or for an overseas service provider which will provide services to your UK sponsor, and 

• You have worked outside the UK for that overseas service provider for a cumulative period of at least 12 months. 

The 12-month period can be accumulated over time, provided you have been continuously working whether in or out of the UK from the start of that 12-month period up to the date of application, subject to the permitted reasons for breaks in continuous work. 

Permitted reasons for breaks in continuous work include: 

• statutory maternity, paternity, parental, or shared parental leave 

• statutory adoption leave 

• sick leave 

• assisting with a national or international humanitarian or environmental crisis, with the overseas service provider’s agreement 

• legally organised industrial action 

• jury service 

• attending court as a witness 

If you are applying as a self-employed service provider, you must be currently self-employed overseas and must have been continuously working in the same sector as the service you will provide in the UK for at least 12 months, whether in or out of the UK, subject to the permitted reasons for breaks in continuous work.

Genuineness requirement for a Service Supplier 

You must meet the genuineness requirement under Appendix SSU 9A.1. 

The Home Office must be satisfied that: 

• You genuinely intend and can undertake the role for which you are being sponsored, and 

• You do not intend to undertake other employment other than the work you are being sponsored to do, except where permitted. 

Financial Requirement for a Service Supplier

You must meet the financial requirement: 

• If you are applying for permission to stay and you have been living in the UK with permission for 12 months or longer on the date of application, you meet the financial requirement and do not need to show funds.  

• If you are applying for entry clearance or you have been living in the UK for less than 12 months on the date of application, you must either: 

• have funds of at least £1,270; or 

• have your A-rated sponsor confirm on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they will, if it is necessary, maintain and accommodate you up to the end of the first month of your employment to an amount of at least £1,270.  

• If you are relying on personal funds, you must show you have held the required level of funds for a 28-day period, as set out in Appendix Finance. 

Maximum length of assignments requirement for a Service Supplier 

You must meet the maximum length of assignment requirement. The grant of permission must not lead to you being granted cumulative periods of permission on the Global Business Mobility routes and Intra-Company routes totalling more than 5 years in any 6-year period.  

When calculating the cumulative period, the decision maker will include: 

• all previous periods of permission on the Global Business Mobility routes; and 

• all previous periods of permission on the Intra-Company routes; and 

• if you do not currently hold permission on the Global Business Mobility routes, any permission you could be granted under this application beginning on the start date on the Certificate of Sponsorship; and 

• if you are applying for permission to stay and have or last had permission on the Global Business Mobility routes, any permission you could be granted under this application beginning on the date of decision; and 

• any period of permission on the Global Business Mobility routes and the Intra-Company routes extended under section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971. 

Documents and Evidence Required for Service Supplier Visa UK 

When you apply for a Service Supplier Visa UK, you must provide documents to confirm your identity, your role, your sponsor details, and your ability to support yourself in the UK. All documents must be accurate, up to date, and consistent with the information on your Certificate of Sponsorship.  

Mandatory documents 

You will need to provide the following documents with your application:  

• Your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number (your UK sponsor will give you this)  

• A valid passport or another official document showing your identity and nationality  

• Your job title and occupation code  

• Your sponsor’s name and sponsor licence number (as shown on the Certificate of Sponsorship)  

• Evidence of personal savings (unless your Certificate of Sponsorship shows your sponsor can support you), for example bank statements  

• Proof of relationship with your partner or children, if they are applying with you  

• Tuberculosis test results if you are from a listed country 

Additional documents you may need 

• Depending on your circumstances, you might be asked to provide:  

• Evidence you have worked for your overseas employer outside the UK, or if self-employed, evidence of relevant work during the 12 months immediately before you apply  

• If you are an overseas employee, you may need to show you have been paid during that period (for example payslips and bank statements).  

• If you are self-employed, you may need to show evidence of work and income during that period (for example invoices, accounts, accountant letter, leases, marketing material, bank statements).  

• A valid ATAS certificate if your employer tells you that you need one because your job involves researching a sensitive subject at PhD level or above  

• Proof of your degree or qualifications 

Certified Translations 

If any documents are not in English or Welsh, you must provide a certified translation. The translation must confirm it is a true and accurate translation of the original document, include the date of translation, and include the translator’s full name and contact details.  

Service Supplier Visa UK Application Fee 

When applying for a Service Supplier Visa UK, you must pay the required fees as part of your application. 

You must pay a £319 application fee for each applicant. This fee applies to the main applicant and to each dependent applying under this route.  

You must also pay the healthcare surcharge, which is usually £1,035 per year.  

The healthcare surcharge allows you to access the UK’s National Health Service during your stay, subject to the visa conditions.  

The total amount you need to pay will depend on the length of your visa and whether your partner or children are applying with you. You will be told how much you need to pay when you apply. 

Service Supplier Visa UK Application Process 

You can apply for a Service Supplier Visa UK up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. The start date is listed on your Certificate of Sponsorship. 

You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number. 

You must submit your application online. As part of your application, you must prove your identity and provide your documents. You may need to allow extra time if you need an appointment, and you will be told if you need one when you start your application. 

Apply online

You must complete the Service Supplier Visa application form online through the UK Visas and Immigration system. 

Prepare your documents

You must check which documents you need to provide. This includes your Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, passport, financial evidence and any supporting documents relevant to your role and circumstances. 

Verify your identity

You will either: 

• use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to scan your identity document and create or sign into your UKVI account, or 

• attend a visa application centre to provide your fingerprints and photograph. 

Provide biometric information

When you apply, UKVI will tell you whether you need to attend an appointment to provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photograph) or whether you can verify your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead.  

Submit your application and pay the fees.

You must pay the application fee and the healthcare surcharge as part of the online application before it can be processed. 

Once you have submitted the application and completed the identity and document steps, the Home Office will assess whether you meet the Service Supplier route requirements. Missing or incorrect information can delay a decision. 

How long it takes to get a decision on a Service Supplier Visa 

The time it takes to receive a decision on a Service Supplier Visa UK depends on where you apply from. Once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you will usually get a decision within: 

• 3 weeks if you are outside the UK 

• 8 weeks if you are inside the UK  

You may be able to pay for a faster decision where available. The priority service costs £500 in addition to the application fee and usually provides a decision within 5 working days. The super priority service costs £1,000 in addition to the application fee and usually provides a decision by the end of the next working day.  

If your application is successful, you will receive a decision email or letter explaining what you will get to prove your immigration status and what you need to do next

Duration of Service Supplier Visa UK 

You can usually stay in the UK for whichever is shorter: 

• 6 months or 12 months, depending on the relevant trade agreement; or 

• the length of time stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days.  

There is also a maximum stay limit. You can only be granted permission up to a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period if you have spent time on the Global Business Mobility routes and Intra-Company routes (including time on the following visas): 

• Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa 

• Intra-company Transfer visa 

• Graduate Trainee visa (Global Business Mobility) 

• Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) 

• Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) 

• Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility) 

• UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)  

If granting a new Service Supplier visa would take you over the 5 years in 6-year limit, the application will be refused. This can mean you need to wait until your earlier time on these routes no longer falls within the relevant 6-year period.

Service Supplier Visa UK Dependants 

You can bring your partner and children to the UK as your dependants on a Service Supplier visa, provided they meet the Home Office requirements.  

If your partner or child’s application is successful, their visa will usually end on the same date as yours. Where a child’s parents have visas that expire on different dates, the child’s visa will end on the earlier expiry date. 

Who qualifies as a dependant

A dependent partner or child must fall into one of the following categories:  

• Your husband, wife, or civil partner.  

• Your unmarried partner. You must prove you have lived together in a relationship for at least 2 years when you apply, or you have been in a relationship for at least 2 years but cannot live together, for example because you are working or studying in different places, or it is not accepted in your culture.  

• Your child under 18, including a child born in the UK during your stay.  

• Your child over 18, if they currently have permission to be in the UK as your dependant. 

Evidence of relationship

You must provide documentary evidence to prove your relationship with each dependent when you apply. This may include:  

• Marriage or civil partnership certificates.  

• Evidence of living together for unmarried partners, or evidence of an ongoing commitment if you cannot live together, such as regular communication, financial support, caring responsibilities for children, and time spent together.  

• Birth certificates or adoption documents for children.  

For a dependent child, the child must normally live with you unless they live away from home in full-time education. The child must not be married or in a civil partnership. You may be asked to provide evidence of the child’s address, such as an official letter or statement.  

Money dependants need to support themselves

Your partner and children must have a certain amount of money available to support themselves while they are in the UK:  

• £285 for your partner 

• £315 for one child 

• £200 for each additional child  

The funds must usually be held for at least 28 consecutive days, and day 28 must be within 31 days of the date of application. You will not usually need to show this if you have all been in the UK with a valid visa for at least 12 months, or your sponsor confirms on the Certificate of Sponsorship that they can cover your family’s costs during the first month in the UK. If a dependent applies at a different time, they only need to prove funds if they have been in the UK for less than 1 year.  

Each dependent must apply separately, even if they submit applications at the same time as you.  

What your partner or child can and cannot do

Your partner or child can work, except as a sportsperson or coach, can study, and can travel and return to the UK. They cannot apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension. 

Service Supplier Visa UK Extension

You can apply to extend your Service Supplier Visa UK if you continue to meet the Home Office requirements for this route.  

You can apply for an extension if all the following apply:  

• You are still under contract to work for the sponsor who gave you your current Certificate of Sponsorship.  

• You have not reached the maximum total stay.  

• Your job, qualifications and experience still meet the eligibility requirements for this route.  

You must be in the UK to extend your visa, and you must apply online before your current visa expires.  

After you apply, you must not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man until you get a decision, or your application will be withdrawn.  

As part of the extension application, you will need to prove your identity, either by using the UK Immigration: ID Check app or by attending a UKVCAS service point.  

Your partner’s or child’s visa will not extend automatically when you extend your own visa. They must submit a separate application to extend their permission. If they do not extend their visa, it will remain valid until its original end date. 

Update your Service Supplier Visa UK 

You must apply to update your Service Supplier visa if there is a change to your job that results in a different occupation code. 

You can only update your visa if: 

• You remain contracted to work for the same sponsor. 

• Your new role still meets the Service Supplier route requirements, and you have a new Certificate of Sponsorship for the updated job. 

You can apply up to 3 months before the start date of the new job. You must not start the new job until the update application is approved. You can continue working in your current job while a decision is pending if you apply before your current visa expires. 

If your partner or children are in the UK as your dependants, they must apply separately to update their visas. They can apply at the same time as you or before their current visas expire. 

Switch to Service Supplier Visa UK

You might be able to apply to switch to a Service Supplier visa if you are already in the UK and you meet the eligibility requirements. 

You cannot switch to a Service Supplier visa from within the UK if you are currently in the UK: 

• on a visit visa 

• on a short-term student visa 

• on a Parent of a Child Student visa 

• on a seasonal worker visa 

• on a domestic worker in a private household visa 

• on immigration bail 

• because you were given permission to stay outside the Immigration Rules, for example on compassionate grounds 

If you are currently in the UK on a Student visa, you can only switch if you meet the student switching requirements. 

Period and conditions of grant as a Service Supplier

If your Service Supplier Visa application is successful, you will be granted permission subject to the conditions set out in the Immigration Rules. These include that you must not access public funds, you can only work in your sponsored job (and do voluntary work), and study is permitted (subject to the ATAS requirement where applicable). 

What you can do

You can:  

• work for your sponsor in the job described on your Certificate of Sponsorship 

• study 

• bring your partner and children as dependants, if they are eligible 

• travel outside the UK and return during the validity of your visa 

• do voluntary work, provided it is unpaid and carried out for one of the following: 

• a registered charity 

• a voluntary organisation 

• an associated fundraising body 

• a statutory body 

What you cannot do

You cannot:  

• apply for most benefits (public funds), including the State Pension 

• change jobs unless you update your visa 

• apply to settle permanently (Indefinite Leave to Remain) in the UK 

• do a second job 

If your application is approved, you will receive a full list of what you can and cannot do with this visa.

How Can Sunrise Solicitors Help?

Sunrise Solicitors are UK immigration solicitors with experience in Service Supplier visa applications under the Global Business Mobility route. We advise on eligibility under Appendix SSU and review your Certificate of Sponsorship details and supporting documents to ensure they meet Home Office requirements. 

If your application is refused, we can advise on the available options, including submitting a fresh application or exploring other suitable immigration routes. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

What is a Service Supplier visa UK?

A Service Supplier visa UK is a work visa under the Global Business Mobility category. It allows overseas workers to come to the UK on a temporary assignment to provide services to a UK company under a contract covered by a qualifying international trade agreement.  

Who can apply for a Service Supplier visa?

You can apply if you are either an employee of an overseas service provider or a self-employed independent professional based overseas, and you will deliver services in the UK for a UK business sponsor under a valid trade agreement.  

What documents do I need to apply for this visa?

You must provide your Certificate of Sponsorship, valid passport, sponsor’s details, job title and occupation code, personal savings evidence (unless sponsor certifies maintenance), relationship evidence for dependants, and a TB test certificate if required. Depending on your case, you may also need evidence of overseas work experience, qualifications, or a valid ATAS certificate.  

How long can I stay in the UK on a Service Supplier visa?

The length of stay depends on the trade agreement under which you are providing services. You can stay for up to 6 or 12 months, or for the exact period shown on your Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.  

Can my partner and children come with me?

Yes. Your spouse, unmarried partner, or children under 18 can apply as dependants if they meet the eligibility and financial requirements. Their visa will usually end on the same date as yours.  

Is there a pathway to settlement (permanent residence) with this visa?

No. The Service Supplier visa is temporary only and does not lead directly to settlement (indefinite leave to remain) in the UK.  

Can I extend my Service Supplier visa?

Yes, you can apply to extend your visa if you are still contracted to the same sponsor, meet the eligibility requirements, and have not reached the maximum permitted stay under the Global Business Mobility rules.  

Can I change jobs while on this visa?

No. You cannot change sponsor or job unless you update your visa with a new Certificate of Sponsorship from the same UK sponsor or apply for a new visa for a different employer.  

What activities am I allowed to do with this visa?

You can work for your sponsor in the role stated on your Certificate of Sponsorship, study, do unpaid voluntary work, travel in and out of the UK, and bring dependants. You cannot take a second paid job or access most public funds. 

How long does it take to get a decision on my application?

If you apply from outside the UK, a decision usually takes about 3 weeks. If you apply from inside the UK, it usually takes about 8 weeks. In some cases, you may be able to pay for a faster decision.