GLOBAL BUSINESS MOBILITY — SECONDMENT WORKER

Secondment Worker Visa Solicitors

The Secondment Worker route is for an overseas employee coming to the UK for a temporary assignment under a qualifying high-value contract or investment between their overseas employer and a different UK organisation. The UK organisation must hold the correct sponsor licence, the contract must be registered with the Home Office and the worker must be sponsored for an eligible role connected to that contract.

For applications made on or after 8 April 2026, the worker must normally have worked for the overseas business for at least six months. The route is temporary, permits a maximum continuous stay of two years and does not lead directly to settlement.

Who can use the Secondment Worker route?

The applicant must normally:

• be aged 18 or over;
• be an existing employee of the overseas business connected to the eligible contract;
• have completed the applicable overseas-work period—normally six months for an application made on or after 8 April 2026;
• have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a UK sponsor licensed for the Secondment Worker route;
• be sponsored for a genuine job in an eligible occupation at the required skill level;
• work on the specific eligible contract registered with the Home Office; and
• meet the financial, validity and suitability requirements.

A worker applying inside the UK to extend their Secondment Worker permission with the same sponsor has a specific exception from the overseas-work requirement. The exact rules should be checked for the application date.

What makes a contract eligible?

The UK sponsor must have a contract for goods or investment with the overseas business worth at least £10 million per year and no less than £50 million overall. In practical terms:

• if the contract lasts less than five years, it must be worth at least £50 million;
• if it lasts five years or more, it must be worth at least £10 million per year; and
• if it has no specified end date, it must be worth at least £50 million during the first five years.

The contract must be registered with the Home Office before a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned for it. A sponsor cannot use a registered contract to place the worker on a different contract or fill an unrelated routine role.

Skill, salary and English-language position

The job must normally be in an eligible occupation skilled to RQF level 6 or above. The worker does not necessarily need a degree, but the job itself must meet the skill requirement.

The route does not impose the general salary and going-rate points used for the Senior or Specialist Worker route. Pay must still comply with National Minimum Wage legislation and the Working Time Regulations. There is no separate English-language points requirement for a Secondment Worker.

How long can a Secondment Worker stay?

Permission is granted for the shortest of:

• 12 months after the job start date on the Certificate of Sponsorship;
• 14 days after the job end date on the Certificate of Sponsorship;
• the date on which the person reaches two years’ continuous permission as a Secondment Worker; or
• the date on which the person reaches the maximum cumulative period for the Global Business Mobility routes.

An eligible extension can add up to a further 12 months, but the continuous Secondment Worker maximum remains two years. Time on this route is also subject to the wider five-years-in-six cumulative GBM limit.

Costs and dependants

Current GOV.UK information lists a £340 application fee, the Immigration Health Surcharge (usually £1,035 per year) and a maintenance requirement of at least £1,270 where the exemption for 12 months’ UK permission or sponsor-certified maintenance does not apply.

An eligible partner and children can apply as dependants. Each dependant makes a separate application and must meet the relevant relationship and financial requirements.

What the visa allows—and what it does not

A Secondment Worker can work for the sponsor in the job recorded on the Certificate of Sponsorship, study, undertake permitted voluntary work, travel and bring eligible dependants. The holder cannot take a second job, change job without the required immigration application, access most public funds or settle through this route.

How NA Law Solicitors can help

1. Route and contract assessment: check whether the business relationship and contract can meet the Secondment Worker rules.
2. Sponsor work: advise on the correct sponsor-licence route, contract registration and Certificate of Sponsorship.
3. Worker application: check overseas employment, occupation, maintenance and supporting evidence.
4. Extension and compliance: assess time limits, continuing work on the registered contract and sponsor reporting duties.

Related guidance: Secondment Worker benefits and limitations and Secondment Worker compared with Senior or Specialist Worker.

Frequently asked questions

Is the overseas-work requirement still 12 months?

Not for a new Secondment Worker application made on or after 8 April 2026. The normal minimum is now six months, subject to the detailed rules and extension exception.

Does the route require a salary of £52,500?

No. That general threshold relates to the Senior or Specialist Worker route. A Secondment Worker’s pay must comply with National Minimum Wage and working-time law.

Can a Secondment Worker bring a partner and children?

Yes, eligible dependants can apply under the route.

Can the route lead to indefinite leave to remain?

No. It is a temporary Global Business Mobility route and does not lead directly to settlement.

Need advice on a high-value secondment or sponsor licence? Call 0203 524 5439 or use the enquiry form to arrange a confidential consultation.

Authoritative guidance

• GOV.UK: Secondment Worker visa
• Home Office: sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker
• Immigration Rules: Global Business Mobility routes

Last reviewed: August 2026. General information only; contract, sponsorship and worker requirements must be checked against the rules in force on the application date.