• Secondment Worker Visa

Secondment Worker Visa

Part of the Global Business Mobility category of visas, a Secondment Worker Visa is intended for individuals whose non-UK employer wants to transfer them to the UK to do certain eligible jobs for a different organisation. The contract between the employer and the relevant UK organisation must be of sufficiently high value.

Applicants for a Secondment Worker Visa must:

  • have worked for their non-UK employer for at least a year outside the UK
  • do a job that is on the Home Office’s list of eligible occupations
  • have received a certificate of sponsorship for the UK organisation they intend to be transferred to

In addition to being able to do the work in the UK for which they have been sponsored, individuals with a Secondment Worker Visa are also permitted to study, undertake voluntary work, and to travel abroad and return to the UK. They can also bring a partner and/or children with them as dependants, provided they are eligible and submit visa applications of their own.  Secondment Worker Visas can be issued for as long as 12 months, and can be extended to up to a total of two years.

Managers and HR: Be careful when considering visa options for an employee who has previously worked in the UK on other types of intra-company or Global Business Mobility category visas. Individuals who have spent time in the UK on many of these visas are usually limited to a maximum stay of five years in any six year period.

Check your eligibility for this visa

Secondment Worker Visa process and costs

Applications for a Secondment Worker Visa can be submitted as much as three months before you are expecting to begin working in the UK (and as specified on your sponsorship certificate). Once the Home Office has received your application and any supporting documents, you can usually expect to receive a decision within three weeks if you are applying from outside the UK. If you are already in the UK when you apply, getting a decision can take up to 8 weeks.

Applying for a Secondment Worker Visa costs £298 plus an additional healthcare surcharge for each year that the visa will be valid.

Neveen Galal

Neveen is a UK Immigration Solicitor with over 20 years experience in UK Immigration Law. She represents corporate and individual clients seeking assistance with any visa category to the UK. Neveen is a graduate of Westminster University, from which she was awarded the 2021 Westminster Alumni Outstanding Achievement Award.

Neveen’s rapid career trajectory saw her progress at pace from paralegal to Head of Department level, and then to earning a place on her firm’s Board of Directors by the age of 28. This achievement was recognised by Who’s Who placing her in their directory of ‘Britain’s Business Elite’ in 2008. Neveen then went on to establish her own boutique Immigration Law Firm in the City of London in 2015. She also co-founded the Hexagon Legal Network in 2017.

Neveen is passionate about all aspects of UK immigration law, and is committed to providing bespoke residence and citizenship solutions to citizens across the globe that wish to relocate to the UK. Neveen’s immigration advisory services are predominately geared towards highly skilled workers and companies wishing to have a UK presence, however she and her team of experienced immigration advisors can also assist with partner-based applications, student visas and all other personal and business immigration matters.

If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.