Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence

If you are an international business that needs to send workers to the UK for a specific purpose, you may need to apply for a Global Business Mobility (GBM) sponsor licence. 

There are five GBM routes, each with different eligibility criteria and requirements:

- Senior or Specialist Worker: this is for senior managers or specialist employees who are being assigned by their overseas employer to a linked UK business – this route has replaced the Intra-Company Transfer route

- Graduate Trainee: this is for employees of an overseas business who are on a graduate training programme leading to a senior management or specialist position and are required to do a work placement with a linked UK business – this route has replaced the Intra-Company Graduate Trainee route

- UK Expansion Worker: this is for senior managers or specialist employees of an overseas business who are being assigned to the UK to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the overseas business – this has replaced the sole representative provisions of the Representative of an Overseas Business route

- Service Supplier: this is for contractual service suppliers employed by an overseas business or self-employed independent professionals based overseas who are being assigned to the UK to provide services covered by one of the UK’s international trade agreements – this route has replaced the provisions for contractual service suppliers and independent professionals on the International Agreement route

- Secondment Worker: this is employees of an overseas business who have been seconded to the UK as part of a high value contract or investment

To sponsor a worker on any of these routes, you need to have a valid GBM sponsor licence for that specific route. You can apply for more than one GBM route on your sponsor licence, depending on your business needs. However, you cannot sponsor workers on other immigration routes, such as Skilled Worker or Temporary Worker, with a GBM sponsor licence. You will need to apply for a separate sponsor licence for those routes if you wish to sponsor workers on them.

Applying for a GBM sponsor licence involves several steps, such as:

• Completing an online application form and paying the relevant fee
• Providing evidence and documents to support your application
• Obtaining an allocation of certificates of sponsorship (CoS) that you can assign to your sponsored workers
• Ensuring that your sponsored workers meet the relevant eligibility criteria and requirements for their GBM route

The process can be complex and time-consuming, and any errors or omissions can result in delays or refusals. This is why you may wish to rely on expert guidance and support from Freeths.

At Freeths, we have a dedicated team of immigration lawyers who specialise in GBM sponsor licences. We can help you with every aspect of your GBM sponsor licence application and management, such as:

• Advising you on which GBM routes are suitable for your business and workers
• Assisting you with preparing and submitting your GBM sponsor licence application and supporting documents
• Liaising with the Home Office on your behalf and resolving any issues or queries
• Helping you with obtaining and managing your certificate of sponsorship allocation and assigning CoS to your sponsored workers
• Advising you on how to comply with your sponsorship duties and reporting obligations
• Representing you in case of any Home Office audits, inspections or enforcement actions

We have extensive experience and knowledge of the UK immigration system and the GBM routes. We can provide you with practical and tailored solutions that meet your specific needs and circumstances. Let our expert immigration team take the lead in securing and managing your Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence, allowing you to focus on your business's success.