Inner Hero banner Image

Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence

What is the 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 Certificate 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.

Key contact

Get in touch

Testimonials

  • JZ

    "The service you provided was perfect. I would definitely use your company again. Thank you"

    Junping Zhang

  • LC

    “The Business Immigration team’s support has been invaluable to the University over a number of years, and in particular lately on Brexit, enabling...

    Lisa Courtney, University of Leeds

  • "Excellent support from the Freeths team. They have been able to answer all of our queries and provide the best advice in the given situation."

    The Legal 500, 2024

  • "We have worked with Freeths for in excess of 20 years. They have taken time to fully understand our business, how we work and what our standards a...

    The Legal 500, 2023

  • “I have always been happy with the advice and support received.”

    Chambers & Partners, 2023

Related news & articles

1 of 1
  • Article

    Migrants’ Experiences of the UK Immigration System: Key Insights

  • Article

    New Measures on Rogue Employers Hiring Overseas Workers

  • Article

    Thinking of buying a business with an immigration sponsor licence?

  • Article

    Update on eVisa roll out

  • Article

    Home Office announces new measures on overseas workers

  • Article

    Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme in the UK

  • Article

    Important update for Employers: eVisa registration opens up to all visa holders

  • Article

    Balancing Compliance and Fairness: Sponsorship Challenges in the Care Sector

  • Article

    Rise in Immigration Enforcement: A New Era of Accountability

  • Article

    Balancing Immigration and Child Protection: Social Worker Insights

  • Article

    MAC publishes review of the Graduate visa route

  • Article

    UK business immigration: What can businesses expect under a Labour government?

Get in touch

Contact us today

Whatever your legal needs, our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business, so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started.

Telephone

Get in touch

For general enquiries, please complete this form and we will direct your message to the most appropriate person.