Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

About The Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

The Senior or Specialist Worker Visa allows workers to come to the UK to carry out an eligible job at their overseas employer’s UK branch. This visa may allow workers to stay in the UK for 5 years, or the time stated on their Certificate of Sponsorship plus 14 days, whichever is shorter.

Senior or Specialist Worker Visa eligibility

There are core requirements you need to meet in order to be eligible for this visa:

• You must have worked for your current employer outside of the UK.
• Your employer must provide you with a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
• Your job must be on the list of eligible occupations.
• Your salary must be at least £48,500 or the going rate for your profession, whichever is higher.

You will also need to ensure that you have worked for your employer long enough to apply. If your salary is under £73,900, you must have worked in your current job for at least 12 months. Over £73,900, there is no minimum.

You may be an Employee meeting the above requirement or a Self-Employed Contractor with the company for at least 12 months.

If your employer is not currently licensed to sponsor workers, they will first need to apply for an Employer Sponsorship Licence.

Documents you may need

To prove that you meet the requirements for the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, you will need to provide documents. These documents may include:

• Proof of identity and nationality (passport or another valid document).
• Your job’s occupation code, title and annual salary.
• A valid Certificate of Sponsorship reference number, your employer’s Sponsor Licence number and their full business name.
• Evidence that you can support yourself financially unless your employer chooses to support you.

If you are coming to the UK with your partner and children, you will also need to provide proof of relationship.

Individuals coming from a listed country may also need to provide a tuberculosis test.

Based on your circumstances and your profession, there may be additional requirements, such as evidence you have worked for your employer outside the UK, or a valid Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate if your job requires it.

Please note that any documents that are not in English or Welsh will need to have a certified translation for your application.

Application & Costs

When applying for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa, you will need to pay the application fee as well as the IHS fee (immigration healthcare surcharge) which is usually £1,035 per year.

If you are applying from outside the UK, the application fee is:

• £719 per person for up to 3 years.
• £1,420 per person for over 3 years.

If you are applying from inside the UK, the application fee is:

• £827 per person for up to 3 years.
• £1,636 per person for over 3 years.

Additionally, you need to have at least £1,270 available to support yourself when you arrive, and any partner or children coming with you will also need to prove they can support themselves. Your employer may choose to support you financially, but this should be clearly stated in your Certificate of Sponsorship.

Contact us for help

Our London-based team of immigration lawyers has decades of experience helping businesses and workers across the globe with all Business Visas, and will be happy to assist with your Senior or Specialist Worker Visa or Global Business Mobility Visa application. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your case.