Changes to immigration rules announced

The Home Office has published a Statement of Changes in the U.K. Immigration Rules, providing updated information about the new Global Business Mobility Route and other immigration programs.

Key Points:

• Beginning April 11, foreign companies will be able to sponsor foreign nationals and their dependents through five subcategories of the new Global Business Mobility route, which is designed to help foreign-owned businesses establish a presence in or transfer employees to the U.K. Before any of the applications can proceed, a sponsor license must be obtained.
  • Subcategory 1 – Senior or Specialist Worker. This subcategory replaces the intra-company transfer (ICT) route and is for foreign nationals who will be temporarily working in the U.K. for a connected group company.
  • Subcategory 2 – Graduate Trainee. This subcategory replaces the ICT – graduate trainee route and is for foreign workers who are part of a graduate training course and who are completing a work placement at a connected U.K. group company in preparation for a position as a senior manager or specialist outside the U.K.
  • Subcategory 3 – U.K. Expansion Worker. This subcategory is for foreign nationals who will be temporarily working in the U.K. as a senior manager or specialist to set up a branch or subsidiary of their foreign-owned company.
  • Subcategory 4 – Service Supplier. This subcategory is for foreign nationals who will be temporarily working in the U.K. as either a contractual service supplier employed by a foreign-owned company or a self-employed independent professional based overseas and must provide services covered by one of the U.K.’s international trade agreements.
  • Subcategory 5 – Secondment Worker. This subcategory is for foreign nationals who are being seconded to the U.K. as part of a high value contract or investment by a foreign-owned company and will be temporarily working in the U.K.
• Global Business Mobility route applicants can also submit applications for their dependent partner and children. The subcategories of the Global Business Mobility route do not provide pathways to settlement (permanent residence).

Additional Information: The U.K. will also be launching a new High Potential Individual Route on May 30 and will offer a new Scale-up Visa on Aug. 22. More information is available here. BAL will provide more information on these programs as the launch dates approach.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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