Updated March 2023
The Secondment Worker visa is for overseas workers who are temporarily seconded to a UK organisation as part of a high-value contract for goods or investment which must be worth a minimum of £10 million per year and £50 million in total. You can ask your employer if their contract with the UK organisation makes you eligible to apply for a Secondment Worker visa.
At the Nathanson Partnership, we can give you advice and guidance on making your Secondment Worker visa application. When you’re applying for a UK visa, you want to make sure that you have the correct documentation and that you’re providing the right information according to the Home Office requirements. If you need help with your Secondment Worker visa application, we are happy to assist you.
Who Can Apply for the UK Secondment Worker Visa?
The Secondment Worker visa is a route for overseas workers who are on secondment to a UK employer as part of a contract for goods or investment. To apply, you must meet certain requirements including being employed by an overseas company that has a high-value contract with a UK sponsor. The high-value contract must be no less than £50 million in total.
You must have worked for your overseas company for at least 12 months and you must have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) detailing the work you will do in the UK for a linked registered UK sponsor. Your job role in the UK must be on the list of eligible occupations and you must have the suitable skills to fulfill the role. To check if your job role is eligible, you will need to know the job’s four-digit occupation code, which you can find out from your employer or on your certificate of sponsorship.
There is no salary requirement for this visa, but you will need to show that have held at least £1,270 in your bank account for a period of at least 28 days to prove that you can support yourself in the UK.
What Are the Sponsor Requirements for the Secondment Worker Visa?
Your UK-based sponsor should be authorised by the Home Office to sponsor a Secondment Worker. As mentioned, the sponsor should also have a contract with your overseas employer.
As an applicant, you should receive a certificate of sponsorship from your sponsor detailing the work you will do in the UK. To begin your visa application, you will need the reference number listed on your certificate of sponsorship which must not have been issued more than three months before the date of your application.
How Long Can I Stay on the Secondment Worker Visa?
With a Secondment Worker visa, you can stay in the UK for a maximum of 2 years in total. Once your visa is approved, you have two options depending on which is the shorter of the two. You can either stay for 12 months from the job start date, or the period detailed on your CoS plus an additional 14 days. You can also extend your visa by 12 months providing you continue to meet the eligibility criteria.
Can I Get ILR Through the Secondment Worker Visa?
As the Secondment Worker visa is only a temporary visa, you are not eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).
How Can The Nathanson Partnership Help You?
At The Nathanson Partnership, we can help you apply for your Secondment Worker visa. The first step is to ensure that your overseas employer has an eligible contract with the UK-registered sponsor company. We can provide clarification and advice on what the Home Office considers an “eligible contract” and will assist you in understanding how you can apply.
We provide a full Secondment Worker visa service where we advise you on the documentation you need to provide, review your application and ensure that you have everything you need to successfully secure your visa.
Please contact us for a free initial assessment with our qualified and experienced UK immigration advisors.
Contact Our Expert Secondment Worker Visa Immigration Professionals
At The Nathanson Partnership, we have a team of regulated immigration professionals who give friendly, high-quality immigration advice that you can trust. We are fully accredited by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) which means that our immigration practices must adhere to very high standards.
We are proud to support a range of clients, giving them the peace of mind they need to confidently submit visa applications that meet the Home Office’s strict requirements. We understand that everyone’s situation is unique, which is why we give tailored support, applying the immigration rules to everyone’s individual circumstances.
If you need assistance with your Secondment Worker visa application, our team of specialists are here to help you.
Please contact us today on 020 3476 9523 or email us at [email protected]