Intra-Company Transfer Visa
Intra-Company Transfer Visa enables the transfer of workers to a UK branch office.
Awards and Accreditations
Intra-Company Transfer visa category is used by multinational organisations to transfer skilled employees from an overseas office to fill a position in their UK office which cannot be filled by a settled worker. Â
You will need to have an offer of employment in the UK from a licensed Tier 2 Sponsor before applying for a visa and the overseas employer must be linked by common ownership or control to the UK branch.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa category can be very complicated as the rules, salary thresholds and criteria are often changed by UKVI. Our expert legal team can ensure your organization remains up to date with the frequent changes in immigration law and that there is no disruption to your current staffing level and future recruitment needs.
Intra-Company Transfer Visa Categories
There are two categories of Intra-Company Transfer Visa:
Long-Term Staff
This category is for foreign employees who have worked for the overseas branch of the organization for a minimum of 12 months who are being transferred to the UK in order to perform a specialized role which cannot be filled by a British Citizen or permanent resident.
If you are applying in the Long-term Staff sub-category then you must be paid a minimum of £41,500 per year, or the minimum for your exact job, whichever is higher.
Graduate Trainee
This category is for recent graduates who have worked for the organization for at least 3 months and are being transferred to a UK branch office as part of a structured graduate training programme, with clearly defined progression towards a managerial or specialist role within the organisation. Each Sponsor can only sponsor 20 people in this category per year.
If you are applying in the Graduate Trainee sub-category then you must be paid a minimum of £23,000 per year, or the minimum for your exact job, whichever is higher.
Extension Applications and ILR
Intra-Company Transfer Visa extensions are only available from the same sub-category: so a Graduate Trainee can only extend their visa if they remain working for the same employer, whilst Long Term Staff must have entered the UK as such, or as a sole representative of an overseas business.
The maximum stay for the Long-Term Staff sub-category of the Intra-Company Transfer visa is either 9 years (if you earn more than £120,000 per year) or 5 years, 1 month (if you earn less than £120,000 per year) or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.
The maximum stay for the Graduate Trainee sub-category of the Intra-Company Transfer visa is 12 months or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.
Intra-Company Transfer visa holders can no longer apply for indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom.
Our Services
Our experienced immigration lawyers have a proven track record of success in helping businesses across a wide variety of industries and their employees with their visa applications. Our team regularly works with organizations in Canada and the United States, assisting them with moving staff to the UK to assist with large projects.
If your Intra-Company Transfer visa has been refused you may submit a fresh application or file an Administrative Review application if there are sufficient legal merits and the decision-maker has made a clear error.
For further information, please schedule a consultation.
