Secondment Worker visa
The Secondment Worker visa lets a UK business sponsor employees of an overseas company it has a high-value contract with, so they can work on that contract in the UK. The worker stays employed abroad; you, the UK business, hold the licence and the contract must be worth at least £50 million.
- Contract value£50 millionat least, and £10 million a year if it runs 5 years or more
- Time with the overseas employer6 monthsworking for them outside the UK
- Certificate, you pay£55per secondee, at the Temporary Worker rate
- Longest stay2 yearsa first year, plus one year more
Figures from GOV.UK, Sponsor a Global Business Mobility worker.
Who the Secondment Worker route is for
The route suits a UK business buying goods from, or receiving investment from, an overseas company on a large contract, where that company sends its own staff to work on the contract here. The certificate of sponsorship (CoS), the electronic record the worker applies with, can only be used for the registered contract and no other (GBM guidance, GBM2.24).
If the overseas company is sending staff to its own UK branch, use Senior or Specialist Worker instead. If it supplies a service under a trade agreement and has no UK presence, the Service Supplier visa is the closer fit.
| Contract under 5 years | Worth at least £50 million in total |
|---|---|
| Contract of 5 years or more | Worth at least £10 million for each year |
| No end date | Worth at least £50 million over the first 5 years |
| What it covers | Goods or investment between you and the overseas business |
| Registration | Registered in your sponsorship management system account when you apply, or before you assign a certificate |
| New contract later | Report it and wait for Home Office agreement before assigning any certificate under it |
What a Secondment Worker must meet
The worker must be an existing employee of the overseas business, with at least 6 months working for it outside the UK, and the UK job must be on the GBM list of eligible occupations (GOV.UK eligibility). There is no general salary threshold or going rate on this route, but the worker must be paid at least the National Minimum Wage (GBM7.3).
Secondment Worker visa cost and length of stay
You pay the £611 Temporary Worker licence fee and £55 for each certificate. There is no immigration skills charge on this route. The worker pays a £340 visa fee and the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 a year, and needs £1,270 in savings unless you certify their maintenance on the certificate (GOV.UK costs).
The first grant is 12 months, or the certificate period plus 14 days if shorter, with one extension of 12 months: 2 years at most. Every Global Business Mobility visa shares one cap of 5 years in any 6, and none of them leads to settlement.
How many sponsors use the Secondment Worker route
It is the rarest work route on the register of licensed sponsors: the 22 October 2026 edition lists 6 organisations holding it. The contract test rules out almost every employer, so check the contract value before you spend money on an application.
Questions employers ask about Secondment Workers
Can we add several smaller contracts together to reach £50 million?
The guidance asks for a single contract for goods or investment that meets the value test, and each certificate is tied to one registered contract (GBM2.23 and GBM2.24). If yours falls short, a solicitor can say whether another route fits.
Can someone already in the UK switch to a Secondment Worker visa?
Usually, yes. People here as visitors, short-term students, Parents of a Child Student, Seasonal Workers or domestic workers in a private household must apply from abroad instead, as must anyone on immigration bail or with permission outside the rules (GOV.UK switching rules).
Who pays the worker during the secondment?
The worker stays on the overseas employer's payroll. The Home Office does not set a salary floor for this route beyond the National Minimum Wage.
Want a solicitor to handle it? Ask a solicitor
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