UK Secondment Worker Visa Checklist
Apply for this visa if your overseas employer is transferring you to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation. Your employer must have a high-value contract with the UK organisation, approved by the Home Office. This checklist sets out the documents and the stay rules. Based on the official GOV.UK pages (gov.uk/secondment-worker-visa).
Three quick facts
- 12 months, extendable by 12. Stay for whichever is shorter of 12 months after the CoS job start date, or the CoS time plus 14 days. Extend by 12 months, to a maximum of 2 years.
- Maximum 5 years in any 6. The same 5-in-6 cap as the other Global Business Mobility routes applies.
- You need more than a CoS. Your overseas employer must hold a high-value contract with the UK organisation, approved by the Home Office, and you must have worked overseas for at least 6 months.
The checklist — what to prepare
| Certificate of sponsorship (CoS) | You must have a certificate of sponsorship from your sponsor with information about the work you will do in the UK. |
| High-value contract approved by the Home Office | Your overseas employer must have a high-value contract with the UK organisation, and that contract must have been approved by the Home Office. Your employer will tell you if their contract makes you eligible. |
| Proof of at least 6 months overseas employment | You must have worked for your overseas employer for at least 6 months outside the UK before applying. |
| Eligible occupation | You must do a job in the UK that is on the list of eligible occupations for Global Business Mobility. |
| Personal savings evidence | You, your partner or children will each need to prove you have enough personal savings. The exact amount is not stated on the visa page, so it is not asserted here. |
| Healthcare surcharge | You, your partner or children will each need to pay the healthcare surcharge, which the official page gives as usually £1,035 per year. |
| Application fee | The official page gives the application fee as £340. You, your partner or children each pay it. |
| Family (dependants) evidence | You can bring your partner and children as dependants if they are eligible; keep proof of your relationship. |
What the visa is for
Apply if your overseas employer is transferring you to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation. Unlike a straightforward transfer, the key condition is contractual: your overseas employer must have a high-value contract with the UK organisation, approved by the Home Office. Your employer will tell you if their contract makes you eligible.
How long you can stay
You can stay for whichever is the shorter of 12 months after the start date of the job detailed in your certificate of sponsorship, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days. You can extend by 12 months, and the maximum time on a Secondment Worker visa is 2 years. A maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period applies if you have spent time on this or the other listed visas (Intra-company Graduate Trainee, Intra-company Transfer, Graduate Trainee, Secondment Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Service Supplier, UK Expansion Worker).
You can apply up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work. Decisions usually take 3 weeks from outside the UK or 8 weeks from inside; you may be able to pay for a faster decision. For the wider UK picture see the UK visa documents checklist, and check the photo with the UK passport photo page and the passport photo checker.
What you can and cannot do
| Can | Work for your sponsor in the job described in your CoS; study; bring your partner and children as dependants if eligible; travel abroad and return; do unpaid voluntary work for a registered charity, voluntary organisation, associated fundraising body or statutory body. |
| Cannot | Apply for most benefits (public funds) or the State Pension; change jobs unless you update your visa; apply to settle permanently in the UK. |
What is not published
The exact personal-savings amount is not published on the visa page, so not asserted here; the individual qualifying contracts sit with the employer and the Home Office. Check the official pages for the current position.
Common reasons an application fails
- The contract is not approved by the Home Office — the high-value contract condition is central to this route.
- Less than 6 months working overseas for the overseas employer.
- Job not on the eligible occupations list.
- No valid certificate of sponsorship.
- 5 years in any 6 already used across the listed routes.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Secondment Worker visa different from the UK Expansion Worker visa?
The Secondment Worker route is for an existing employee of an overseas organisation transferring to the UK to do an eligible job for a different organisation, where the overseas employer has a Home Office-approved high-value contract with the UK sponsor. The UK Expansion Worker route is for setting up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet.
How long must I have worked overseas?
At least 6 months for your overseas employer outside the UK.
How long can I stay?
Whichever is shorter of 12 months after the CoS job start date, or the CoS time plus 14 days. You can extend by 12 months, to a maximum of 2 years.
Does the 5 years in any 6 year period rule apply?
Yes - you can only stay a maximum of 5 years in any 6-year period if you have spent time on this or the other listed Global Business Mobility and Intra-company visas.
Can I bring my family?
Yes - you can bring your partner and children as dependants if they are eligible, with proof of your relationship.
What does it cost?
The official page gives the application fee as GBP340, and the healthcare surcharge as usually GBP1,035 per year.
Sources: GOV.UK - Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility): overview and eligibility pages (gov.uk/secondment-worker-visa), retrieved 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position before you apply.