Tier 2 (Intra-company transfer) Visas

There are 2 types of Intra-company Transfer visa.

Long-term Staff

Apply for this visa if you’re transferring into a role that requires you to have had previous experience working for the company.

You’ll need to have worked for your company for more than 12 months, unless they’re going to pay you £73,900 or more a year to work in the UK.

Graduate Trainee

This visa is for transfers into graduate trainee programmes for specialist roles. You need to be a recent graduate with at least 3 months’ experience with your employer overseas.

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

●      Long-term Staff (if you earn more than £120,000 a year): 9 years

●      Long-term Staff (if you earn less than £120,000 a year): 5 years, 1 month

●      Graduate Trainee: 12 months

You can apply to extend your stay in the UK for the maximum time allowed for your visa type

You can:

●      work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship

●      do a second job in the same profession and at the same level as your main job for up to 20 hours per week

●      do voluntary work

●      study as long as it doesn’t interfere with the job you’re sponsored for

●      travel abroad and return to the UK

●      bring family members with you

You can’t:

●      get public funds

●      start working before you get a visa

●      have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job

●      be paid an ‘appropriate salary’ for your job

●      have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK

●      show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years

●      have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country

●      be able to show you have worked for your employer outside the UK

●      £41,500 for Long-term Staff

●      £23,000 for Graduate Trainee

●      you’re extending your Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa

●      you’re working in the UK for less than a year

●      you’ll be paid at an hourly rate

●      you’ll work a set number of hours

You don’t need to prove this if you have a fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor who can give you at least £945 to cover your costs for a month if you need it. Your sponsor must confirm this on the certificate of sponsorship.

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

●      your certificate of sponsorship reference number

●      a bank or building society statement or letter that shows you have enough personal savings (unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your sponsor can support you)

●      a current passport or travel document to prove you can travel – you need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa

●      expired passports or travel documents if you need them to show your travel history

●      your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country

●      Long-term Staff earning £73,900 or less – 12 months

●      Long-term Staff earning more than £73,900 – no minimum time

●      Graduate Trainee – 3 months

If you’re asked, you’ll need to show you’ve been paid by your employer over this time period. You can provide:

●      original printed payslips

●      copies of online payslips supported by a letter from your sponsor signed by a senior staff member

●      bank or building society statements

●      a building society pass book

You might be able to apply to extend your stay in the UK depending on what type of Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa you have.

●      Long-term Staff

●      Graduate Trainee

●      have the same or a similar job to the one you received your previous visa for

●      still work for the employer who provided your certificate of sponsorship

●      still earn an ‘appropriate salary’ – read the full guidance if you’re not sure

●      already be in the UK

●      the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days

●      the time needed to extend your stay to the maximum time allowed in the category

●      5 years (9 years if you earn more than £120,000 a year)

You can extend your stay if your original visa was for less than 12 months. You can only extend your visa by up to 12 months.

●      already be in the UK

●      have a representative of an overseas business visa

●      be still working for the same employer named on your previous application

Your stay can be extended for the shortest of the following:

●      the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days

●      the time needed to extend your stay to the maximum time allowed in your visa category

●      5 years (9 years if you earn more than £120,000 a year)

●      your husband, wife or partner

●      your child under 18

You won’t need evidence of your savings if you have a:

●      fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor

●      certificate of sponsorship stating that your sponsor will give each of your dependants at least £630 to cover their costs for a month if they need it