1. Overview
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa if:
- your overseas employer has offered you a role in a UK branch of the organisation
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
Getting sponsored
You need to be sponsored – ie have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed sponsor – before you can apply to come to the UK to work.
The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.
Types of Intra-company Transfer visa
There are 4 types of Intra-company Transfer visa.
Long-term Staff
This visa is for transfers of more than 12 months into a role that can’t be filled by a new UK recruit. You need to have worked for your employer overseas for at least 12 months.
Short-term Staff
This visa is for transfers up to and including 12 months into a role that can’t be filled by a new UK recruit. You need to have worked for your employer overseas for at least 12 months.
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.
Skills Transfer
This visa is for transfers that allow people to gain skills and knowledge needed to perform their role overseas, or to pass on their skills to UK colleagues. You don’t need to have been with your employer overseas for a set period of time.
How long it will take
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.
You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
Fees
How much you pay for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa depends on the type of visa, where you are and how you apply.
Short-term Staff, Graduate Trainee or Skills Transfer
| Who you’re applying for | Apply (outside the UK) | Extend or switch by post in the UK | Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service) |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | £445 (Rs.43,953.82) | £445 (Rs.43,953.82) | £845 (Rs.83,426.08) |
| If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia | £390 (Rs.38,504.35) | £390 (Rs.38,504.35) | £790 (Rs.78,109.58) |
| All dependants | £445 each person | £445 each person | £845 each person |
Long-term Staff (up to 3 years)
| Who you’re applying for | Apply (outside the UK) | Extend or switch by post in the UK | Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service) |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | £564 (Rs.55,720.00) | £651 (Rs.64,315.11) | £1,051 (Rs.1,03,915.40) |
| If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia | £509 (Rs.50,286.31) | £596 (Rs.58,883.42) | £996 (Rs.98,399.15) |
| All dependants | £564 each person | £651 each person | £1,051 each person |
Long-term Staff (more than 3 years)
| Who you’re applying for | Apply (outside the UK) | Extend or switch by post in the UK | Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service) |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | £1,128 (Rs.1,11,528.61) | £1,302 (Rs.1,28,634.58) | £1,702 (Rs.1,68,017.64) |
| If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia | £1,073 (Rs.1,06,006.32) | £1,247 (Rs.1,23,196.53) | £1,647 (Rs.1,62,719.78) |
| All dependants | £1,128 each person | £1,302 each person | £1,702 each person |
How long you can stay
You can come to the UK with a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa for up to the maximum stay allowed for your visa type, or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.
The maximum stay for each type of Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa is:
- Long-term Staff (if you earn more than £155,300 per year): 9 years
- Long-term Staff (if you earn less than £155,300 per year): 5 years, 1 month
- Graduate Trainee: 12 months
- Short-term Staff: 12 months
- Skills Transfer: 6 months
Your stay must start no more than 14 days before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship.
You can apply to extend your stay in the UK for the maximum time allowed for your visa type.
What you can and can’t do
You can:
- work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
- 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
2. Eligibility
You must have all of the following to be eligible for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa:
- certificate of sponsorship reference number
- an ‘appropriate’ salary
- £945 in savings – this is to prove you can support yourself and you must have had this in your bank account for 90 days before you apply
You don’t need to have £945 in savings if your sponsor is fully approved (‘A-rated) and they can certify that they’ll support and accommodate you for the first month you’re employed
Certificate of sponsorship
A certificate of sponsorship is a reference number which holds information about the job and your personal details. It’s not an actual certificate or paper document.
Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number.
They must also give you some other information to help you to apply, eg how much you’ll be paid.
You’ll need to add your certificate of sponsorship reference number to your application form – you can only use it once.
Appropriate salary
You’ll need to earn one of the following:
- Long-term Staff applicants – at least £41,500 or the ‘appropriate rate’ for the role (whichever is higher)
- Short-term Staff, Graduate Trainee or Skills Transfer applicants – at least £24,800 or the ‘appropriate rate’ (whichever is higher)
- staff already in the UK on a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa or work permit issued before 6 April 2011 – at least the ‘appropriate rate’
Appropriate rates
Appropriate rates vary by sector.
3. Documents you must provide
When you apply you’ll need to provide:
- a current passport or other valid travel identification
- a passport-size colour photograph
- bank statements showing you’ve had at least £945 in savings continuously over the last 90 days, or your sponsor’s certification that they can support and accommodate you for the first month you’re employed
- your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a country where you have to take the test
You need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa.
You may be asked to prove you work for your employer outside the UK. The time you must have worked for your employer depends on the visa you’re applying for.
| Visa type | Time you must have worked for your employer |
|---|---|
| Long-term Staff | 12 months |
| Short-term Staff | 12 months |
| Graduate Trainee | 3 months |
| Skills Transfer | no minimum time |
You may be asked to provide one of the following showing payments by your employer for the required time period:
- original printed payslips, or 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’ll need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.
4. Apply
You must also get a reference number as part of your application to show you’re exempt from paying the healthcare surcharge
You must apply for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa.
You’ll need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre (to get a biometric residence permit) as part of your application.
You’ll have to collect your biometric residence permit within 10 days of when you said you’d arrive in the UK.
You may be able to get your visa faster or other services depending on what country you’re in – check with your visa application centre.
5. Extend your visa
You may be able to apply to extend your stay in the UK under a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa.
You should include any dependants who are on your current visa on your application to extend – including children who have turned 18 during your stay.
You should apply before your current visa expires.
Eligibility
You must currently have a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa.
You must also:
- 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
You must be in the UK to extend your visa.
How long you can stay
A Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer – Long-term Staff) visa can be extended for the shortest of these options:
- 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
You can extend all other types of Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer visa if your original visa was for less than the maximum stay allowed by that type. You can only extend your visa up to the maximum time allowed.
6. Switch to this visa
You can apply to change (‘switch’) from another visa to a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer – Long-term Staff) visa.
You can’t switch to any other type of Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa.
You should apply before your current visa expires.
Eligibility
You must already be in the UK under one of the following visas or schemes:
- Intra-company Transfer – Established Staff
- Intra-company Transfer granted before 6 April 2010
- Intra-company Transfer Work Permit (except multiple entry work permits)
You must be still working for the same employer named on your previous application.
You can’t:
- switch into any other Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa type
- switch into Tier 2 (General) if your Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Long-term Staff visa was granted after 6 April 2011
How long you can stay
A Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer – Long-term Staff) visa can be extended for 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 or 5 years (whichever is shorter).
You can’t:
- extend your stay in the UK beyond 5 years
- re-apply to re-enter the UK under an Intra-company Transfer visa until 12 months after you leave the UK
The rules are different if you earn £155,300 (Rs.1,53,35,751.75) or more.
7. Family members
Your family members (‘dependants’) can come with you when you come to the UK on this visa. Your family members must have a visa if they’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
A ‘dependant’ is any of the following:
- your husband, wife or partner
- your child under 18
They must also get a reference number as part of their application to show they’re exempt from paying the healthcare surcharge.
They must complete their visa application by 5 July if they’ve already got a reference number or they will have to get a new number.
Savings
You must show that your dependants can be supported while they’re in the UK.
Each dependant must have £630 available to them whether they apply with you or separately. This is in addition to the £945 you must have to support yourself.
You must have proof you have the money, and that it’s been in your bank account or your dependant’s bank account for at least 90 days before you or they apply.
UK Study Visa
Short-term study visa
The UK is a world leader in many areas of education including engineering, science, art and design, business and management, law and finance. The UK’s reputation and legacy as a world centre for scientific research makes it a magnet for some of the very best thinkers in the world.
UK Tier 4 (Child) student visa
You can apply for the UK Tier 4 (Child) student visa if you’re aged between 4 and 17 and you want to study in the UK.
UK Tier 4 (GE) student visa
You can apply for a Tier 4 (General) student visa to study in the UK if you’re 16 or over and you:
have been offered a place on a course
can speak, read, write and understand English
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Enterpreneur) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa if:
- you want to set up or run a business in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa if you’ve been endorsed in your field in science, humanities, engineering, medicine, digital technology or the arts as:
a recognised leader (exceptional talent)
an emerging leader (exceptional promise)
You must also be from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.
UK Work visa Tier 1 (general) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:
- you want to invest £2,000,000 or more in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Graduate Enterpreneur) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa if you:
- are a graduate who has been officially endorsed as having a genuine and credible business idea
- are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- meet the other eligibility criteria
UK Work visa Tier 1 (Investor) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if:
- you want to invest £2,000,000 (Rs.19,77,29,784.85) or more in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
- you meet the other eligibility requirements
UK Work visa Tier 2 (general) Visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (General) visa if:
- you’ve been offered a skilled job in the UK
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa if:
- your overseas employer has offered you a role in a UK branch of the organisation
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Minister of Religion) visa if:
you’ve been offered a job within a faith community (eg as a minister of religion, missionary, or member of a religious order) in the UK
you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa
You can apply for a Tier 2 (Sportsperson) visa if all of the following apply:
- you’re an elite sportsperson or qualified coach recognised by your sport’s governing body as internationally established at the highest level
- your sport’s governing body is endorsing your application
- your employment will develop your sport in the UK at the highest level
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 2 Priority Service
You can get a decision on your visa within 10 working days if you apply to extend or switch to a tier 2 visa using the Tier 2 Priority Service.
You can only use this service if you’re in the UK.
You can use the service for the following visas:
- Tier 2 (General)
- Tier 2 (Minister of religion)
- Tier 2 (Sportsperson)
- Tier 2 (Intra company transfer)
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Charity Worker) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Charity Worker) visa if:
- you want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
UK Work visa Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative and sporting) visa
You can apply for a Tier 5 (Temporary Worker – Creative and sporting) visa if:
- you’ve been offered work as a sports person or creative worker
- you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland
A creative worker is someone who works in the creative industry, eg an actor, dancer, musician or film crew member.
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