UK Senior or Specialist Person Visa

Can I Apply for a UK Senior or Specialist Person Visa?

The previously offered Tier 2 Long-Term Staff and Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visas for UK have now been replaced with the Senior or Specialist Worker visa.

You can apply for this visa if you want to continue working for your employer at one of its UK locations. To be eligible for the visa, your employer must already be established in the UK and have a sponsor license from the Home Office.

Unlike several other GBM routes, this particular visa allows you to remain in the UK for several years. You can spend a maximum of 5 out of any 6 years in the UK on the Senior or Specialist Person visa.

This is a nonimmigrant visa, so you can’t use it for immigration purposes. However, you can consult a reputable UK visa consultant firm such as Adam Bernard to see if you can switch to another visa that allows you to get an immigration status.

Who is Eligible for a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

You are eligible for the visa if you meet the following requirements:

• You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship from a Licensed Sponsor that clearly states your intended occupation, annual salary, and other details
• You have been previously working for the sponsor outside the UK.
• If your annual pay is less than £73,900, you have a work history of at least 12 months with your current employer who is sponsoring you for the visa.
• Your intended job or role has an eligible occupation code included in the list maintained by the Home Office.
• The annual salary you have been offered by your UK sponsor and listed on your CoS is at least £42,400, or the going rate for your job. Of these, the higher amount will serve as the minimum threshold salary for your job.
• You are able to meet the financial obligations requisite for the visa.

Our Senior or Specialist Person visa consultants for UK can help you meet each set of requirements before you apply for your visa.

What Are Eligible Occupations for Senior or Specialist Worker Visa?

An eligible occupation is a job or role for which you can seek a Global Business Mobility visa. These occupations meet the minimum salary and skill level requirements defined by the Home Office.

When you are issued a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), it contains your occupation code. This code must be on the Home Office list of eligible occupations. If your occupation code is on the list, you intended job is eligible for a Senior or Specialist Person visa. If the code is not on the list, the Home Office is very likely to refuse your application.

It is also possible that you get a visa for one occupation code but later want to switch your job. In this case, you may be required to reapply for the visa or have it updated with the new occupation code. If the new job you intend to undertake is not covered by the eligible GBM jobs list, you can seek other visa options.

Here at Adam Bernard, we offer you tailored advice on whether or not a given occupation code is suited for your visa application. In doing so, we consider the Home Office rules, the requisites for the job, your own qualifications, and a number of other factors.

Being a leading UK visa consultant in Pakistan, we help you and your sponsor choose a job that helps you meet the eligibility requirements.

Certificate of Sponsorship for Senior or Specialist Worker Visa

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a document that your UK sponsor issues for your visa application. The CoS lists several important details such as your intended job, your annual salary, your qualifications, and your employment history.

A CoS is valid for three months. This means that you have 3 months from the issuance date of the CoS to apply for your visa. This is also subject to the condition that the CoS has not been cancelled by your sponsor or the Home Office.

The details provided on your CoS must match the overall requirements for the visa. If you are not sure how to ensure this, we can help you. Being a notable UK visa consultant firm, our experts can work with you and your UK sponsor to make sure that CoS supports your visa application.

What Are The Financial Requirements?

Like the other GBM visas, you must show financial means for 1 month of your stay in the UK when applying for a Senior or Specialist Person visa. Specifically, you must prove the availability of at least £1,270 in cash funds.

You must have held this amount for at least 28 consecutive days out of the 31 days before your application. An easy way to meet this requirement is to have this amount in your bank account for the designated period.

You may be exempt from this requirement if:

• Your sponsor agrees to shoulder your financial responsibility. The sponsor must note on the CoS that it is ready to do so. It must also provide evidence of the availability of £1,270 in cash funds.
• You have already been in the UK for at least 12 months and have a valid visa. In this case, you don’t need to meet the financial obligations noted above.

You can consult our Senior or Specialist Person visa consultants for UK to see if you qualify for an exemption from the financial requirements.

How to Apply?

All GBM visa applications are submitted online. This includes applications for Senior or Specialist person visa. When filling in the online application, you must provide several documents.

These include:

• Certificate of Sponsorship. The CoS confirms that you have a valid job offer from a licensed sponsor in the UK. Your application must be submitted no later than 3 months from the date of the issuance of the CoS.
• Valid Proof of Identity. This can be a passport, a national identity card, or another travel document.
• Biometric Details. You will typically need to schedule an appointment with the nearest visa application center to have your biometric details collected. When applying from Pakistan, this is done by contacting Gerry’s Visa service.
• Financial Documentation. Such documentation is needed to ascertain that you meet the financial requirements for the visa. You can use bank statements for the purpose.
• Work History Evidence. You must provide proof that your work history with the overseas employer comprises at least a 12-month cumulative period.
• TB Test Result Certificate. When applying for a UK visa from Pakistan, you must also provide a certificate indicating the results of a tuberculosis test.

If you are not sure how to obtain any of these documents, our Senior or Specialist Person visa consultants for UK can help you.

What is the Senior or Specialist Worker Visa Fee?

You can choose from two options when applying for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa from Pakistan. You can either select a visa which is valid for up to 3 years, or apply for a visa that is valid for more than 3 years. The fees for both types of visas vary.

If you apply for a Senior or Specialist Person visa from Pakistan that is valid up to 3 years, you must pay an application fee of PKR 160,162. The same amount of fee will apply for each dependent if you have one or more dependents applying for a visa. For a visa type with validity of more than 3 years, the application fee is PKR 316,480.

You are also required to pay a healthcare surcharge that is charged per year. The standard amount of the surcharge is £624 per year, and this is multiplied by the number of years you intend to work in the UK

How Long Does the Process Take?

When you submit a Senior or Specialist Person visa application from Pakistan, it takes about three weeks to receive a decision. The actual time may vary depending on factors such as the completeness of your application and the accuracy of your details.

In general, if your application is complete and accurate, your chances of receiving a quick and positive decision are improved. If you application is incomplete or contains errors, the Home Office may ask you to resubmit documentation. This can lead to delays or even a refusal of the visa application.

Being a leading UK visa consultant, our Senior or Specialist Person visa consultants for UK help you submit visa applications that are positioned for success by ensuring they are complete and accurate.

Why Adam Bernard?

Adam Bernard is a reputable UK visa consultant firm in Pakistan. We offer a comprehensive range of advice and guidance for all GBM visas for the UK. Our consultants can help you meet specific requirements, gather relevant documentation, and file an online application that is complete and accurate.

This significantly improves your chances of success and saves you from the hassle of unnecessary delays or visa refusal.

Book a free session with our consultants by calling us at +92-3041112026 and speaking to one of our experts.