Seamless Global
Business Mobility
for Your Enterprise
Sterling & Wells combines authoritative legal expertise with deep corporate financial intelligence — delivering end-to-end Global Business Mobility sponsorship, visa, and compliance solutions built to move at the speed of global business.
What is the Global Business Mobility (GBM) Route?
The Global Business Mobility (GBM) route is a strategic immigration pathway designed for overseas businesses needing to temporarily transfer their existing personnel to a linked UK business for specific corporate assignments that cannot be fulfilled by the resident workforce. Whether your enterprise is establishing its first UK footprint, transferring senior executives, or fulfilling high-value international trade contracts, the GBM framework offers five targeted sub-routes tailored to your corporate needs: Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier, and Secondment Worker. While this route provides unparalleled flexibility for multinational operations to leverage their global talent pool, it is designed strictly for temporary assignments and does not offer a direct pathway to permanent UK settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain).
Which Global Business Mobility Pathway is Right for Your Business?
We combine deep knowledge of the Immigration Rules with a practical understanding of how businesses actually operate. That means advice that works in the real world, not just on paper.
Senior or Specialist Worker
This route is for senior managers or specialist employees transferring to a UK branch linked to their overseas employer. It is designed for temporary assignments that require specific expertise.
Graduate Trainee
This pathway is for overseas workers participating in a structured graduate training programme that leads to a senior management or specialist role. It allows these trainees to complete a required, temporary work placement in the UK.
UK Expansion Worker
This route enables eligible overseas businesses to send senior managers or specialist employees to establish a new UK branch or subsidiary. It can only be used if the overseas business has a UK footprint but has not yet begun trading in the UK.
Service Supplier
This route is for contractual service suppliers or self-employed independent professionals based overseas. They can come to the UK to provide services covered by a UK international trade agreement that is currently in force or being provisionally applied.
Secondment Worker
This route allows overseas workers to be temporarily seconded to a UK business. The secondment must be part of a high-value contract for goods or investment between the UK sponsor and the overseas employer.
Which Global Business Mobility Pathway is Right for Your Business?
Senior or Specialist Worker
This route is for senior managers or specialist employees transferring to a UK branch linked to their overseas employer. It is designed for temporary assignments that require specific expertise.
Graduate Trainee
This pathway is for overseas workers participating in a structured graduate training programme that leads to a senior management or specialist role. It allows these trainees to complete a required, temporary work placement in the UK.
UK Expansion Worker
This route enables eligible overseas businesses to send senior managers or specialist employees to establish a new UK branch or subsidiary. It can only be used if the overseas business has a UK footprint but has not yet begun trading in the UK.
Service Supplier
This route is for contractual service suppliers or self-employed independent professionals based overseas. They can come to the UK to provide services covered by a UK international trade agreement that is currently in force or being provisionally applied.
Secondment Worker
This route allows overseas workers to be temporarily seconded to a UK business. The secondment must be part of a high-value contract for goods or investment between the UK sponsor and the overseas employer.
Three Pillars of Your Immigration Strategy
Every service is designed to move your business forward with confidence, precision, and full regulatory compliance.
Sponsorship Licence Management
We manage your Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence application from initial assessment to final submission. Our legal and financial team meticulously curates your evidence bundle to ensure it meets strict Home Office criteria.
- Corporate structure and qualifying overseas link assessment
- Financial and corporate evidence bundle collation and verification
- Key Personnel vetting, Role Verification and SMS System Setup
- Complete online application submission and fee management
- Continuous Home Office liaison and real-time application tracking
Visa Application & CoS Assignment
We handle the strategic allocation and assignment of Certificates of Sponsorship for your international transferees. Our experts ensure precise occupation coding and salary calculations to guarantee flawless entry clearance applications.
- Strategic candidate mapping to the correct GBM pathway for workers
- Compliant SOC 2020 occupation coding and precise role mapping
- Precise salary threshold and going rate calculations
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation and assignment
- End-to-end management of straightforward worker visa applications
Ongoing Compliance & Sponsor Duties
We proactively safeguard your A-rating by guiding your business through strict Home Office reporting and record-keeping duties. Our team provides ongoing support to ensure your HR systems remain fully compliant with UK immigration law.
- Advice on reporting all worker activity and changes via the SMS
- Advice on reporting corporate and structural changes
- Strategic guidance on Appendix D record-keeping requirements
- Advising on compliant Right to Work checks and statutory excuses
- Mock auditing to ensure strict regulatory compliance standards
Stages of Completion of Work
Why Choose Us
We combine deep knowledge of the Immigration Rules with a practical understanding of how businesses actually operate. That means advice that works in the real world, not just on paper.
Current Regulatory Expertise
Our team tracks every change to the Immigration Rules as it happens. From RQF Level 6 skill requirement to higher English language threshold from January 2026, we ensure your applications always reflect the current legal position.
End to End Case Management
We are involved from the very first conversation to the final outcome. That means we prepare your Sponsor Licence application, assign and verify every Certificate of Sponsorship, manage the visa process and remain on hand for extensions, compliance questions and settlement applications.
Risk Focused, Compliance First
Every application is reviewed against the Home Office compliance framework before submission. We check genuine vacancy requirements, salary calculations (including the 48 hour weekly cap), CoS type accuracy and record keeping obligations, so problems are resolved before they reach an examiner.
Clarity at Every Stage
You will always know where things stand. We provide clear timelines, straightforward updates in plain English and direct access to your dedicated case handler. No chasing, no confusion, and no unnecessary complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straightforward answers to the questions we hear most often from employers navigating the Skilled Worker route
What is the Global Business Mobility (GBM) route?
What are the eligibility requirements for a GBM worker?
Are there specific salary thresholds for GBM routes?
How long can an employee stay in the UK on a GBM visa?
Does an overseas business need an active UK branch to get a licence?
What are the employer costs associated with GBM sponsorship?
Book a Free
Discovery Call
Ready to transfer your global talent or establish your UK footprint? Schedule a consultation with our specialists to discuss your business immigration strategy.
Meet Our Team
Experienced immigration professionals who bring together legal precision with practical, business focused advice
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