Graduate Trainee Visa: Global Business Mobility Routes
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The Graduate visa allows a business to transfer their graduate-level employees to a UK branch for temporary work.
The immigration team at RVS Solicitors is highly skilled in assisting clients with work visa applications of all types. If you are a UK organisation, in need of bringing young talent from your overseas arm, our lawyers can guide you in respect of all the necessary steps, up to a point of getting the visa for the employee. By working with our dedicated team of immigration solicitors, you can rest assured that all your immigration needs will be well assessed and catered to.
We can also assist individuals who have been offered sponsorship to move to the UK for work engagement under the Graduate Trainee route.
How to Secure a Graduate Trainee Visa:
To secure a Graduate trainee visa, you will need to be sponsored by your current employer’s UK based office and meet other strict eligibility requirements.
In order to be eligible for the Graduate Trainee visa, you must demonstrate that you have obtained 60 points as follows:
- 20 Points for Sponsorship – this means having a Valid ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from an employer in the UK, who in turn must be linked to your current overseas employer
- 20 points for a job at an appropriate skill level – This means your occupation is eligible for the Graduate Trainee visa
- 20 points for salary – this means you need to show the minimum eligible salary required of your specific job or at least £23,100 whichever is the lowest amount
Further to the above, there are some other requirements that you need to meet:
- Proof of working for your employer outside the UK
- Aged 18 or over
- Proof of maintenance funds
- Valid tuberculosis test certificate, if from a listed country
Our immigration lawyers in London will carefully guide you through each step so you understand clearly the details behind each criterion. We can help complete the necessary paperwork and guarantee that you have all the documents you need in order to be granted a Graduate Trainee visa. Get in touch today.
Graduate Trainee Visa UK (FAQs)
What is a Graduate Trainee Visa?
Under the Graduate Trainee visa, overseas workers can be transferred to the UK by their employer for a work placement in their UK office. The job must be part of a graduate training programme leading to a managerial or specialist role. In effect, the Graduate Trainee visa has replaced the Intra-company Graduate Trainee visa, previously the Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Graduate Trainee visa.
If you are an organisation looking to bring over UK Graduate workers from your overseas operation, you will need to ensure that your UK organisation has a valid Sponsor Licence for this route.
A Graduate Trainee visa is valid for at most a 12-month period and cannot be extended. It is, therefore, intended for temporary work. The same person can potentially apply for another Graduate Trainee visa, provided they continue to meet the relevant requirements and have not spent 5 cumulative years on this or other related routes in the past 6-month period.
A Graduate Trainee visa is not a settlement route and as such. If you are an individual coming to the UK on this visa, you will not be granted Indefinite Leave to Remain. You will need to switch to another route if settlement in the UK is your ultimate intention.
What is a ‘Certificate of Sponsorship?’
The organisation sponsoring the Graduate Worker Visa must be a branch or wholly-owned subsidiary of an established overseas business. The sponsor must hold a valid license for sponsoring workers under this visa. The sponsor must also ensure that the employment offered in the UK fulfils relevant skills and salary requirements to qualify as an eligible occupation.
The UK-based sponsor will need to provide the employee with a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), which will allow them to apply for a Graduate Trainee visa. The Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic document outlining the employee’s personal details, role, salary etc. The certificate will have a unique reference number which is required as part of the online application process for the visa.
How much does a Graduate Trainee Visa cost?
The fee for applying for a Graduate Trainee visa is £259. This is in addition to the £624 healthcare surcharge you must pay for each year of your stay in the UK. If you wish to bring your partner, children, or any dependents, each person must also pay the same £259 application fee. Usually, the sponsors will cover these costs, but they are not under any legal obligation to do so.
Our team can help you determine the exact costs for your application. You will also need to prove that you have enough personal savings to be able to support yourself while in the UK. Our team can assist you in gathering the necessary bank statements and proof of funds for this portion of your application as well.
What can I do and cannot do with a Graduate Trainee Visa?
On a Graduate Trainee visa, there are several things you can and cannot do. It is imperative that we help you understand what these activities are so as to prevent accidental breaking of immigration rules.
With a Graduate Trainee visa, you can:
- Conduct work for your sponsor in your Certificate of Sponsorship
- Study
- Bring eligible partners and children as your ‘dependants’
- Voluntary work
- Travel abroad and return to the UK
However, you cannot:
- Apply for most benefits such as those under the public funds or the State Pension
- Change your job
- Hold a second job
- Apply to settle permanently in the UK (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain’)
The lists above are non-exhaustive. This means that if your application is successful, you will be provided with a full list of what you can and cannot do on a Graduate Trainee visa.
We realise that for most applicants, settling permanently in the UK is the ultimate goal. Although the Graduate Trainee visa may not lead directly to indefinite leave to remain, we may be able to assist you to switch to a Skilled Worker or any other eligible visa route that does lead to permanent settlement and advise you on other options for obtaining residency.
How can RVS Solicitors help you?
Our team of the best immigration lawyers in London is always at hand to guide you in respect of any UK immigration issues you may have as a business or an individual. With many years of practice, we are well-versed in understanding the Home Office requirements when it comes to Sponsoring workers and issuing visas. Our prompt and reliable advice will ensure that you are in the best position for a successful Graduate Trainee visa application. We take steps to make sure that you have all the supporting documents and information you need to enable your safe journey into the UK.
Our top business immigration lawyers are highly experienced in Graduate Trainee visa applications. You can be confident that our advice is catered to meet your business and career goals.
To find out more about how we can assist you with Graduate Trainee Visa guidance, please contact our London office at 020 3372 5125 to make an appointment.
To read more about similar issues please visit our blog or read about how we have helped others in similar circumstances by visiting our success stories
