Global Business Mobility routes

The Global Business Mobility routes came into force from 11 April 2022, via Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules HC 1118. They consolidated a number of existing routes and expanded on the provisions for overseas businesses seeking to establish a UK subsidiary/branch or temporarily transfer specialised employees to the UK through a client, supplier or their own UK entity. The routes were trailed as part of the previous Conservative government’s ‘Plan for Growth’, and their introduction followed the October 2021 publication of the Migration Advisory Committee’s (MAC) report on the Intra-Company routes. All of the Global Business Mobility routes require a licensed sponsor. Despite the recommendation of the MAC on this point, there is no provision for settlement on any of the routes. Also, time spent in any Global Business Mobility route cannot be aggregated towards settlement in any other route, eg if the applicant subsequently switches to

To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.

Powered by Lexis+®
Latest Immigration News

SMF blog questions Labour’s omission of hiring test

Jonathan Thomas, Senior Fellow at the Social Market Foundation (SMF) has highlighted in a blog the government’s continued omission of the Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) from its post-Brexit labour immigration framework, despite its alignment with the Labour administration’s stated aim to reduce reliance on overseas workers. Thomas, a migration expert atSMF, notes that although the government’s White Paper confirms tighter eligibility for overseas workers, it stops short of reinstating the RLMT—which previously required employers to advertise locally before hiring abroad. The blog observes that the RLMT’s absence risks undermining the government’s narrative that immigration should supplement, not supplant, the domestic workforce. Without it, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC)—a levy on employers hiring from abroad to fund local training—lacks a crucial complementary mechanism that would evidence employers’ efforts to hire locally first. While its removal was initially welcomed by employers as a reduction in bureaucracy, legal ambiguity around prioritising local candidates has created new concerns. Thomas remarks that employers now fear potential discrimination claims if they give preference to UK workers without a legal basis, leading some to unnecessarily consider overseas candidates. Heargues that reintroducing a modernised RLMT could clarify employers' obligations, support the government’s policy aims, and open the door to more constructive engagement between ministers and businesses. Despite Labour’s prior pledges to collaborate with industry, the government’s approach has so far lacked consultation. Nonetheless, there is emerging interest among compliance-minded employers in reviving the RLMT’s principle of prioritising the domestic workforce, suggesting a potential basis for renewed dialogue.

View Immigration by content type :

Popular documents