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
• you meet the other eligibility requirements

Getting sponsored

You need to be employed by a licensed sponsor to apply to live in the UK.

Your sponsor checks that you can do the job they’re hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They’ll assign you a certificate of sponsorship to prove this.

They must also give you other information you need when you apply, for example how much you’ll be paid.

Types of Intra-company Transfer visa

There are 2 types of Intra-company Transfer visa.

Long-term Staff

Apply for this visa if you’re transferring into a role that requires you to have had previous experience working for the company.

You’ll need to have worked for your company for more than 12 months, unless they’re going to pay you £73,900 or more a year to work in the UK.

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.

How long it will take

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks when you apply from outside the UK.

You can check the guide processing times to find out how long getting a visa might take in your country.

Fees

How much you pay for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa depends on the type of visa and where you are.

Graduate Trainee

Long-term Staff (up to 3 years)

Long-term Staff (more than 3 years)

Healthcare surcharge

You’ll also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you’ll have to pay before you apply.

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK

You’ll need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.

Get a faster decision on your application

If you’re applying to extend or switch in the UK you can pay an extra £500 for the priority service to get a decision within 5 working days.

You can pay an extra £800 for the super priority service to get a decision:

• by the end of the next working day after providing your biometric information if your appointment is on a weekday
• 2 working days after providing your biometric information if your appointment is at the weekend

Working days are Monday to Friday, not including bank holidays.

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, 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 £120,000 a year): 9 years
• Long-term Staff (if you earn less than £120,000 a year): 5 years, 1 month
• Graduate Trainee: 12 months

You can start your stay up to 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 cannot do

You can:

• work for your sponsor in the job described in your certificate of sponsorship
• do a second job in the same profession and at the same level as your main job for up to 20 hours per week
• do voluntary work
• study as long as it does not interfere with the job you’re sponsored for
• travel abroad and return to the UK
• bring family members with you

You cannot:

• get public funds
• start working before you get a visa