Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa

You can apply for a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa if:

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, where you are and how you apply.

Graduate Trainee

Who you’re applying for Apply (outside the UK) Extend or switch by post in the UK Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service)
You £482 £482 £1,092
If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia £427 £427 £1,037
All dependants £482 each person £482 each person £1,092 each person

Long-term Staff (up to 3 years)

Who you’re applying for Apply (outside the UK) Extend or switch by post in the UK Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service)
You £610 £704 £1,314
If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia £555 £649 £1,259
All dependants £610 each person £704 each person £1,314 each person

Long-term Staff (more than 3 years)

Who you’re applying for Apply (outside the UK) Extend or switch by post in the UK Extend or switch in person in the UK (premium service)
You £1,220 £1,408 £2,018
If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia £1,165 £1,353 £1,963
All dependants £1,220 each person £1,408 each person £2,018 each person

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.

ExampleYour start date is 15 July – the earliest you can start your stay is 1 July.

You can apply to extend your stay in the UK for the maximum time allowed for your visa type.

What you can and can’t 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 doesn’t interfere with the job you’re sponsored for
  • travel abroad and return to the UK
  • bring family memberswith you

You can’t:

 

Eligibility

You need to:

  • have a valid certificate of sponsorship for your job
  • be paid an ‘appropriate salary’ for your job
  • have personal savings so you can support yourself when you arrive in the UK
  • show you can travel and your travel history over the last 5 years
  • have tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country
  • be able to show you have worked for your employer outside the UK

Certificate of sponsorship

A certificate of sponsorship holds your personal details and information about the job you’ve been offered. It’s an electronic record, not a paper document. Your sponsor will give you a certificate of sponsorship reference number to add to your application.

You can only use your certificate of sponsorship reference number once. You must use it 3 months after getting it.

Appropriate salary

You usually need to be paid at least the minimum salary for your type of visa or the appropriate rate for the job you’re offered – whichever is higher.

The minimum salary is:

  • £41,500 for Long-term Staff
  • £23,000 for Graduate Trainee

Check the guidance – the salary you need might be different, for example if:

  • you’re extending your Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa
  • you’re working in the UK for less than a year
  • you’ll be paid at an hourly rate
  • you’ll work a set number of hours

Personal savings

You must have £945 in your bank account for 90 days before you apply. This is to prove you can support yourself.

You don’t need to prove this if you have a fully approved (‘A-rated’) sponsor who can give you at least £945 to cover your costs for a month if you need it. Your sponsor must confirm this on the certificate of sponsorship.

 

Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

  • your certificate of sponsorship reference number
  • a bank or building society statement or letter that shows you have enough personal savings(unless your certificate of sponsorship shows your sponsor can support you)
  • a current passport or travel document to prove you can travel – you need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa
  • expired passports or travel documents if you need them to show your travel history
  • your tuberculosis test results if you’re from a listed country

Read the guide for a list of documents you can provide.

You may need to provide additional documents depending on your circumstances.

If your documents aren’t in English or Welsh you’ll need to send a certified translation.

Proof you’ve worked for your employer outside the UK

After you apply you might be asked to prove you’ve worked for your employer for a certain amount of time.

The length of time depends on what visa you’re applying for:

  • Long-term Staff earning £73,900 or less – 12 months
  • Long-term Staff earning more than £73,900 – no minimum time
  • Graduate Trainee – 3 months

If you’re asked, you’ll need to show you’ve been paid by your employer over this time period. You can provide:

  • original printed payslips
  • copies of online payslips supported by a letter from your sponsor signed by a senior staff member
  • bank or building society statements
  • a building society pass book