Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa

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The UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa category is for existing employees of multinational employers who need to be transferred to their UK branch for training purposes or to fill a specific vacancy. You will need to have an offer of employment in the UK from a licensed Tier 2 Sponsor before applying for a visa and the overseas employer must be linked by common ownership or control to the UK branch.

What is the UK Tier 2 Intra-Company (ICT) Visa?

The Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer (ICT) visa route is used by multinational organisations to transfer skilled employees from an overseas office, subsidiary or sister company to fill a post in the UK which cannot be filled by a locally recruited employee. You are permitted to bring your spouse and children as your UK Tier 2 Intra-Company (ICT) Dependants on this visa.

Requirements for a UK Tier 2 Intra-Company (ICT) Visa application

In order to qualify for a UK Tier 2 Intra-Company (ICT) Visa you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that:

You have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) from your employer;
You will be paid the appropriate salary of at least £23,000 per annum for the Graduate Trainee route and at least £41,500.00 per annum for the Long-Term Staff route;
The job you are sponsored for is at least graduate level or a specified creative profession;
The job offer is a genuine vacancy and you are appropriately qualified or registered to do the job;
You have savings of at least £945.00 held in your account for a consecutive 90 days period;
You can travel and show your travel history for the past 5 years; and
You have worked for your employer outside the UK.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances and job you are applying for. You may want to speak to our expert immigration lawyers for legal advice.

Meeting the UK Tier 2 Intra-Company (ICT) Visa Requirements

There are currently two open sub-categories of the UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa: Long-term Staff route and Graduate Trainee route.

Long-term Staff route:

If you are applying in the Long-term Staff sub-category then you must have worked for your employer overseas for at least 12 months, unless you will earn £73,900 or more in the UK. If you are applying in the Long-term Staff sub-category then you must be paid a minimum of £41,500 per year, or the minimum for your exact job, whichever is higher.

The maximum stay for the Long-term Staff sub-category of the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa is either 9 years (if you earn more than £120,000 per year) or 5 years, 1 month (if you earn less than £120,000 per year) or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.

Graduate Trainee route:

If you are applying in the Graduate Trainee subcategory then you will need to show that the role you are applying for is part of a structured graduate training programme, with clearly defined progression towards a managerial or specialist role within the organisation. Each Sponsor can only sponsor 20 people in this category per year. If you are applying in the Graduate Trainee sub-category then you must be paid a minimum of £23,000 per year, or the minimum for your exact job, whichever is higher.

The maximum stay for the Graduate Trainee sub-category of the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa is 12 months or the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus one month, whichever is shorter.

You will need to show that you have a job offer in the UK from an employer that holds a Tier 2 Sponsor License. The organisation you are transferring from must be listed as a linked entity on your Sponsor’s licence. The job you are sponsored for must be at least graduate level or a specified creative profession, as well as on the Home Office’s list of skilled occupations. You will need to have enough money to support yourself without relying on public funds.

You cannot settle permanently in the UK, unless you applied for a Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa before 6 April 2011.

If you have any doubts about applying for the UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa, please contact our immigration lawyers for expert advice.

Making a UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa application with OneLaw Chambers

At OneLaw Chambers, our immigration solicitors and barristers regularly assist with UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa applications in order for applicants to remain and settle in the UK. We have assisted many foreign national applicants to prepare and submit successful UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa applications and we have represented clients from all over the world.

Whether you require expert immigration advice on the requirements of the Immigration Rules, an independent immigration assessment of your prospects of qualifying for a UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa or professional immigration representation with preparing your UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa immigration application, our immigration solicitors and barristers can help you.

We are committed to ensuring that our immigration solicitors and barristers prepare every immigration visa application with utmost quality and skill so that successful outcome is achieved every time. Our immigration solicitors and barristers operate in a friendly and cooperative manner to provide our clients with the best client care and service during the entire immigration application process.

To discuss your UK Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) Visa application with one our immigration solicitors and barristers, please contact our Immigration lawyers on 0207 489 2044 / 0208 616 1819 or complete our enquiry form with your details.