Service Supplier
(GBM) visa

To qualify for a Service Supplier visa, you must:

• Be an employee of an overseas business, or a self-employed service provider based overseas.
• Be providing a service to a UK business under a contract that is covered by a valid international trade agreement.
• Be doing an eligible job (or have relevant qualifications and experience if your job is not eligible).
• Have a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from your UK sponsor.
• Have worked for your employer for at least 12 months outside the UK, or have at least 12 months’ professional experience if you’re a self-employed service provider.

When you apply for a Service Supplier visa, you will need to have enough money to:

• Pay the visa application fee – It costs £298 to apply.
• Pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) – The IHS costs £1,035 per year, or £776 per year for under-18s.
• Support yourself in the UK – You will usually need to show that you have at least £1,270 in your bank account (unless you’re exempt).

note:

The visa application fee and the IHS must also be paid for any accompanying dependants.

You must apply online for a Service Supplier visa.

As part of your application, you will need to prove your identity and provide your supporting documents. To do this, you will need to do one of the following:

• Attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) if you’re outside the UK.
• Attend an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point if you’re inside the UK.
• Use the ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ app to scan your identity document, if you are eligible.

You can apply for a Service Supplier 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.

Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks if you’re outside the UK, or 8 weeks if you’re inside the UK.

You may be able to pay for a faster decision using the Home Office priority services.

note for sponsors:

Under this route, the sponsoring company in the UK must apply to add the Service Supplier category to their sponsor licence and gain approval from the Home Office before the applicant can apply for their Service Supplier visa.

These requests must be made on a case-by-case basis to the Home Office for each Service Supplier worker you intend to sponsor, as approval is granted for that particular applicant and you will subsequently only be able to assign a CoS in their name.

Sponsors should be aware that this process of submitting requests to the Home Office can take up to 18 weeks unless priority service is approved.

The type of trade agreement you are providing services under will determine how long you can stay in the UK on a Service Supplier visa.

The maximum period you can stay on this visa is 6 or 12 months, depending on the type of trade agreement.

With a Service Supplier visa, you can:

• Work for your sponsor in the job described in your CoS
• Study
• Bring dependant family members with you, if they are eligible
• Do voluntary work
• Travel abroad and return to the UK.

You cannot:

• Access most public funds, or the State Pension.
• Change jobs, unless you update your visa
• Have a second job
• Apply to settle permanently in the UK.

Smith Stone Walters can offer expert advice and assistance with your Service Supplier visa application. We have worked with employers and individuals to successfully bring assignees to the UK under the Global Business Mobility routes.

To find out more about how we can help, please contact us today.