Intra-company Transfer Visa (Tier 2)
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 are 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 are hiring you for and if it qualifies you for a visa. They will 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 will 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 are transferring into a role that requires you to have had previous experience working for the company.
You will need to have worked for your company for more than 12 months, unless they are 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.
Find out about paying for a faster decision.
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
Who you’re applying for - You
Fee - £482
Who you’re applying for - If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia
Fee - £427
Who you’re applying for - All dependants
Fee - £482 each person
Long-term Staff (up to 3 years)
Who you are applying for - You
Apply (outside the UK) - £610
Extend or switch in the UK - £704
Who you are applying for - If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia
Apply (outside the UK) - £555
Extend or switch in the UK - £649
Who you are applying for - All dependants
Apply (outside the UK) - £610 each person
Extend or switch in the UK - £704 each person
Long-term Staff (more than 3 years)
Who you are applying for - You
Apply (outside the UK) - £1,220
Extend or switch in the UK - £1,408
Who you are applying for - If you’re a citizen of Turkey or Macedonia
Apply (outside the UK) - £1,165
Extend or switch in the UK - £1,353
Who you are applying for - All dependants
Apply (outside the UK) - £1,220 each person
Extend or switch in the UK - £1,408 each person
Healthcare surcharge
You will also have to pay the healthcare surcharge as part of your application. Check how much you will have to pay before you apply.
If you are applying to extend or switch in the UK
You will need to pay £19.20 to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken.
Get a faster decision on your application
If you are 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.
Once you have got your decision letter, your biometric residence permit will take up to 10 working days to arrive.
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.
Example
Your 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 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 are 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