Why Secondment Worker Visas Matter for Expanding Startups

While this visa pathway is restricted to very high-level work with contracts that are generally required to have an overall value of at least £50 million, this visa can offer a key opportunity when managing complex projects in the UK.

Similar to other visas under the Global Mobility scheme, this visa is a highly temporary arrangement that requires pre-existing employment of the sponsored worker by an overseas employer for a minimum of 12 months, but it can offer an essential path towards accessing key skills that can support the expansion process of startups, especially when operating within high-stakes or highly specialised fields.

Nevertheless, this visa route still offers significant freedoms to the worker, who may apply to bring immediate family members with them to the UK, such as a spouse, partner, or children. The worker may also engage in other activities, including study, charity work, and travel outside the UK, with the ability to re-enter for the valid duration of their visa, making this a desirable opportunity.

Unlike other visas, work carried out under this immigration and employment path, the Secondment Worker path, allows for the work arrangement to operate on a contract basis, meaning that the sponsored worker remains an employee of the overseas company even while carrying out work in the UK. This facilitates a more streamlined approach during which essential skills and expertise can be accessed during the expansion process, without the challenges and commitment of needing to alter employment structures or arrange permanent relocation. As such, this is an especially valuable option to consider during the expansion phase, which can demand unique skills and where specialist expertise can be especially valuable to create a strong and competitive foundation from which to advance into the new market.

How the Secondment Worker Visa Supports International Expansion

Expanding a startup into a foreign market can be a significant challenge that is heightened by immigration regulations that can make access to the relevant skills an additional challenge. While there are several visa pathways, including the Expansion Worker visa that support the initial stages of business expansion into the UK market, these visas are geared towards specific niches of this process, and there are often gaps that require a different approach. The Secondment Visa is relatively unique in how it approaches the employment structure during the worker’s transfer to the UK, allowing for easier skills access for the UK branch without needing to navigate more complex re-employment practices.

Instead, the contractual basis of the Secondment worker means that the skill transfer via this visa can offer essential flexibility while giving the opportunity for highly specialised support exactly when and where it may be needed. While offering additional security while overseeing major projects or high-stakes investments, ensuring that the undertaking is a success.

Limitations of the Secondment Worker Visa

While offering a slew of opportunities to expanding businesses in need of specialist support, the Secondment Worker visa is not without its restrictions and challenges. Most notably, the key requirement for this visa pathway, being tied to a high-value contract, may present a limitation for smaller start-ups that have a more limited profit margin. Instead, this visa pathway is especially suitable for well-established international startups that already have strong trading foundations and either have a high-value contract or substantial investment. Additionally, while these criteria may be met, the Secondment Worker visa can only be issued for work that is directly related to this contract or investment. Additionally, the worker may only be contracted for a genuine role.

Beyond financial restrictions, the Secondment Worker visa can only be utilised for temporary work engagements and does not lead to permanent settlement for the sponsored worker in the UK. While this is generally considered a benefit for this visa route, as there are alternative long-term visas available to highly skilled workers who may be required on a more permanent employment basis in the UK, there are still relevant implications of such a temporary arrangement that need to be considered, especially if the work involved may extend the likely duration of the visa.

Finally, while the explicit purpose of this visa route is usually directly tied to specialist skills that may be hard to access through other means, the worker’s skill must still qualify for this visa by meeting particular skill level requirements that may depend on the skill in question, and by being on the eligible occupations list. This can be challenging to navigate, especially for very niche skills.

Alternatives for Smaller Start Ups and Sponsorship Considerations.

Given the limitations of the Secondment Worker visa that may make this route less accessible for smaller startups that are looking to begin their expansion into the UK, alternative options may also be a relevant consideration.

Forgoing the high-value contract threshold that is required for the Secondment Visa, a good alternative for early expansion steps may be found in the Expansion Worker visa, which is another pathway under the UK’s Global Mobility visas that is directed at business owners, senior management, or other core specialists who need to come to the UK to begin the expansion process.

Other alternatives may also include the Senior or Specialist Worker visa, which is another temporary visa under the Global Mobility scheme, or the Skilled Worker Visa, which offers a long-term alternative for bringing highly specialised talent to join your UK-startup branch.

Overall, a key consideration that will apply to any of these options, as well as the Secondment Worker visa, is that they require sponsorship by the UK employer, meaning that they are only available once the expanding startup has established a foundational presence in the UK and obtained a valid sponsor licence from the Home Office. It is important to maintain adequate structures to manage any international workers and to maintain compliance with all reporting duties and other responsibilities.