What is a Service Supplier Visa, and do you need one?
The Service Supplier – Global Business Mobility route is for overseas workers who will come to the UK to work on a temporary basis. These workers are either employed through an overseas service provider or are self-employed persons overseas or independent professionals. In either case, the applicant will need to show they will do work through a relevant UK international trade agreement. The Service Supplier route has replaced the Temporary Work – International Agreement visa.
The Service Supplier visa allows employers in the UK to engage temporary staff on the proviso they are coming to work through an internationally recognised contract and thereby fulfil the UK’s commitment to a relevant international trade agreement. It also provides an alternative for an employer to retain staff through other routes and is less expensive.
Why use a solicitor for this application?
A Service Supplier can stay for:
- 12 months if the applicant is covered by the UK-EU Trade and Co-Operation Agreement or
- 12 months if the applicant is a Swiss national covered by the Temporary Agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the UK or
- 6 months in other cases.
A Service Supplier worker can only come for a maximum period of 5 years within the previous 6 and when calculating this time account will be taken of any previous visa held through the Global Business Mobility and Intra-Company routes.
This route allows the Service Supplier applicant to bring their partner including spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner and dependent children under 18 years of age.
The Service Supplier worker visa does not lead to settlement status.
Eligibility
A Service Supplier worker must:
- be aged 18 or over
- comply with the suitability requirements
- have not breached UK immigration laws
- must provide a Tuberculosis test certificate if required to do so
- have worked for the overseas service provider for at least 12 months
Meet points-based test score as follows:
- 20 points for Sponsorship with a sponsor who has an approved contract
- 20 points for an appropriate job
The role must be genuine and for example not be fictitious or one made up to assist with the intention of solely getting a visa.
The applicant must hold a relevant degree unless they are employed by an overseas approved provider in certain occupations.
For those in professional services they must hold a relevant qualification if required in the UK and:
- have a minimum of 3 years experience or
- 6 years if they are coming under a chef de cuisine relevant agreement or
- 6 years if they are self-employed.
The individual must be:
- a national of where the overseas provider is based
- permanent resident of country covered by the General Agreement in Trades in Service – such as Armenia, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland
- permanent resident of Switzerland Where the service is covered by a Temporary agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the UK
- national of the EU where the service is covered by a UK-EU Trade Agreement
- national of a CARIFORUM state where an agreement is in place between the CARIFOUR state and the UK.
Financial requirement
The Service Supplier applicant must:
- £1270 held in an approved bank for at least 28 days or
- have their maintenance certified by the sponsor or
- has been lawfully resident in the UK for 12 months.
Fees
- £298 application fee
- £1035 Immigration Health Surcharge fee per year
Process
The applicant must complete an online form, upload documents and provide biometrics.
Dependants
The Service supplier worker can bring:
- a wife, civil partner or unmarried partner where in the case of the latter the relationship has existed for at least 2 years
- children under the age of 18.
The dependants will need to meet a financial requirement of:
- £285 for the partner, civil partner or unmarried partner
- £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child.
The above funds need to be additional to those required by the main applicant.
The Immigration Health Surcharge fee also needs to be paid.