Graduate Trainee Visa
A Graduate Trainee Visa is ideal for individuals looking to come to the UK who work in an eligible job and are part of their company’s graduate managerial or specialist training programme.
A Graduate Trainee Visa can be issued for up to 12 months, and must be applied for from outside the UK. This visa can not be extended and it is not possible to switch to this visa from inside the UK. It may be possible to apply for a new Graduate Trainee Visa, but only from outside the UK.
Managers and HR: Be careful when considering visa options for an employee who has previously worked in the UK on other types of intra-company or Global Business Mobility category visas. Individuals who have spent time in the UK on many of these visas are usually limited to a maximum stay of five years in any six year period.
To qualify for this visa, you must show that:
- you are an existing employee of an organisation with a Home Office-issued sponsor licence
- you have worked for the company outside the UK for at least 3 months when you apply
- you are paid at least the equivalent of £24220 per year
Once an application for a Graduate Trainee Visa has been submitted, a decision is usually received within three weeks. The application itself can be submitted up to three months before work in the UK is intended to begin.
In addition to being able to do the work in the UK for which they have been sponsored, individuals with a Graduate Trainee Visa are also permitted to study, undertake voluntary work, and to travel abroad and return to the UK. They can also bring a partner and/or children with them as dependants, provided they are eligible and submit visa applications of their own.
To apply for a Graduate Trainee Visa costs £259 plus an additional healthcare surcharge, the cost of which can vary. Any dependants will also be required to submit their own application and pay the healthcare surcharge.