What Is the Graduate Trainee Visa UK?
The Graduate Trainee Visa UK is a sponsored work route for an existing overseas employee coming to the UK as part of a structured graduate training programme leading towards a managerial or specialist role.
The Global Business Mobility Graduate Trainee Visa replaced the former Intra-Company Graduate Trainee visa. It is separate from the Graduate Visa for international students, does not directly lead to settlement and normally permits a maximum stay of 12 months.
Who Can Apply for a Graduate Trainee Visa?
Understanding Graduate Trainee Visa eligibility starts with the employee’s existing relationship with the overseas business. The route is intended for an existing employee of an overseas organisation who is being temporarily transferred to a linked UK business as part of a genuine graduate training programme.
The principal Graduate Trainee Visa requirements include:
- existing sponsor-group employment
- 3 months of qualifying overseas employment immediately before applying
- An eligible occupation under SOC 2020 codes
- Clearly defined progression towards a managerial or specialist role
- The required salary amount
- Valid Certificate of Sponsorship coverage
The UK placement must form part of a programme that leads towards a managerial or specialist role rather than being an ordinary UK vacancy.
What Is a Structured Graduate Training Programme?
A genuine Graduate Trainee training programme should have a defined purpose, organised stages and clear progression towards a managerial or specialist position.
The programme should normally demonstrate how the UK placement contributes to the employee’s wider development. Depending on the organisation, this may include rotations between teams, supervised assignments, formal assessments, mentoring, technical development or exposure to different parts of the international business.
For a Graduate Trainee programme UK placement, the sponsor should be able to explain:
- The programme’s objectives and development stages.
- Why a UK placement forms part of the programme.
- How the trainee is supervised and assessed.
- The expected progression between programme stages.
- The managerial or specialist role being developed towards.
Home Office guidance specifically requires the linked overseas business to offer a structured graduate programme with a legitimate UK work placement.
Graduate Trainee Visa at a Glance
The following summary covers the core Graduate Trainee Visa requirements, salary, duration and maximum stay without replacing the detailed sections below.
| Requirement | Current Graduate Trainee Position |
|---|---|
| Purpose | UK placement within a structured graduate training programme |
| Sponsorship | Valid sponsorship from an authorised UK sponsor |
| Overseas employment | At least three months immediately before applying |
| Graduate Trainee Visa salary | At least £27,300 and the applicable going-rate requirement |
| Graduate Trainee Visa duration | Normally up to 12 months |
| Graduate Trainee Visa maximum stay | Subject to the 12-month route limit and wider cumulative GBM limits |
| Settlement | No direct route to ILR |
| Application location | Main applicant applies from outside the UK |
The Graduate Trainee category sits within the wider Global Business Mobility Visa framework, but this page deals specifically with the Graduate Trainee route.
Graduate Trainee Visa Legal Advice from Experts
Our Graduate Trainee Visa solicitors can assess whether the proposed programme, employee, UK sponsor and overseas business meet the route-specific requirements before sponsorship or an application proceeds.
Our Graduate Trainee Visa application support can include checking Graduate Trainee Visa eligibility, the qualifying corporate relationship, sponsor licence position, overseas employment history, SOC code, salary calculation and Certificate of Sponsorship. We can also assist with supporting evidence, dependant applications and the online submission process.
Where a business intends to move several employees through a structured programme, a Graduate Trainee immigration lawyer can review the wider arrangement as well as individual applications. Our support can also include planning for a worker's immigration options after the UK placement ends.
See our wider UK Business Immigration services.
Former Intra-Company Graduate Trainee Visa
The current route replaced the former Intra-Company Graduate Trainee Visa, previously known within the Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer framework.
Searches for terms such as:
- ICT Graduate Trainee Visa
- Graduate Trainee ICT Visa
- Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer Graduate Trainee
- Former Intra-Company Transfer Visa
may therefore refer to predecessor immigration categories rather than a separate route available to new applicants today.
The current Graduate Trainee Visa retains the concept of temporary intra-group graduate development but operates under the present Global Business Mobility rules. Previous time spent under relevant Intra-Company routes may also count when calculating the worker’s cumulative UK stay.
Graduate Trainee Sponsor Licence and Business Relationship
A business cannot provide Graduate Trainee sponsorship simply because it operates in the UK. The organisation assigning the worker must hold the appropriate Graduate Trainee sponsor licence permission and meet the route-specific sponsorship requirements.
The Graduate Trainee UK sponsor must be linked to the overseas employer through an accepted qualifying business relationship. Home Office guidance provides for links based on common ownership or control or an eligible joint venture arrangement. For Graduate Trainees, the overseas business must additionally offer a structured graduate training programme with a genuine UK placement.
The sponsor should therefore be able to evidence:
- The qualifying sponsor-group relationship.
- The identity of the overseas employer.
- The structured training programme.
- The purpose of the UK placement.
- Ongoing sponsor compliance arrangements.
Businesses needing wider advice on licensing should see our UK Sponsor Licence service.
Certificate of Sponsorship for a Graduate Trainee
A Graduate Trainee Certificate of Sponsorship is required before the worker submits the visa application. It is an electronic sponsorship record assigned by the authorised UK sponsor rather than a paper certificate.
The Graduate Trainee CoS should accurately record the worker’s:
- Job title and duties.
- SOC 2020 occupation code.
- Salary and working hours.
- UK work location.
- Assignment start and end dates.
- Sponsor information.
- Relevant overseas employment details.
- Maintenance certification, where applicable.
- ATAS information, where required.
The applicant must normally make their application within three months of receiving the Graduate Trainee Visa CoS. Incorrect information on the Certificate of Sponsorship can create inconsistencies between the sponsor’s records and the visa application.
Read our Certificate of Sponsorship UK guide for more information.
Graduate Trainee Visa Eligible Occupations and SOC Codes
Not every role qualifies as a Graduate Trainee eligible occupation. The sponsored position must correspond with an occupation permitted under the Immigration Rules.
The sponsor should identify the correct Graduate Trainee SOC code by examining the employee’s actual UK duties rather than relying solely on the job title. The relevant Graduate Trainee occupation code affects both eligibility and the applicable going rate.
When assessing Graduate Trainee eligible jobs, sponsors should check:
- The worker’s actual duties and responsibilities.
- The relevant SOC 2020 occupation code.
- Whether the occupation is eligible for Graduate Trainee sponsorship.
- The skill level associated with the occupation.
- The applicable occupation going rate.
- Consistency between the role description and CoS.
Using an inaccurate occupation code can affect both the eligibility assessment and the salary requirements.
Graduate Trainee Visa Salary Requirement
An applicant must normally be paid at least £27,300 per year or 70% of the applicable going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. For specified healthcare and education occupations, different going-rate rules apply and the full applicable going rate may be required.
| Salary Test | Graduate Trainee Requirement |
|---|---|
| Graduate Trainee minimum salary | £27,300 per year |
| Standard going-rate test | Normally 70% of the applicable going rate |
| Relevant health and education jobs | £27,300 or the full applicable going rate |
| Going-rate calculation | Depends on occupation code and working hours |
The Graduate Trainee going rate therefore varies according to the SOC code. Working hours, countable remuneration and permitted allowances can also affect whether the salary requirement is met.
How to Apply for a Graduate Trainee Visa?
The graduate trainee visa application process should be coordinated carefully between the overseas employer, UK sponsor and applicant.
- Confirm that the worker, overseas employer, UK sponsor and proposed placement satisfy the route’s eligibility criteria.
- Identify the correct SOC code and check the applicable minimum salary and going rate.
- The authorised UK sponsor assigns a compliant Graduate Trainee CoS.
- The main applicant must apply online via the official website from outside the UK.
- The applicant proves their identity and provides any required Graduate Trainee supporting documents.
UKVI considers the sponsorship, role, salary, employment history and supporting evidence before deciding about the Graduate Trainee Visa UK application.
Graduate Trainee Visa Cost
The current Graduate Trainee Visa fees should be checked immediately before submission because Home Office charges can change.
| Graduate Trainee Visa Expense | Estimate Amount |
|---|---|
| Graduate Trainee Visa application fee | £340 per applicant |
| Graduate Trainee Immigration Health Surcharge | Usually £1,035 per year |
| Main applicant maintenance | Normally £1,270 where required |
| Dependant application | Separate visa fee and IHS for each dependant |
Sponsor Costs
A Graduate Trainee Certificate of Sponsorship currently costs £55. A Temporary Worker sponsor licence is currently £611, while the fee structure can differ where an organisation is applying for combined Worker and Temporary Worker permission.
The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply to Graduate Trainee sponsorship.
Graduate Trainee Visa Duration and Maximum Stay
The Graduate Trainee Visa duration is intentionally short because the route is designed for temporary graduate development placements.
A successful applicant receives permission for whichever is shortest:
- One year after the sponsored job start date.
- 14 days after the end date shown on the CoS.
- The date on which the relevant cumulative immigration limit is reached.
The Graduate Trainee Visa maximum stay is therefore normally no more than 12 months for an individual Graduate Trainee placement.
Time previously spent under relevant Global Business Mobility and former Intra-Company routes also counts towards the wider maximum of five years in any six-year period. A further application may be possible from outside the UK where all applicable requirements are met.
Changing Roles During the Graduate Training Programme
A Graduate Trainee Visa job change is not the same as unrestricted movement to another employer. The worker’s permission is tied to the sponsored placement and training programme.
A planned Graduate Trainee change of role may occur where the structured programme includes rotations or progression between related positions. However, the new duties must remain connected with the training programme and continue satisfying the Graduate Trainee rules.
Where a Graduate Trainee Visa role change occurs, the sponsor should check:
- Whether the new duties remain part of the structured programme.
- Whether the occupation code or salary position changes.
- Whether a sponsor report or other action is required.
An unrelated move to another employer or ordinary employment is not treated as normal progression under the Graduate Trainee programme.
Switching or Extending a Graduate Trainee Visa
Applicants cannot switch to a Graduate Trainee Visa from inside the UK. The worker must satisfy the three-month overseas employment requirement immediately before submitting the application, so the main application must be made from overseas.
A Graduate Trainee Visa extension is also not available from inside the UK. Businesses should plan ahead where the trainee will need to remain in the UK after completing the placement. Depending on the circumstances, another route such as the Skilled Worker Visa may need to be considered.
However, another Graduate Trainee Visa application may potentially be made from outside the UK if the worker again satisfies the route requirements and remains within the cumulative immigration limit.
Common Graduate Trainee Visa Refusal Reasons
A Graduate Trainee Visa refusal or delay can arise where the sponsor’s evidence, programme and worker application do not tell a consistent story. Common Graduate Trainee Visa problems include:
- An informal programme with no clear structured progression.
- Insufficient evidence of three months’ overseas employment.
- An incorrect SOC code or salary calculation.
- CoS errors or inconsistent sponsor-group information.
- An in-country application or overlooked previous GBM time.
Careful Graduate Trainee sponsor compliance checks before assigning the CoS can help identify these issues.
Graduate Trainee Visa Eligibility Requirements
Sponsor-Group Employment
- The applicant must already work within the qualifying sponsor group.
- The UK sponsor and overseas employer must have the required business relationship.
- Sponsor-group evidence should remain consistent with the Graduate Trainee sponsorship arrangement.
Overseas Employment
- The applicant needs three months of qualifying overseas employment immediately before applying.
- The employment must be with the relevant sponsor-group employer outside the UK.
- Evidence should clearly cover the required continuous overseas employment period.
Structured Graduate Programme
- The UK placement must form part of a structured graduate training programme.
- The programme must lead towards a managerial or specialist role.
- Programme stages, supervision and progression should be capable of being evidenced.
Eligible Occupation
- The sponsored job must fall within a Graduate Trainee eligible occupation.
- The selected SOC code must reflect the employee’s actual UK duties.
- The occupation code determines the relevant going-rate requirement.
Salary Requirement
- The Graduate Trainee salary threshold is currently £27,300.
- The applicable occupation going rate must also be satisfied.
- Salary, working hours and countable remuneration should be checked before assigning the CoS.
Graduate Trainee Visa Documents Required
Identity and Immigration Evidence
- Provide a valid passport or other accepted identity document.
- Include relevant previous UK immigration information where required.
- Ensure personal information matches the online application and CoS.
Sponsorship and Employment Evidence
- Provide the Graduate Trainee Visa CoS reference.
- Keep evidence of qualifying overseas employment available where required.
- Employment records should correspond with the sponsor’s information.
Training Programme Evidence
- Documents should demonstrate that the programme is genuinely structured.
- Evidence should explain the purpose of the UK placement.
- Progression towards a managerial or specialist role should be identifiable.
Financial and Additional Evidence
- Provide maintenance evidence where the £1,270 financial requirement applies.
- Provide a tuberculosis certificate where the applicable TB rules require one.
- Obtain an ATAS certificate where the sponsored role falls within ATAS requirements.
Family and Translation Evidence
- Dependants must provide documents proving the relevant family relationship.
- Each dependant must satisfy their separate financial requirements.
- Documents not in English or Welsh normally require an acceptable certified translation.