Intra-Company Transfers (ICT's) allow multi-national employers to transfer overseas employees to fill a specific position which they have been unable to fill from the local resident workforce.
Applying for an Intra-Company Transfer work permit allows non-citizens to work in a country in a specific role for a specific company for an agreed period.
For this type of UK visa candidates need to have been employed by the overseas branch of the company for a period of six months or more prior to the application and must demonstrate that the candidate has the relevant knowledge and experience to fulfil the role.
Depending on the country you are applying for, applications must be made either by the sponsoring company or employee themselves.
Benefits
The main benefit of this type of UK immigration service is that unlike a standard working permit, an employer does not need to demonstrate that the position has been advertised before applying for an ICT.
The ICT route provides a straightforward solution to working abroad with a specific purpose. Unlike the UK's Highly Skilled Migrant Programme or HSMP, now known as Tier 1, no points based assessment is required; however, it will be required upon application to provide the reason for the transfer and to detail the duration for which the candidate is required.
Duration
An ICT visa application can be valid for a period of between one day and five years, depending on the length of time requested by the sponsoring company.
The duration of the grant awarded to a successful Intra-Company Transfer visa application is also at discretion of the particular country's government.
ICT's are not intended as a route to settlement and at the expiry of these working permits; applicants will be obliged to return to their home country.
Eligibility Criteria
Employer Requirements - Position
To be eligible for the ICT visa service the position which the employer is seeking to fill must meet NVQ level 3 or above. Furthermore, if the candidate is a member of a specific profession they may be required to be registered with the appropriate governing body.
For example, a doctor must be registered with the General Medical Council. In addition, a selected candidate must have a level of knowledge that is essential to the post in the country.
Employer Requirements - Education
The candidate must have one of the following:
A relevant degree.
A non-relevant degree and one year of experience.
No degree and three years of relevant experience.
Employee history within the organisation
The employee for whom the ICT is being sought must have been employed by the overseas company for a period of six months or more prior to the application. Documentary evidence of this relationship must be produced before visas of this class can be issued.
Spouse Immigration
A spouse/unmarried partner will be permitted to join an ICT holder on a dependency visa providing that they will cohabit with the holder of the Intra-Company Transfer visa.
In the case of an unmarried partner, they must be able to prove that the relationship has been in existence for at least two years prior to making the application for ICT.
Spouse immigration under this type of visa is granted as a temporary measure. Unlike a marriage visa or De Facto visa, commonly referred to as an Unmarried partner visa, ICT's do not provide a route for you or your spouse to obtain settled status.
To assist with with family visas some poeple also found our guide on Tier 4 Visas helpful.
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