Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker visa: Indian citizen in United States → United Kingdom
Indian citizens living in the United States need a UK Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker visa — apply online on gov.uk and give biometrics at a UK visa application centre in the United States.
Lets an existing employee of an overseas business come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at their employer's UK branch, sponsored by a Home Office-approved sponsor.
- Validity
- You can stay in the UK with a Senior or Specialist Worker visa for whichever is shorter of: the time given on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or 5 years.
- Entries
- Multiple entry for the duration of your visa.
- Max stay per visit
- Whichever is shorter of the time on your certificate of sponsorship plus 14 days, or 5 years.
When to start
Start 30 days–3 months before your travel date.
Getting an appointment in United States
- 38 centre locations nationwide plus premium centres (VFS directory, captured 2026-06-11). Ten are full-service Mon–Fri: New York, Washington DC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Seattle; the rest (Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Portland, Philadelphia and more) run limited schedules.
- With this density, comparing two or three cities usually finds a near-term slot.
- No recent public wait-time reports found for the US — the band below is general guidance.
A Senior or Specialist Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job at your employer's UK branch.
You must be an existing employee of an organisation that's been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor, with a certificate of sponsorship for the work you'll do in the UK.
Complete the application on gov.uk. If you'll be in the UK for up to 3 years the fee is £769 per person, plus the healthcare surcharge.
Once you've applied online, you'll prove your identity and provide your documents.
From outside the UK you'll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
What you'll need
- Certificate of sponsorship reference number — Your certificate of sponsorship reference number — your employer will give you this. ✓ verified
- Passport / identity document — A valid passport or other document that shows your identity and nationality. ✓ verified
- Job title and annual salary — Your job title and annual salary, plus your job's occupation code. ✓ verified
- Tuberculosis (TB) test results — Your tuberculosis test results if you're from a listed country. ✓ verified· you're from a listed country
Where you'll apply
Because you live in the USA, you apply at a UK Visa Application Centre in the US — not in your home country. There are UK visa application centres in 30+ US cities (including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle). Use the official VFS US centre directory (linked below) to find and book the one nearest you.
- UK Visa Application Centres — United States — serves 30+ locations across the US — find and book your nearest
Fees
| Senior or Specialist Worker visa (up to 3 years, from outside the UK) | GBP 769 |
Gotchas to watch
- You must be an existing employee of an organisation that's been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor and have a certificate of sponsorship before you apply.
- You must be paid at least £52,500 or the 'going rate' for your job — whichever is higher — and if you earn less than £73,900 a year you must have worked for your employer outside the UK for at least 12 months.
