Switching from Tier 2 (ICT) to Expert Employee Route

By Grace Storrie –
Pupil Immigration Barrister

12 Jan 2026

1. Changing the Intra-Firm Switch Route with World Enterprise Mobility (GBM)

The Intra-Firm Switch (ICT) route has been closed to new candidates since 11 April 2022. It was changed by the World Enterprise Mobility – Senior or Specialist Employee route, and the Intra-Firm Graduate Trainee visa was equally changed by the World Enterprise Mobility – Graduate Trainee route. 

Which means any new candidates who’re hoping to utilize the Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch route ought to apply for a World Enterprise Mobility – Senior or Specialist Employee visa as an alternative. Very similar to the Intra-Firm Switch visa route, the GBM – Senior or Specialist Employee route is for senior managers or specialist staff who’ve been requested to undertake a short lived work project by their abroad employer, at a UK enterprise which is linked to the abroad firm. 

If you’re already within the UK as a Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch visa-holder, you’ll be able to lengthen your permission (and apply for any modifications of employment) below the World Enterprise Mobility – Senior or Specialist Employee guidelines. 

Alternatively, each Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch and GBM – Senior or Specialist Employee visa-holders may swap into the Expert Employee route from inside the UK. 

2. Restrictions on ICT and GBM Visas and Expert Employee Benefits

Intra-Firm Switch migrants (and Senior or Specialist Employees) are topic to restrictions on the utmost time frame that they’ll spend in the UK. 

If you’re a “excessive earner” (paid £73,900 or extra per 12 months), you possibly can keep within the UK for a most of 9 years in any 10 12 months interval. If you’re not a excessive earner (paid lower than £73,900 per 12 months), the utmost time you can spend within the UK is 5 years in any 6 12 months interval. Subsequently, if you happen to want to stay within the UK for longer than both of those most intervals, the Expert Employee route might be a wise possibility for you. 

Equally, it’s price noting that you just can not apply for settlement (or “indefinite depart to stay”) as a Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch migrant. This is similar for Senior or Specialist Employees. Subsequently, if you happen to select to increase your visa as a World Enterprise Mobility – Senior or Specialist Employee, you’ll not be extending your permission right into a route which is eligible for settlement. Against this, within the Expert Employee route, you and your dependents are in a position to settle within the UK (topic to assembly the related necessities). 

Subsequently, apart from the charges related to the appliance course of, there are only a few disadvantages to switching to the Expert Employee route. 

3. Switching from ICT or GBM to the Expert Employee Route

A Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch and Senior or Specialist Employee migrant can “swap” to the Expert Employee route from inside the UK. 

As set out in Appendix Expert Employee, if making use of for permission to remain within the UK as a Expert Employee, an applicant should not have, or have final been granted, permission as a:

• Customer;
• Brief-term scholar;
• Guardian of a Little one Scholar; 
• Seasonal Employee;
• Home Employee in a Non-public Family; or 
• Outdoors the Immigration Guidelines. 

Subsequently, if you have already got permission to remain within the UK as both a Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch Migrant or a Senior or Specialist Employee, you possibly can apply to modify to a Expert Employee visa from inside the UK. 

Traditionally, Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch migrants weren’t permitted to maneuver into the Expert Employee class from contained in the UK. Nevertheless, that is not the case and each Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch migrants and Senior or Specialist Employees (World Enterprise Mobility) are permitted to modify to the Expert Employee class from inside the UK. 

4. Necessities for Switching from Tier 2 (ICT) to a Expert Employee Visa

So as to qualify for a Expert Employee visa, a migrant will even have to fulfill UK Visas and Immigration that: 

• You might be aged 18 or over;
• You will have a sound Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) issued by a UK employer licensed to sponsor Expert Employee migrants; 
• Your job supply is for a real emptiness that meets the factors for sponsorship below the Expert Employee route; 
• The function is on the required ability stage, usually RQF Degree 6 (diploma stage equal) or above; 
• You may be paid a wage that meets the minimal wage necessities, which incorporates each a basic wage threshold and the ‘going charge’ on your occupation, in line with the SOC 2020 occupation codes; 
• Your sponsor has paid the Immigration Expertise Cost, if that is required on your function; 
• You meet the English language requirement, normally by demonstrating competence at CEFR Degree B1 in studying, writing, talking and listening. Please notice that from 08 January 2026, the English requirement will change for brand new entrants to the Expert Employee route. New entrants should show that they’ll learn, write, communicate and perceive English to no less than Degree B2 of the CEFR;  
• You find the money for to assist your self on arrival within the UK, except your sponsor confirms that they’ll cowl your upkeep, or you’ve been resident within the UK for the previous 12 months;
• You will have supplied a felony report certificates, if the job you’re making use of for is in a sector that requires one (corresponding to training, well being, or social care);
• You will have supplied a sound tuberculosis (TB) check certificates, if you’re making use of from a rustic the place TB screening is required. It isn’t needed to fulfill this requirement if you’re making use of for permission to remain as a Expert Employee from inside the UK. 

Tier 2 (ICT) migrants searching for to modify into the Expert Employee route will nonetheless have to have a sponsored function that’s expert to the suitable stage and gives the suitable minimal wage. This may be with their present employer, if their Sponsor has a Expert Employee licence in addition to a Senior or Specialist Employee (World Enterprise Mobility) licence, or it may be with a brand new employer in the event that they acquire a brand new supply of employment from a licensed Expert Employee Sponsor. They may have to be assigned a brand new CoS for his or her function as a Expert Employee. Subsequently, a Tier 2 (ICT) migrant who’s hoping to modify into the Expert Employee class, their employer might want to comply with the swap and have a CoS obtainable to assign. 

In July 2025, the House Workplace raised the talents threshold for eligible Expert Employee roles from RQF Degree 3 to RQF Degree 6 or above. Provided that Intra-Firm Switch migrants are additionally required to be sponsored able that’s RQF Degree 6 or above, there must be no issue assembly the talents requirement in that regard. Migrants switching into the Expert Employee class must also remember that sponsorship is feasible for a restricted variety of medium-skilled positions that are set out within the Momentary Scarcity Listing. Intra-Firm Switch migrants must also be suggested that the modifications to the Expert Employee route have meant that there was a discount within the variety of occupation codes obtainable to new entrants to the Expert Employee route.

The elevated abilities stage has meant that some codes that have been beforehand eligible for Expert Employee sponsorship are not obtainable on this route. Provided that Intra-Firm Switch migrants can have been sponsored able which is RQF Degree 6 or above for his or her visa, if they’ll be sponsored as a Expert Employee for a similar function, it’s unlikely that they are going to be affected by this alteration. Nevertheless, if they’re to be sponsored in a brand new or totally different function, employers must be conscious that some lower-skilled positions are not eligible for Expert Employee sponsorship.

7. Wage and Expertise Thresholds for Expert Employee Candidates

When it comes to the wage necessities for a Expert Employee visa, those that presently maintain an Intra-Firm Switch visa must be conscious that the final wage threshold for Expert Employees was not too long ago raised to £41,700. That is increased than the final wage threshold for Intra-Firm Switch migrants, which is £41,500 a 12 months. Subsequently, if you’re an Intra-Firm Switch migrant already within the UK and also you want to swap to a Expert Employee visa, your wage might have to be adjusted upwards with a view to meet the Expert Employee wage necessities. Moreover, the wage thresholds for particular person roles may be increased, and you’ll need to fulfill the ‘going charge’ for the occupation code you’re to be sponsored in. 

8. Legal Report, TB, and Upkeep Necessities

So as to swap into the Expert Employee route, migrants additionally can not fall for the grounds for refusal, and should meet the English language (which they won’t have beforehand needed to show) and upkeep necessities.  If you’re making use of for permission to remain and have been within the UK with permission for 12 months or extra on the date of utility, you’ll routinely meet the monetary requirement. 

The English language requirement could be met in plenty of methods. When you come from a majority English talking nation, you’ll meet the requirement by advantage of your citizenship. Different methods of satisfying the English language requirement embody taking a Safe English Language Take a look at, and offering proof that you’ve a level taught in English. For additional steering on assembly this requirement, see our earlier article A Information to the UK Visa English Language Requirement.

Lastly, if a migrant is switching to the Expert Employee class from inside the UK, they aren’t required to supply a tuberculosis (TB) certificates, or a Legal Report Certificates. 

9. Settlement Eligibility for Expert Employees

As soon as within the Expert Employee route, Expert Employees (and their dependents) shall be on a route settlement. As soon as they’ve switched into the Expert Employee route you should spend a steady interval of 5 years as a Expert Employee. It must be famous that the time that you’ve spent within the UK as an Intra-Firm Switch migrant (or Senior or Specialist Employee) will not rely in the direction of the 5-year settlement interval. Subsequently, you aren’t eligible to settle any extra rapidly, having been within the UK as a Tier 2 Intra-Firm Switch migrant. 

Nevertheless, it must be famous that in case you have spent 10 years of steady lawful residence in the UK, you might alternatively turn out to be eligible to use for indefinite depart to stay on the premise of lengthy residence, below Appendix Lengthy Residence. 

10. Assembly Settlement Necessities and Visa Extensions

For an utility for Indefinite Depart to Stay as a Expert Employee, you’ll need to fulfill the opposite necessities for settlement. This contains passing the Life within the UK check, in addition to the sponsorship, wage, validity and suitability necessities. 

If you’re unable to fulfill the necessities to settle by the point that your permission as a Expert Employee is because of expire, you might proceed to increase your visa permission within the Expert Employee class, as there isn’t any most whole interval of keep on this route.

For knowledgeable recommendation and help in relation to an utility to modify into the Expert Employee Visa class please contact our immigration barristers in London on 0203 617 9173 or through the enquiry kind under.

12. Continuously Requested Questions