An HR manager and a relocation consultant planning an employee transfer with a colleague in a bright office

Transfers, sponsorship and HR support

Employer-Sponsored & Corporate

Guidance for employers and HR teams on sponsoring staff, transferring employees between group companies and meeting sponsor duties abroad.

Check your eligibility

Overview

Employer-sponsored visas and intra-company transfers

Processing time: Varies; Indicative, varies by case
Programmes: 6 highlighted; Across 5 destinations

An HR director and a relocation consultant reviewing an employee transfer plan

Moving an employee to another country involves two sets of rules. The employee has to qualify for a visa. The employer often has to qualify first, as a licensed sponsor, an accredited employer or a petitioner, and then keep meeting that country’s rules for as long as the employee stays.

This service is for companies. We work with businesses sending staff to branches in other countries, and with employers recruiting people who live abroad. We help you choose a route for each assignment, prepare the company and the employee, plan for families, and set up the records a sponsor is expected to keep.

This page is general orientation, not legal advice. Routes, salary levels and sponsor duties change, and each government decides its own applications. In several countries, advice on a specific case or representation must come from a licensed practitioner. Where that applies, we will tell you at the start and explain your options.

How employer-sponsored & corporate works

The factors most commonly considered — we assess your profile against them before recommending a route.

Relationship between the companies
Employee’s length of service
Role and skill level
Salary and employment terms
Sponsor or employer status
Labour market testing
Qualifications and professional registration
The employee’s personal history

Benefits

Why people choose employer-sponsored & corporate

01Route mapping for each assignment
02Sponsor and accreditation readiness
03Assignment timelines
04Employee documents
05Planning for families
06Compliance record-keeping
07Briefings for transferring staff
08Working with licensed practitioners

Programmes

Employer-Sponsored & Corporate programmes and destinations

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GBUnited Kingdom

UK Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker

For existing employees of an overseas business who are sent to a linked UK business on a temporary assignment. The UK entity must hold a sponsor licence and assign a certificate of sponsorship. The role must be an eligible occupation and meet a minimum salary level, which is reviewed periodically. The employee usually needs a minimum period of service with the overseas business, with an exception for higher earners. Partners and children can apply as dependants. This route does not lead to settlement. In the UK, immigration advice must come from an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) or from a solicitor, and Ashford will explain this and your options where it applies. A related route, the UK Expansion Worker, covers staff sent to set up a first UK branch of an overseas business.

The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben across the Thames on a sunny morning

GBUnited Kingdom

UK Skilled Worker with a sponsor licence

For UK employers hiring someone who is not an existing group employee, including candidates who live outside the UK. The employer needs a sponsor licence, and the job must meet the route’s skill and salary requirements, which were tightened in 2025 and continue to be reviewed. Sponsors usually pay an Immigration Skills Charge on top of other fees. The route can lead to settlement, but the settlement rules, including the qualifying period, have been changing, so check the position at the time you plan the move.

A professional couple walking along the Toronto waterfront with the CN Tower behind them

CACanada

Canada intra-company transferee (International Mobility Program)

Allows a company with a qualifying relationship to a Canadian entity, such as a parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate, to transfer an executive, senior manager or employee with specialised knowledge without a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA). The employee needs a recent period of continuous full-time employment with the group. Before the employee applies, the Canadian employer submits the offer of employment through the IRCC Employer Portal and pays an employer compliance fee. For a new hire rather than a transferee, an LMIA-based work permit under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program may be the relevant route. In Canada, paid immigration advice and representation are limited to licensed consultants regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) and to lawyers. Where this applies, Ashford will explain it and your options.

A professional woman walking in Brooklyn with the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge behind her

USUnited States

United States L-1A and L-1B intracompany transferee

The L-1A covers managers and executives. The L-1B covers employees with specialised knowledge of the company’s products, processes or procedures. The US employer files a petition with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the employee must have worked for a related company abroad for a qualifying period. Spouses and children can accompany the employee in L-2 status. US immigration advice and representation are restricted to attorneys. Where your case needs one, Ashford will explain this and your options.

A professional walking along Sydney Harbour with the Opera House and Harbour Bridge behind him

AUAustralia

Australia Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and employer nomination

Employer sponsorship in Australia generally has three stages: the business is approved as a standard business sponsor, it nominates a position, and the worker applies for the visa. The Skills in Demand visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa in December 2024 and has streams based on occupation and earnings. Labour market testing and a training levy may apply. For permanent roles, the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) is the main employer-sponsored option. Immigration assistance in Australia is generally restricted to registered migration agents and Australian legal practitioners, and Ashford will explain this and your options where it applies.

A family walking along the Auckland waterfront with the Sky Tower in the distance

NZNew Zealand

New Zealand Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

Most employers who want to hire migrant workers in New Zealand must first be accredited by Immigration New Zealand. The type of accreditation depends on the business model and how many migrants the employer plans to hire. For each role, the employer then applies for a job check, which may require the employer to show it has looked for suitable workers in New Zealand, before the worker applies for the visa. Accredited employers must keep meeting ongoing standards. New Zealand requires anyone giving immigration advice to be licensed or exempt, and this applies to advice given from outside New Zealand. Ashford will explain this and your options where it applies.

Other destinations

Not seeing your destination?

We also advise on other countries and routes. Tell us your plans and a consultant will review your options.

Check your eligibility

Our support

Support throughout your journey

Rules and documentation requirements change. Our consultants simplify the process and guide you clearly at every stage.

Our services include

Route mapping for each assignment
Sponsor and accreditation readiness
Assignment timelines
Employee documents
Planning for families
Compliance record-keeping
Briefings for transferring staff
Working with licensed practitioners

Book a consultation

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Next step

Start your employer-sponsored & corporate journey with an eligibility assessment

Start with an eligibility assessment, or book a consultation to talk it through with our team.

Check your eligibilityBook a consultation