UK-India Free Trade Agreement Business Mobility Explainer

Published: 23 July 2025 | Worldwide Immigration Ltd

The UK-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), established in July 2025, introduces enhanced opportunities for business mobility between the United Kingdom and India. This landmark agreement significantly eases short-term business travel, providing a framework for smoother cross-border exchanges of professionals and services.

In this detailed guide, Worldwide Immigration Ltd explains the business mobility chapter within the UK-India FTA, highlighting key provisions, implications for businesses, and how employers and professionals can effectively leverage these new benefits.

What is Business Mobility?

Business mobility within international trade agreements typically refers to the temporary movement of business professionals between countries. Under the UK-India FTA, specific arrangements have been locked in to facilitate easier professional travel, business exchanges, and collaboration between UK and Indian entities.

Important: The FTA provisions are focused on temporary mobility and do not establish pathways to permanent residency or citizenship.

Key Mobility Routes under the UK-India FTA

The UK-India FTA provides clear rules and assurances for professionals to temporarily enter each country under the following routes:

1. Business Visitors

  • Allowed Duration: Up to 6 months
  • Permitted Activities: Meetings, conferences, negotiating contracts, conducting market research, setting up business presence.
  • Impact: Offers seamless access to both markets, eliminating complicated visa application processes.

2. Intra-Company Transfers (ICT)

  • Allowed Duration: Up to 5 years for senior managers/specialists
  • Eligibility: Senior executives, specialists, and graduate trainees within multinational companies.
  • Impact: Simplifies the internal transfer of key employees between UK and Indian offices, supporting corporate strategy and knowledge exchange.

3. Contractual Service Suppliers

  • Allowed Duration: Up to 12 months
  • Eligibility: Employees of companies contracted to provide services in the partner country.
  • Expanded Sectors: Engineering, accounting, IT services, professional consulting.
  • Impact: Facilitates access to specialized expertise from overseas professionals, enhancing service delivery and project efficiency.

4. Independent Professionals

  • Allowed Duration: Up to 12 months
  • Eligibility: Self-employed professionals providing expert services.
  • Sectoral Coverage: Accounting, engineering, legal consultancy, and similar professions.
  • Impact: Allows greater flexibility and access to professional opportunities in key sectors.

5. Expansion Workers

  • Allowed Duration: Initially 12 months, extendable to 2 years
  • Eligibility: Senior personnel tasked with establishing a branch or subsidiary.
  • Impact: Eases the process of international expansion, reducing barriers for companies setting up abroad.

Enhanced Sectoral Opportunities and Annual Quotas

Beyond locking in existing access, the UK-India FTA includes special provisions enhancing mobility in critical sectors:

  • Creative & Cultural Professionals: Annual quota of 1,800 places specifically for Indian chefs, yoga teachers, classical musicians, and cultural specialists.
  • Engineering and Architecture: Improved access for service suppliers and independent professionals within these technical sectors.
  • Accounting & Financial Services: Expanded mobility arrangements supporting professional growth and international collaboration.

Compliance and Standard Requirements

All business mobility provisions under the FTA remain subject to standard UK immigration rules, including:

  • Sponsorship Obligations: Employers must hold valid Sponsor Licences and issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).
  • Salary & Qualifications: Applicants must meet relevant UK salary thresholds and demonstrate suitable qualifications.
  • Temporary Stay Conditions: These mobility arrangements are strictly temporary and do not offer routes to settlement or permanent residency.
  • Documentation: Professionals must provide valid documentation confirming their role, qualifications, employment, or service contracts.

Benefits for UK Employers

  • Reliable Access to Skills: Clear mobility arrangements ensure UK companies have dependable access to skilled professionals from India.
  • Strategic Confidence: Locked-in mobility rights provide planning certainty and promote long-term business strategies.
  • Competitive Advantage: Streamlined access to global talent significantly enhances the competitiveness of UK businesses.

Benefits for Indian Professionals and Companies

  • Expanded Opportunities: Professionals gain greater access to the UK market in specialised sectors, fostering career growth and global visibility.
  • Clear, Predictable Pathways: Transparent, predictable mobility routes reduce uncertainties around business travel and short-term work in the UK.
  • International Exposure: Short-term professional engagements in the UK enhance individual professional profiles and strengthen bilateral relations.

How Businesses and Professionals Can Prepare

Employers should:

  • Review Sponsor Licences: Ensure your sponsorship compliance and documentation are fully updated.
  • Identify FTA-Aligned Roles: Clearly align positions with the sectors and roles specified within the FTA.
  • Plan Proactively: Stay updated with immigration policy changes, fees, and compliance requirements.

Professionals should:

  • Check Eligibility: Confirm your role and qualifications align with the opportunities outlined in the FTA.
  • Prepare Documentation: Ensure you have accurate, comprehensive documents ready, such as qualifications, contracts, and evidence of experience.
  • Stay Informed: Regularly monitor policy changes affecting immigration rules or procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Does the FTA create new visa routes or categories?
A: No, the FTA does not create new visas; it locks in and enhances access to existing categories.

Q: Can professionals settle permanently through these routes?
A: No, the routes are strictly temporary and do not provide settlement or citizenship rights.

Q: Could the mobility provisions change in the future?
A: The core access is locked in, but other elements, such as salary requirements or visa fees, can still change under national immigration policy.

How Worldwide Immigration Can Assist You

As a leading UK-based immigration firm with extensive expertise, Worldwide Immigration Ltd can help you strategically leverage the UK-India FTA’s business mobility provisions. Our specialist services include:

  • Expert Immigration Strategy: Tailored advice aligned to your unique business needs.
  • Sponsor Licence Management: Comprehensive support maintaining your compliance and sponsor status.
  • Application Assistance: Complete handling of applications, documentation, and compliance to ensure smooth mobility experiences.

Contact Worldwide Immigration Ltd for Expert Assistance:

Conclusion

The Business Mobility chapter within the UK-India FTA brings substantial benefits for businesses and professionals, enhancing international collaboration and professional growth. Leveraging these opportunities effectively requires strategic understanding, proactive planning, and robust compliance.

Trust Worldwide Immigration Ltd as your professional partner in UK immigration strategy—helping your business navigate and capitalise on the UK-India Free Trade Agreement.