Please note
This page sets out how overseas working requests are assessed by the draft International Mobility Framework that is being trialled by staff in the School of Public Health and Business School.
For staff not based in the School of Public Health or Business School, please refer to the current overseas working guidance to submit your request.
The purpose of this webpage is to provide an overview of how overseas working requests made by Imperial staff are assessed using the International Mobility Framework. The end to end assessment of an overseas working request involves a requester’s Line Manager, the International Mobility Team and a department's Final Approver within the requester’s area of work or department.
This framework does not encompass nor is it intended to assess business travel. For more information on business travel and submitting expenses, for a trip within the UK or abroad, please consult the relevant Staff Travel guidance. Or view more information on what is classed as Business Travel or Overseas Working.
This framework will assist the International Mobility Team in supporting any Imperial employees working overseas, while minimising potential associated risks, ensuring compliance with local laws and jurisdictions, and upholding Imperial’s duty of care to our staff. More widely, it also supports Imperial’s own Global Outlook and the delivery of our Enabling Roadmap.
Assessing overseas working requests
As a first step, the employee should discuss their overseas working request with their Line Manager. The Line Manager should then consult the information on this page to determine if they are happy to support the request, considering any departmental impact to the team, and other factors they know to be of relevance.
View the full guidance for line managers on working overseas in the International Mobility Guidance on Overseas Working.
Once the overseas working request is submitted through MyRemoteWork an assessment is done, which includes: Immigration, Tax liability, Social Security requirements or coverage, Pension considerations, Payroll and reporting liabilities, EU Posted Workers Directive (PWD), Permanent Establishment (PE) creation and potential Corporation Tax liabilities.
Requests will be classified as ‘Green, ‘Amber’, or ‘Red’ to indicate how much further information or facilitation is required in order to proceed.
- ‘Green’ requests may be auto-approved by the International Mobility Team and sent straight on to your department's Final Approver.
- ‘Amber’ or ‘Red’ requests may be further assessed by the International Mobility Team, either by contacting the requester for further details or forwarding any comments and considerations onto the department's Final Approver for their review.
Typical criteria for classification of requests
Green
Likely to be approved with no additional action required
- Employee has relevant Right to Work, or undertake relevant Business Visitor activities in host location (via sponsorship, visa, citizenship etc)
- Employee has completed the relevant health and safety risk assessments (e.g. for lone working), and has appropriate insurance and/or healthcare in place
- A total working stay(s) in host location of up to 30 (cumulative) days in a 12-month period
- The overseas working is fully funded, and/or additional costs met by relevant department
Amber
Would require assistance from the International Mobility Team
- Employee has completed the relevant health and safety risk assessment (e.g., for lone working), and has appropriate insurance and/or healthcare in place.
- However, the request is classified as amber if one or both of the following criteria apply:
- A total working overseas stay(s) of up to 60 (cumulative) days in a 12-month period
- The employee has a UK immigration status which could be impacted by time overseas
Red
Unlikely to be approved unless business critical
- The employee plans to teach overseas, or otherwise create direct revenue for Imperial
- There could be a perceived conflict of interest with the host entity
- The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel. For more information, please refer to the UK government's foreign travel advice.
- A total working overseas stay(s) of up to 90 (cumulative) days in a 12-month period, as this could trigger tax residency
Facilitating overseas working requests
Following this assessment, the International Mobility Team will then determine what resources – if any – are required to facilitate the overseas working request.
Those that fall under the ‘Green Pathway’ will typically not require any additional resources, those classed Amber or Red will be considered as per the categories outlined below:
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The International Mobility Team would typically agree proportionate resources to facilitate the following types of requests where possible:
- A request that brings in substantial funding to the university from international bodies.
- A request that is for the betterment of Imperial and would bolster the Imperial brand and standing within the international Higher Education community.
- A request that supports Imperial research initiatives or shared initiatives with a collaborating institution
- A request that would see an employee undertake a period of sabbatical, academic research, or further study in their field of expertise. This type of move may be unpaid, but a duty of care still falls on Imperial to oversee and advise.
- A request that is both practicable, generally considered business critical or high priority, or is classified as ‘Green’.
The International Mobility Team would not typically agree resources to facilitate the following types of requests:
- Where the employee has either, (i) no Right to Work in the proposed host location, (ii) or would not easily obtain Right to Work status in the host location.
- Where there would be significant financial, legal, regulatory or safety risks for either the employee or the university, such as:
- Where the employee’s role may create a Permanent Establishment and potentially lead to Imperial being liable for corporation tax in that jurisdiction (e.g., a teaching role or an alternative profit-making activity)
- Where Imperial would be required to pay the employee through the local authority’s revenue system (e.g., requiring the set-up and maintenance of a local payroll).
- Where it may not be practicable or possible for international workers to work in that jurisdiction (e.g., Malaysian immigration, no entry if no Malaysian entity supporting request).
- Where the host location poses significant risk to the health and safety of the employee (e.g., according to the FCDO advice).
For exceptional or extenuating circumstances, the International Mobility Team will review requests on a case-by-case basis. Time-limited exceptions may be made to facilitate extenuating requests for working overseas (e.g., a period of palliative care for a next-of-kin family member, or excessive disruptions to travel arrangements to the UK, etc). Such exceptions would be on the understanding that the laws of the local jurisdiction do not impede this. If authorisation for working has not been possible due to local laws, the International Mobility Team would typically suggest that the employee take unpaid, compassionate, sick, or standard annual leave according to the scenario in question.
The International Mobility Team understand that situations may arise where an employee will need to be available in case of emergencies whilst away on leave, and limited work activities (such as the checking of emails) are acceptable in most circumstances.
Contact Us
If you have any queries ahead of your trip, or once abroad, please contact the International Mobility Team at international-mobility-team@imperial.ac.uk.
We are here to provide you with advice and guidance about your overseas working plans, potential risks or liabilities that you may incur, and to answer any questions that you have about this new process.