If you need to work overseas for any reason, you will need to submit a new Pilot Overseas Working Request Form (.docx) to the International Mobility Team (IMT) before you go, unless your trip can be categorised as business travel. For further clarification, please refer to the section ‘What is the difference between business travel and overseas working?’ below.  

You will need to discuss the request with your line manager and obtain written approval (i.e. in the form of an email) prior to submitting your Overseas Working Request to the IMT. Staff can review process guidance for submitting a new overseas working request here: Process for managing and approving overseas working requests (.pdf). Managers should review and consider the College’s overseas working guidance in the first instance: Overseas working guidance [pdf]

Permission to work overseas must be requested in advance. Fully completed requests will be reviewed promptly by the IMT and confirmed with the College’s final decision. Please note that, depending on the complexity of the request and the support required, it could take several weeks to ensure that your overseas working arrangement can be facilitated in a legally compliant way. Staff are therefore encouraged to refer to the International Mobility Framework and discuss their plans with their line manager and the IMT at the earliest opportunity.

Imperial is a UK-based university with a global outlook. However, working overseas can carry significant financial, legal, regulatory and safety risks for individuals as well as the College. The IMT is committed to supporting Imperial employees working overseas, while minimising the associated risks, ensuring compliance with local laws and jurisdictions, and upholding Imperial’s duty of care to overseas staff. 

The IMT is responsible for the review and management of the compliance risks related to overseas working for all members of Imperial College London. The core function of the IMT is to facilitate legally compliant overseas working arrangements.

The IMT will undertake a compliance risk assessment that will identify risks and actions required, related to your: 

• Personal tax liability (to ensure you only pay tax in one jurisdiction, the right one) 
• Social security (so you have access to healthcare if required) 
• Immigration and visas (maintaining your right to work in the destination and in the UK) 
• Pension (to ensure your pension is not negatively impacted) 
• Permanent establishment  

Your request may also create risks for the College in relation to: 

• Immigration and employment regulations 
• Corporate tax liability 
• Payroll  

Once the risks and actions have been identified, the IMT, in collaboration with your department, will determine whether to approve or deny the request, based on the International Mobility Framework.  

Overseas working is defined as a period of time working outside the UK that does not meet the criteria for business travel in the destination region.  

Please note that you do not need to submit an overseas working request for one-off, short-term international business travel, such as attending a conference, meetings, giving a series of talks, etc. These activities remain outside of the overseas working process. For context and guidance, you can view the list of permissible business activities for short-term business travellers coming to the UK, however, please note that activities vary per country and adequate research must be undertaken. If you are unsure as to how your arrangements would be categorised, we would strongly encourage you to contact the team at international-mobility-team@imperial.ac.uk and consult the UK government’s foreign travel advice for your host destination

Overseas working requests may fall under the category of:  

1. An Imperial College London business requirement   
2. A personal requirement e.g. extenuating circumstances 

While the IMT manages the legal and regulatory aspects of overseas working, the team is not responsible for overseeing related financial or health and safety administration (e.g. expenses, travel insurance, risk assessments). When planning a trip, you must also refer to the College’s Staff Travel, Safety (off-site working) and Occupational Health webpages for details of additional documentation that may be required and other key information. 

If you are currently working overseas for two continuous weeks or more: You now need to submit a Risk Review Questionnaire. This is a critical exercise to identify any compliance risks associated with your ongoing overseas work, regardless of whether you have previously sought independent legal and financial advice. As well as enabling the College to fulfil its duty of care to staff, submitting a Risk Review Questionnaire will allow you to understand any issues or liabilities that you as an individual need to address, and how to access the right support to do so – e.g. in relation to your pension and social security contributions, tax residency, access to healthcare. 
 
If you previously worked overseas for two continuous weeks or more since January 2022: Please submit a Risk Review Questionnaire for any country in which you have worked for two continuous weeks or more since January 2022, starting with the most recent instance. 
 
Please refer to the Risk Review webpage to submit your request and access additional information about the process (Imperial login required).

For general enquiries relating to overseas working: Please contact the International Mobility Team at international-mobility-team@imperial.ac.uk.  

For general enquiries relating to the International Mobility Project and/or pilot: Please contact the project team at imobproject@imperial.ac.uk. You can also submit feedback anonymously via this form.