Due to the need for trained overseas professionals, UK-registered companies are legally liable to sponsor licences for them. This way, it can sponsor a worker for doing a particular job under the UK immigration rules, especially the route known as the Skilled Worker Visa (formerly Tier 2). Effective changes have simplified the process as of 2024, and renewals of licences are no longer required as long as compliance standards are being met. The following is a comprehensive guide to applying for a sponsor licence, starting with sponsor licence requirements to compliance duties.
What is a Sponsor Licence?
A sponsor licence means official permission from the UK Home Office to a business by which it is lawfully allowed to employ workers outside the European Economic Area using the points-based immigration system. It authorises you to provide foreign workers with the Certificates of Sponsorship that they shall use in their quest for getting work visas. In effect, this mechanism regulates the use of foreign talent, but, at the same time, it ensures organizations comply with UK immigration law.
There are two categories: The first one is available for long-term workers with certain skills which is similar to the Skilled Worker Visa; the second one is for short-term assignments which are typical for creative workers and volunteers for the charity organisation.
Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for a Sponsor Licence
Step 1: Eligibility Check
To become eligible, ensure that your organisation fulfils the conditions set by the UK Home Office before applying. Your organization must:
- Operate legally in the United Kingdom.
- Have not committed any immigration offences previously.
- Have a suitable HR system in place which is effective in monitoring the employees who are on sponsorship.
- Are prepared for a compliance visit from the Home Office to check your suitability
The Home Office take this review very seriously, also checking for any unspent criminal convictions so that you can manage your sponsor obligations effectively
Step 2: Gathering Required Documents
Get copies of the following documents, which you will submit with your application.
- Provide proof of the existence of your business (for example, incorporation documents).
- Financial accounts to demonstrate that you are a solvent business
- Documentation to indicate that you own or lease business premises
- HR policies that will prove your capability to manage sponsored workers, such as the Right to Work checks
Prepare beforehand because it may save you from rejections. Otherwise, if the application is declined, then one is locked out with a threat of a delay.
Step 3: Filling in the Online Application
When applying for a sponsor licence, you will have to go through the Home Office’s Sponsorship Management System (SMS) for your application. You can do this by subscribing and entering your organisation data in the application form that includes:
- Type of licence applying for: Worker or Temporary Worker.
- Your organisation’s key contacts: Authorising Officer, Key Contact, and Level 1 User.
Also, ensure that you provide accurate data so you do not face long delays. You are also supposed to give the details of the duties which you will be endorsing and how they link to UK immigration requirements.
Step 4: Fee Paying
The fee for your sponsor licence application will depend on the size of your organisation:
- Small or charitable organisations – £536
- Medium and large organisations – £1,476
Ensure that the fee is accurate; if it is below par, you might be automatically rejected. From this point onwards, a submission sheet will be created for printing, and you must submit this with all your supporting documents to the Home Office.
Step 5: Supporting Documents Submissions
After submitting your online application, you are required to send in your supporting documents within five days after the application. These documents should be in PDF or JPEG/PNG format and it is recommended that the documents are emailed to the Home Office. This means that if one fails to submit the appropriate and complete documents, their application may be rejected.
Step 6: Review by Home Office and Compliance Visits
When you submit your application, the Home Office would be expected to process it and this will take up to eight weeks on average. During the processing, an officer can visit your business to confirm that your application is correct and check your HR systems against UK employment law. They will assess whether you have robust procedures to monitor sponsored employees in your company at this point.
Check out this video from A Y & J Solicitors, which talks about five essential tips that can prepare you for a sponsor licence compliance visit.
Step 7: Receiving Your Sponsor Licence
If approved, your organisation will be granted the A rating, and you can already start distributing the Certificate of Sponsorship to your potential employees. This entails that you hold a B rating, meaning there are some problems of non-compliance: improvement will be made with a time-bound action plan. If you do not meet the plan requirements, you will likely face suspension or even revocation of your sponsor licence.
Responsibilities on Your Sponsor Licence
Once your company acquires the sponsor licence, it shall meet the following:
Monitoring Employees: Monitor the sponsored workers and their immigration status, job role, and their contact details.
Reporting Changes: Report any change, such as when an employee leaves or changes their job role to the Home Office within the time frame needed.
Compliance Audits: The Home Office may make random compliance checks to ensure ongoing compliance. Failure to comply could result in suspension of your sponsor licence.
What to Do if Your Sponsor Licence is Suspended
When your sponsor licence is suspended due to non-compliance with the laws, there are particular issues to be dealt with by the Home Office. The typical causes of a sponsor licence suspension are non-compliance with sponsorship duties, employing ineligible workers, and poor record-keeping. You must deal with these issues raised right away for the rest of the period going forward. Failure to do that might result in revocation of your licence, which will make you unable to recruit international talents.
Get professional guidance
Applications for a licence to be granted as a sponsor can be pretty extensive and quite rightly require thoughtful preparation and adherence to all UK immigration laws. Working through a checklist to ensure your organisation is fully prepared, collecting all the required documentation, and following all the steps listed here will find you successfully operational with international talent flooding into your workforce. Contact A Y & J Solicitors today to get professional assistance in applying for a sponsor licence.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience in applying for a sponsor licence. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us at +44 20 7404 7933. We’re here to help!
