SPONSOR LICENSE GUIDE

A sponsor license in the United Kingdom is required to employ foreign nationals by employers or businesses running in the United Kingdom to work for their organisation. The work these individuals are required to do can be paid or unpaid like providing services to a charity organisation. Apart from having sponsorship, these individuals need to also meet certain other work visa requirements when applying for the visa.

Before making an application the businesses need to check whether their business is eligible and whether they qualify for the sponsor license. The job role to be sponsored by the business should be eligible for sponsorship. The sponsor license has different categories. These businesses need to choose the type of license required for their employees.

This usually depends on what type of worker the employer wants to sponsor. Once you apply for the sponsor license the authorities as part of the process may visit your business to check if it is suitable. If your application has been successful you will be given a license rating. With this, the employer will be able to issue certificates of sponsorship to the jobs that are suitable for sponsorship.

When it comes to applying for a license as an employer, you need to make sure you do not have any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes. If these businesses have had a sponsor license revoked in the last 12 months, they are not eligible to apply. These businesses are required to have an appropriate system in place to monitor sponsored employees and people to manage sponsorship in your business.

The job being sponsored should have a suitable rate of pay and skill level and needs to meet the other criteria needed for their visa. Once you are granted a sponsor license you also have certain responsibilities bestowed on you, which are required to be followed. These include checking that the foreign workers have the necessary skills, qualifications or professional accreditations to do their jobs and keeping copies of documents to prove this.

Assigning certificates of sponsorship to workers when the job is suitable for sponsorship. For the Sponsor license, the employer needs to appoint people within their business to manage the sponsorship process when applying for a license. To manage this the main tool used is the sponsorship management system (SMS).

Further, certain suitability checks are required to be carried out. The employer and the staff will be checked to make sure they’re suitable for these roles. The license will not be granted if anyone involved in sponsorship has an unspent criminal conviction for an offence listed in the guidance for sponsors, has been fined by UKVI in the past 12 months been reported to UKVI, has broken the law, has been a key person at a sponsor that had its license revoked in the last 12 months, failed to pay VAT or any other excise duty.

The license that is granted upon a successful application will have an A-rated license. This lets you start assigning certificates of sponsorship. With this, your business will be listed in the register of sponsors. The Certificates of sponsorship must be assigned to every foreign employee. This certificate is required to apply for their visa. They must apply for their visa within a period of 3 months before the start date of the job in the United Kingdom.

To know more about the sponsor license in the United Kingdom and for legal support with the application process, get in touch with the ICS Legal Immigration team. We have qualified immigration advisers and are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner. Immigration advisers can help you understand your possible options and know the correct steps forward based on your surroundings.

Please feel free to reach out to us at 0207 237 3388 or drop us an email at [email protected]. Read more about us and our services at www.icslegal.com