The UK Home office allows any company to apply for a license to hire a skilled migrant for the betterment of their business. Particularly, post-BREXIT, the dearth of skilled workers is prevalent in almost all sectors.
One sector that was hit worst by the pandemic is the restaurant and catering business. The industry is worth 4 billion and with the skilled workers from countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Portugal, etc. it can have a rejuvenation from both new talent and service ends. A big chunk of restaurants and catering services in the UK are now hiring skilled migrant workers. To do so, they have to go through a proper application process. The application process requires them to submit some documents, which are essential to ensure their actual need, capability, and compliance. Below is a list of the documents that are usually sought after by the UK Home office.
Minimum of 4 documents from the list below:
- Paye and Account Reference Letter from HMRC (PAYE reference number is mandatory)
- SIGNED Annual Accounts (it's mandatory if the business is over 18 months old)
- Employer Liability Insurance Certificate
- Minimum 1-month business bank statement, the bank needs to be registered and regulated by the FCA and PRA, Revolut bank is not acceptable.
- Employer liability insurance certificate (minimum employee cover £5 million)
- Proof of Business Premises (Copy of Lease OR freehold OR Tenancy agreement)
- Copy of regulatory approval, i.e. Health & Safety star rating for food business, ACCA, FCA, IATA, OFCOM, ARLA
- VAT Certificate (if registered)
However, in certain cases, you may not need to send four documents if you are a:
- public body recognized by the UK Government, such as a local authority
- company listed on the London Stock Exchange Main Market
It's important to remember that having authentic and up-to-date documents are a must to win a license. Submitting false documents is highly discouraged. For other supporting documents and further information, you can click here.
Related articles:
Who can apply for a license to hire migrant workers?
What are the advantages of having a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence?
What’s next after you submit your sponsor licence application?
What are the main duties once an organisation obtain a skilled worker sponsorship license?
