If you want to employ a skilled worker from overseas, you will first need to apply for a skilled worker sponsor licence. If the Home Office approves the application, you will be able to sponsor the worker as well as apply for their visa.
However, you would have to jump various hurdles during the application process — and the stakes would be high if you stumble at any stage of it. That’s because, if the application is turned down, you will not be able to resend it for the next six months.
It is therefore important that you prepare your application carefully the first time round — and immigration law specialists here at WorkPermitCloud can help you with this.
Migrating a skilled worker from another country
You might want to recruit from a foreign country to fill a role requiring specialist skills not available in the UK. Some highly skilled jobs are in what the government has designated as ‘shortage occupations’.
Many companies employing staff from territories outside the European Union (EU) will already hold a skilled worker sponsor licence. However, this might not be the case for your company if it has traditionally hired only from the EU, of which the UK is no longer a member state.
However, once you do obtain a skilled worker sponsor licence, you will be able to assign a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ to a skilled worker you are seeking to employ from overseas.
What should you prepare?
Once the Home Office has provided you with the sponsorship licence application form, you will need to include this and at least four of the following supporting documents in your application:
- PAYE or Accounts Office reference letter from HMRC
- Signed annual accounts
- Business bank statement
- Employer liability insurance certificate
- Copy of lease, freehold or tenancy agreement
- Copy of regulatory approval for the business
- VAT certificate (if your business is VAT registered)
However, exactly what documents you should include in the application will depend on the nature of your organisation. With our sponsor licence application service, we can provide you with tailored advice on how to prepare your application.
Why is it a must to get a sponsor licence?
Companies in sectors especially reliant on foreign labour could see their competitive advantage eroded if they do not hold a sponsor licence.
It is also worth acknowledging that the process of applying for a sponsor licence can be both complex and time-consuming. Once your application has been submitted, you are likely to have to wait eight weeks before the Home Office reports back with its decision.
For this reason, it can be highly advantageous for your company to proactively seek a sponsor licence weeks in advance of when it should be needed.
We offer a cloud-based solution where we can evaluate your sponsorship needs and help you to make sure your application meets all of the criteria on which the Home Office will assess it.
To learn more about this service, please call us on (+44) 020 8087 2343 or email info@workpermitcloud.co.uk.
