Detailed Guidance Into Sponsor Licence Application
What is a Sponsor Licence?
A Sponsor Licence gives UK employers permission to hire migrant workers from countries or regions outside of the UK legally. A valid sponsor licence is required for a UK organisation that is employing non-UK resident employees, including EU nationals entering the UK from 1st January 2021. UK firms must get the appropriate sponsorship licence from UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).
Who needs a Sponsor Licence?
Any UK organisation that wishes to employ temporary or permanent skilled workers from outside of the UK need to apply for a Sponsor Licence. Without a valid Sponsor Licence, the company can not hire migrant workers legally.
What are the requirements for a Sponsor Licence application?
To meet the requirements for a Sponsor Licence application, an organisation must have a robust HR system and an Authorising Officer in place to perform all sponsor obligations.
In addition, the company must not have any unspent criminal convictions, and you won’t be able to apply if you have had a sponsor licence revoked in the last 12 months.
How to apply for a Sponsor Licence?
Once you meet the requirements, you can start your process by filling out the sponsorship licence application form.
To secure a Sponsor Licence, you’ll need to make an online application for Sponsor Licence and submit it to the Home Office and pay the Sponsor Licence application fees.
Within 5 days of your online submission, you’ll need to provide some supporting documents to your application.
What are the required documents for a Sponsor Licence application?
Aside from the sponsorship licence application form, you’ll also need to submit at least four supporting documents from the list below. It’s encouraged that you acquire the necessary documents before the application for a smooth process.
- Payee 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)
- 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)
- Copy of Lease OR freehold OR Tenancy agreement
- Copy of regulatory body certificate if applicable to your business, i.e. Health & Safety star rating (for food business), ACCA, FCA, IATA, OFCOM, ARLA
- VAT Certificate (if registered)
When to get a decision
Under normal circumstances, it takes 8 weeks to get a decision. If the Home Office considers it necessary to do a site visit or interview, it will take longer.
How can we help?
At WorkPermitCloud Limited, we have a dedicated team to assist you in your sponsorship application process. We offer professional immigration advice regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), and we offer complete sponsor licence application guidance.
We will:
- Evaluate your organisation's sponsorship needs
- Determine the appropriate type of sponsorship licence for you
- Recommend mandatory and supporting documents based on the nature of your organisation
- Review Authorising officer, level 1 user and Key contact person's fitness for the role
- Assist in responding to Home Office questions with precise answers developed through in-depth situation analysis
- Provide guidance on sponsorship-related fees
- Help your organisation to avail fast track service from Home Office
- Provide expert support for first-time sponsorship license applications or deal with renewal, suspensions and revocations
Start your Sponsor Licence Application today
Getting a Sponsor Licence can prevent legal trouble regarding hiring a migrant employee in your organisation. Start sorting your employee’s work status in the United Kingdom by getting a sponsorship licence application.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at sales@workpermitcloud.co.uk
