Sponsor Licence Application

  As a UK employer, if you wish to employ a skilled worker from outside of the UK, you  must first  make an application for a sponsor licence  to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and get a sponsor licence granted and you will be listed as a registered sponsor.

The type of sponsor licence depends on the skilled worker to fill in the job is long term or temporary. Skilled worker sponsor licence is to sponsor  skilled workers with long-term job offers and Tier 5 is to sponsor skilled temporary workers. 

Only a company granted a sponsor licence can offer a job to a prospective employee from outside of the UK and assign a certificate of sponsorship to  them to apply for a skilled worker visa / Tier 5 visa to work in the UK.   

The requirements for a sponsor licence application:

Your company or the authorised officer of the company: 

• cannot have unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes,       such as fraud or money laundering
•  cannot have any history of failing to carry out your sponsorship duties
• need appropriate systems in place to monitor sponsored employees.
• trustworthy and capable of carrying out your sponsor's duties.

When Home Office processes a sponsor licence application, sometimes they will make an announced or unannounced visit to your company before they grant you a sponsor licence.  They usually spend a few hours in your office to review your company's documents, files and make sure that you genuinely operate the business, check your current Human resources  and recruitment procedures meet the relevant laws and you can carry out the sponsor duties. A sponsor licence is valid for four years. You’ll get an A-rated licence if your application is approved and it may be downgrade or your sponsor licence will be revoked if you don not fulfil your sponsor duties. 

How to apply

a sponsor licence application is submitted online and after the submission, you will need to send a specific documents to Sponsor licence application Unit within 5 working days. If you send supporting documents later, your sponsor licence application will be rejected.

Application fees: 

It costs a big company £1476 to make a sponsor licence application.

It costs a small or medium company £536 to make a sponsor licence application,

Renewal of a sponsor licence

Home Office will send you an  email three months in advance before your sponsor licence expires to remind you to renew your sponsor licence. You need to renew your sponsor licence before it expires if you wish to continue to sponsor a worker from outside of EEA and Switzerland.  The application fee is depending on the size of the company and it is subject to change by Home Office. 

Sponsor licence audit

Home Office  may visit your business premises to make sure that you carry out your sponsor duties. They will inspect your  human resources and recruitment procedures and will interview the staff sponsored by you. Their visit may be either announced or unannounced.  If Home Office is not satisfied during the visit, your sponsor licence could be downgrade, suspended or withdrawn.

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