UK Sponsor Licences - How to apply?

Eligibility Criteria for Sponsor Licences?

To obtain the sponsor licence, businesses must meet the following criteria.
• Be UK-based.
• Not jeopardise immigration control.
• Be authentic, operating and trading legally in the UK.
• Have reliable and honest key personnel.
• Have a standard HR system that encourages them to execute their licensed sponsor obligations efficiently.

How to Apply for UK Sponsor Licence

As an employer, you can access the licence application form online via the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). While completing this application form ensure you save it regularly.
You will be required to state the type of licence you want to obtain, your contact information, the key personnel on the licence and other details about your business. Upon the completion of your sponsor licence online application form, you must send your documents together with the submission to the Home Office.

If you’re submitting physical copies of your documents, they must be officially certified or original copies. The documents you must attach to your submission include:

• Evidence of listing on approved stock exchanges (if applicable).
• Evidence of enrollment with HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs).
• VAT (Value Added Tax) registration certificate.
• Evidence of lease or ownership of the building from which your business operates.
• Proof of liability insurance with at least £5 million coverage.
• Proof of planning permission at the address of your business.
• A registered accountant’s financial report.
• A chart specifying the hierarchy of your business. For example, showing the owner, director, board members, and more. You must list all employees if you don’t have more than 50 staff members.

What Is the Processing Time of Sponsor Licence?

As a UK employer, you must first of all obtain a sponsor licence from the Home Office to bring a US worker to come and work for you in the UK. The processing time for your sponsor licence application largely depends on whether you made a compelling application and there were no delays in its processing by the Home Office. However, it typically takes up to 8 weeks to get a decision on your sponsor licence application.

What Are the Fees for Sponsor Licences?

UK employers must make financial commitments when applying for a sponsor licence. Two factors can determine the amount of money you will pay to obtain the licence, namely, the type of sponsor licence you want to get (either worker or temporary worker) and the size of your business.
Below are the fees you must pay to obtain a sponsor licence:
Temporary worker licence worth £536 specifically designed for all types of charity and enterprise.
Worker licence worth £1,476 for small charities and businesses.
If you wish to add a worker licence to an already existing temporary worker licence for medium and large businesses you must pay £940. If you have a small business or charity, you’ll be exempted from paying the fees. Besides that, you’ll not be charged to add a temporary worker licence to an already existing worker licence.

What Are the Sponsorship Management Roles?

UK employers applying for a sponsor licence must choose some people within the business to play crucial roles in managing the sponsorship process via SMS. You must fill the following key roles in your business:

• Level 1 user. This individual must be accountable for daily management of the licence.
• The key contact. This person is the contact point with the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
• Authorising officer. This individual is a senior officer to all the employees in your business and is held accountable for the conduct of your employees and representatives.

If necessary, these above roles can be carried out by one individual.
In the set-up of these roles, at least one level 1 user must be an employee of your business. Whereas other level 1 and level 2 users can be working from third-party companies.

Note that everyone involved in the sponsor licence process must be assessed to know if they have been reported to the UKVI or if they have unspent criminal convictions.

In Conclusion

Obtaining a sponsor licence involves several rigorous processes. Sometimes an application may be rejected due to errors such as, incomplete documentation, not meeting all the requirements, not satisfying all the queries communicated by the Home Office and more. For this reason, it’s best to engage a professional immigration adviser from the onset. Immigration advisors already know how to navigate the sponsor licence application process without rejections. Call us today to see if we can help you obtain your licence. Call us on 01403 801801 or email us [email protected]