What is a licence?

Sponsor licence for business is a form of permission granted by the Home Office. It permits the holder of the licence to hire non-British nationals who would not otherwise be permitted to work in the United Kingdom.

A sponsor licence is needed to hire someone for a job that needs a specific level of expertise. The employee must be paid more than a set amount whether they work full- or part-time.

For as little as a few months or as long as five years, you can sponsor a worker.

Other licencing types include the Scale-up Worker and other categories under the Global Business Mobility scheme that facilitate employing foreign service providers and secondment workers as well as intra-company transfers and the establishment of foreign business branches.

As long as the entity has not been disqualified, any legitimate company that has been founded and is doing business in the UK is eligible to apply for a licence. Your company must be established and actively trading, even if it is just getting started trading.

The company must employ at least one British national or settled employee in a managerial role who is in charge of hiring foreign nationals. On behalf of the company, this individual must authorise the application and take accountability before the Home Office.

If you are looking to fill a vacancy in the firm, you can apply for a sponsor licence at any time. The company must provide proof of a real need to sponsor an employee when submitting an application for a licence.

If a candidate has been identified, it is best to clarify the reasons for choosing them above other candidates and demonstrate that the position was not designed to aid in the employee’s immigration to the UK.

 

What documents are required?

The type of incorporation, the size of the business, and the nature of trade will determine which documents you must submit. A business that is subject to regulation must present proof that it is correctly registered with the regulatory body. Furthermore, the company must present at least four documents, including the VAT registration certificate, bank statements, company accounts, lease, communication with HMRC containing the account office reference number and PAYE reference number, and CT600 and CT603. An organisational structure with the names and positions of all employees will also be required emphasising the positions to be filled by the sponsored workers and their line of reporting in the hierarchy of the company, which is required for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

 

Application process

Applications for sponsor licenses are submitted online.

Preventing follow-up questions and pre-licensing visits by having an immigration audit to ensure all of your paperwork is in order and providing as much detail as possible in your cover letter are the best ways to ensure that your application is approved without any additional questions or delays.

Filling out the brief application takes 20 to 30 minutes. The type of firm, its location and size, the duties of potential sponsored employees, and the number of people you plan to sponsor in the first year are all covered by the questions. The authorising officer, the key contact, and the Level 1 user are the other important individuals regarding whom you will be questioned regarding the sponsor licence management procedure. One individual can fill these duties, or other persons can share them.

The full form will not be sent to you in a PDF format, so you will need to take screenshots as you go along if you want to maintain a record of it.

The authorising officer must send the completed form along with the application fee after it has been completed. The application fee ranges from £536 to £1436 depending on the size of your company.

You have five business days from the time the application is submitted to email the signed submission sheet, supporting papers, organisation chart, and application representations to the Home Office.

A 12-week processing period is typical. In reality, if all required information is submitted with the application and no follow-up inquiries are asked, the application is frequently accepted significantly more quickly.

You can request for premium service and receive a decision within 10 working days if time is of the essence and there are no extenuating circumstances. This comes with an additional £500 charge.

If you wish to apply for a sponsorship licence, please contact us via phone/email/online form or chat with us to discuss your case.