If you are a company wishing to employ someone from overseas, or a person who is does not have permission to work for in the UK, because they do not have settled status you will need to make an application for a sponsor licence.

The type of sponsor licence you require depends on the specific immigration route that the overseas person is seeking to be sponsored to work on. Companies need to be aware that most EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who arrive in the UK after 31 December 2020 will now need to be sponsored by a company that has a sponsorship licence in order to work in the UK.

If you are considering making a sponsor licence application get in touch today and book a consultation with our specialist sponsor licence solicitors by calling 0800 086 2929, emailing info@elitelawsolicitors.co.uk or by completing our Free Online Enquiry Form.

What is a Sponsor Licence?

A sponsor licence is permission from the Home Office to a UK business which allows them to recruit internationally. This is a legal requirement for any business that wishes to employ overseas Skilled Workers and UK Expansion Workers

Companies will not need a sponsor licence if they wish to employ an Irish citizen, a person with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, a person with indefinite leave to remain in the UK or a foreign national who has permission to work in the UK.

The process for applying for a sponsorship licence requires an application to be submitted to the Home Office with the accompanying application fee and supporting documents.

Any business of any size and in any sector can apply for a sponsor licence as long as they can demonstrate that the business eligibility and job suitability requirements for the category they are applying for.

Requirements for a Sponsor Licence application

To ensure optimal chances of success when applying for a sponsor licence, you will need to satisfy various general and route-specific requirements which are listed below:

General requirements for a Sponsor Licence application

You are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK;
You are honest, dependable, reliable and have not engaged in behaviour or actions that are not conducive to the public good;
You are able to carry out your sponsor duties and evidence compliance in accordance with the Home Office sponsor guidance.

To demonstrate that your company is a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK, you will need to provide a number of business related documents. The exact documents you have to provide will depend on the type of organisation and route(s) you wish to sponsor on. Our experienced Immigration Solicitors can fully advise you on this.

When assessing whether you are honest, dependable, reliable and are not engaging and have not engaged in behaviour or actions that are not conducive to the public good, the Home Office will look at the history and background of your business, the backgrounds of the Key Personnel named in your application and also the backgrounds of any people involved in the day-to-day running of your business.

In order to assess whether you are capable of carrying out your sponsor duties and evidencing your compliance in a timeframe and manner set out in sponsor guidance, the Home Office will look at your current human resources and recruitment procedures to make sure that you are able to fulfil your sponsor duties.

If you seeking to make an application on the Skilled Worker you will need to satisfy the Home Office that:

Your offer of employment meets the required skill level of the Skilled Worker route;
Your offer of employment meets the required salary level of the Skilled Worker route;
The offer of employment is genuine

If your application fails to meet the sponsor licence requirements then your application will be refused.

How much does a Sponsor Licence application cost?

The application fee depends on the size of your organisation. A small company or charity costs £536.00, and a medium or large sized company costs £1,476.00.

How long will it take to get a decision on a Sponsor Licence application?

Applications usually take 8 weeks to be decided. If you have an urgent need you can apply for the priority service which will then be decided within 10 working days. We can turn around applications within 3-7 days.

How long are they valid for?

Sponsor licences are granted for a period of 4 years. If you wish to continue to sponsor workers after this duration you will need to renew your licence before it expires. We can assist with renewal of applications.