UK Sponsor Licence for Skilled Workers

If you wish to employ a person who is not a settled worker, or who does not otherwise have immigration permission to work for you in the UK, you will need to be authorised by the Home Office. This authorisation is known as a ‘sponsor licence’, and employers who hold a sponsor licence are known as ‘sponsors’. Arka Solicitors provides the UK Sponsor Licence for Skilled Workers with a team of expert Skilled Workers Immigration Solicitors.

Requirements for a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence

Before Home Office can grant you a sponsor licence, you need to establish that

1. You are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK

To prove that you are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK, you must provide certain documents or information specified in Appendix A of the sponsor guidance. The specific documents or information will vary depending on the circumstances of your sponsor licence application.

In addition to the specific documents, you will also need to provide further information such as why you are applying for a sponsor licence, sector your operate in , operating hours. You must also provide a current hierarchy chart detailing any owner, director and board members. If your business has 50 employees or fewer, you must list all employees and set out the names and titles of all staff along with the proposed job role, and the candidate in mind.

If you fail to provide the additional information, the Home Office will reject the application. If you do not submit mandatory documents with your application or you do not pay the full fee, your application will be invalid and we will reject it without further consideration.

To discuss your Sponsor Licence application with one of our UK Expert Immigration Lawyers, contact us on 0161 8200 789 or complete the enquiry form

2. 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

When assessing whether you are honest , dependable 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.

3. You are capable of carrying out your sponsor duties and evidencing your compliance in a timeframe and manner set out in sponsor guidance

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 will be able to fulfil your sponsor duties.  The Home Office may conduct a compliance check on you before your licence is granted.

Specific requirements for a Skilled Worker licence

In addition to the general requirements for a sponsor licence , to be eligible for a Skilled Worker sponsor licence, you must be able to offer employment that-

• meets the skill level and salary requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa route;
• is genuine;
• does not amount to the hiring of the worker to a third party to undertake an ongoing or routine role;
• complies with the National Minimum Wage and the Working Time Regulation.

To discuss how we can assist your Skilled Worker sponsor licence application, contact our Expert Immigration Solicitors on 0161 8200 789 or complete our enquiry form.

Key Personnel Appointment for Your Sponsor Licence Application

The online sponsor application form requires you to give certain responsibilities to members of your staff, some or all of whom will have access to the sponsorship management system (SMS) after a licence is granted. These roles can be filled by the same person or a combination of different people at the time

Authorising Officer

When you apply for a licence, you must appoint an Authorising Officer. The person you nominate to this role must be the most senior person in your organisation responsible for the recruitment of all migrant workers and ensuring that you meet all of your sponsor duties. If you do not recruit the workers you sponsor, this role must be filled by the most senior person responsible for your activity as a licensed sponsor.

Key Contact

The Key Contact is the primary point of contact for the Home Office. The Home Office usually contact them if we have any queries about your sponsor licence application, the documents sent, or the payment. They may also contact your Authorising Officer if necessary.

Level 1 User

The Level 1 User is responsible for carrying out all day-to-day sponsorship activities using the SMS. Level 1 Users can perform the actions in SMS, such as assign CoS to workers , ask for an increase in the number of CoS you can assign (your CoS limit). When you first apply for a sponsor licence, you can only nominate one Level 1 User and they must be an employee, director or partner. Once you have a licence you can use the SMS to nominate more Level 1 Users.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation

When you apply for a sponsor licence. You will be asked for an estimate of the number of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) you may wish to assign in your first year as a licenced sponsor. You must be able to justify your request. You will therefore need to think carefully about how many workers you are likely to employ during the year and why. You must provide additional information, as specified in Appendix A to the sponsor guidance, about current vacancies and workers you wish to sponsor.

To discuss Undefined and Defined Certificate of Sponsorship, contact our Immigration Solicitors on 0161 8200 789 or complete our enquiry form.

How our Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Immigration Lawyers can help

At Arka Solicitors, we assist UK employers to obtain the Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence. We also offer comprehensive services on how to maintain their Sponsor licence and comply with their sponsor duties and responsibilities.

Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Immigration

Our Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Immigration solicitors will help you in submitting your sponsor licence application with the correct company documents. It usually takes up to 8 weeks through standard service. However, we can help you apply under the priority service, where the Home Office will decide your application in 10 working days. The Home Office would charge an additional fee of £500 for processing the Sponsor Licence application under the priority service.

To schedule a consultation, you can contact our office by phone 0161 8200 789 or email enquiries@arkasolicitors.co.uk.

Alternatively, you can fill out the enquiry form, and we will contact you promptly to arrange a suitable time for a consultation.