The sponsor licence requirements for sponsoring healthcare professionals
The sponsor licence requirements for sponsoring healthcare professionals
The shortage of healthcare professionals in the UK has become a deepening crisis. With over 110,000 positions in healthcare services being vacant across England, the NHS is facing troubling circumstances.
This gap between labour demand and availability of labour in the UK is expected to continue due to the high demand for healthcare services. New research finds that the demand is expected to increase by 40% by 2030/31—almost double the growth that was seen in the last 10 years.
With the increase in labour shortages, the need to hire international healthcare professionals has become a fast-growing solution to keep up with the demands, resulting in a need to obtain sponsor licences.
Sponsoring Skilled Workers through a sponsor licence
Any industry—including the healthcare industry—requires a sponsor licence to sponsor international talent in the UK and there are certain requirements that a sponsor must meet to obtain the licence.
UK employers must obtain a sponsor licence—issued by the Home Office—to recruit international skilled workers in the UK unless the workers:
- Have settled or pre-settled status stated under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Are living in the UK with a visa that permits them to work in the UK without requiring a sponsoring employer—for example, a graduate visa
- Have indefinite leave to remain in the UK
- Are British citizens by naturalisation
A sponsor licence is essential to employ most international workers. This includes Skilled Workers and UK Expansion Workers, including both non-EU and most citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31st December 2020.
Obtaining a sponsorship licence
To obtain a sponsorship licence, the healthcare institution will need to submit an application to the Home Office along with an application fee. You will also be required to submit any supporting documents along with the application.
To successfully obtain your sponsor licence, you must meet the eligibility and job suitability requirements that are outlined under the category of sponsor licence.
Qualifying for a sponsor licence
As part of the sponsor licence application, healthcare providers will need to meet the following Home Office requirements to obtain the sponsor licence:
- The organisation must be genuine, operating lawfully in the UK: Companies must provide the required documentation that helps prove this fact with relevant evidence/paperwork
- The organisation must be honest, dependable, and reliable: The Home Office will check factors, such as the history and background of the business and the Key Personnel named in the application
- The organisation must be capable of carrying out sponsor duties: Compliance must be proved in a timeframe and manner stated in the Sponsor Guidance
- The organisation must be sure that its service supports the principles and values of the NHS
- The organisation must be paying the required minimum salary to employees: The minimum must be the highest of either £25,600 per year, £10.10 per hour, or the going rate for the job the employee will be performing.
Following all the procedures to obtain a sponsorship licence
Once you have obtained the sponsorship licence, you’ll be given access to the sponsor management system (SMS) and you’ll be able to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to the international talent you’re sponsoring.
The Health and Care visa in the UK has been designed to simplify the process of employment for those who are employed in in-demand medical and care occupations from around the world. For this reason, the Home Office will also carefully consider your existing human resources and recruitment procedures to ensure that you’re in a position to fulfil your duties as a sponsor.
Obtaining a sponsor licence can be a stressful and time-consuming process. For businesses that are looking to hire international talent urgently, it’s important to follow the right procedures and simplify the process.
At Nation.better, our experienced immigration consultants are ready to help you get the talent you need from anywhere in the world. Get in touch with our team today and get the best healthcare professionals to work for your UK-based healthcare institution.
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