How sponsor licence guidance for employers can streamline sponsorship activities
Overcome sponsorship challenges with sponsor licence guidance for employers
Discover how you can streamline the sponsoring process with sponsor licence guidance for employers.
With over 1.3 million vacancies and thousands of employers fighting it out to attract top talent in a market that’s suffering due to a lack of quality home-grown talent, the recruitment landscape in the UK is more competitive and expensive than ever before. This has led many experts to call the current situation an employment crisis.
If you’re a business owner, manager, or human resource executive, you may be aware that sponsoring skilled and temporary workers is the best way to overcome these skill shortages. But this is easier said than done.
While the Home Office has taken steps to make the sponsorship process more intelligible and less complex, it can still be a daunting process to go through, especially if you aren’t unfamiliar with the application process—a fact evident by the hundreds of sponsor licence applications the Home Office rejects each year.
So what can you do to ensure that your sponsor licence application is successful? Working with a professional team that provides sponsor licence guidance for employers might be a good place to start.
What are the challenges employers face when applying for a sponsor licence?
While sponsor licence service providers can simplify your application process, it’s important to understand the challenges you may face when applying for a sponsor licence on your own. This can help you choose the right service provider for your specific needs.
Here are the most common challenges you’re likely to face during the application process:
- Unfamiliarity with the sponsor licence application process
- Confusion about the eligibility and suitability requirements
- Preparation for the compliance visit by Home Office officials
- Lack of understanding of your responsibilities as sponsors
- Deciding on which type of sponsorship licence to apply for
- Proving you can offer genuine vacancies at the required rate of pay
Depending on the challenges you’re facing, you can work with a service provider that offers more hands-on support or one who can give you guidance to navigate the application process.
How does the sponsor licence application process work?
Check if your business is eligible to become a sponsor
This is perhaps the most crucial step of the sponsor licence application process. To obtain your sponsor licence, you should have a legal business presence in the UK while not having any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or other crimes—such as fraud or money laundering. Officials from UKVI may visit your business to conduct an unannounced audit.
Make sure the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship
The Home Office has issued guidelines detailing what job roles are eligible for sponsorship. If the job role you’re offering has a suitable rate of pay, is of the required skill level, and meets other criteria needed for a visa, you can sponsor a worker for that role. You can use the ONS occupation coding tool to check if the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship.
Choose your preferred type of sponsor licence
Depending on the type of vacancy, you can choose between the Worker or Temporary Worker licences. The Worker licence allows you to sponsor workers on a short-term, long-term, or permanent basis, and the Temporary Worker licence lets you sponsor workers on a temporary basis. You can also apply for a sponsor licence that covers both types of workers.
Appoint personnel to manage your sponsorship activities
You need to appoint personnel for three key job roles to manage your sponsorship activities when you’re applying for a sponsor licence. These roles include the authorising officer, the key contact, and the level 1 user. You can appoint the same person for all three roles or different people for each role. You must provide details of your appointees in your application.
Apply online and pay the fee
The Home Office provides an online application portal to lodge your sponsor licence application. Once you’ve completed the application, you must send the submission sheet at the end of the application and all your supporting documents to the Home Office. You must pay a licence fee depending on the type of licence you’re applying for and the nature of your organisation.
Check if your business is eligible to become a sponsor
This is perhaps the most crucial step of the sponsor licence application process. To obtain your sponsor licence, you should have a legal business presence in the UK while not having any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or other crimes—such as fraud or money laundering. Officials from UKVI may visit your business to conduct an unannounced audit.
Choose your preferred type of sponsor licence
Depending on the type of vacancy, you can choose between the Worker or Temporary Worker licences. The Worker licence allows you to sponsor workers on a short-term, long-term, or permanent basis, and the Temporary Worker licence lets you sponsor workers on a temporary basis. You can also apply for a sponsor licence that covers both types of workers.
Appoint personnel to manage your sponsorship activities
You need to appoint personnel for three key job roles to manage your sponsorship activities when you’re applying for a sponsor licence. These roles include the authorising officer, the key contact, and the level 1 user. You can appoint the same person for all three roles or different people for each role. You must provide details of your appointees in your application.
Make sure the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship
The Home Office has issued guidelines detailing what job roles are eligible for sponsorship. If the job role you’re offering has a suitable rate of pay, is of the required skill level, and meets other criteria needed for a visa, you can sponsor a worker for that role. You can use the ONS occupation coding tool to check if the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship.
Apply online and pay the fee
The Home Office provides an online application portal to lodge your sponsor licence application. Once you’ve completed the application, you must send the submission sheet at the end of the application and all your supporting documents to the Home Office. You must pay a licence fee depending on the type of licence you’re applying for and the nature of your organisation.
Check if your business is eligible to become a sponsor
This is perhaps the most crucial step of the sponsor licence application process. To obtain your sponsor licence, you should have a legal business presence in the UK while not having any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or other crimes—such as fraud or money laundering. Officials from UKVI may visit your business to conduct an unannounced audit.
Make sure the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship
The Home Office has issued guidelines detailing what job roles are eligible for sponsorship. If the job role you’re offering has a suitable rate of pay, is of the required skill level, and meets other criteria needed for a visa, you can sponsor a worker for that role. You can use the ONS occupation coding tool to check if the job role you’re offering is eligible for sponsorship.
Choose your preferred type of sponsor licence
Depending on the type of vacancy, you can choose between the Worker or Temporary Worker licences. The Worker licence allows you to sponsor workers on a short-term, long-term, or permanent basis, and the Temporary Worker licence lets you sponsor workers on a temporary basis. You can also apply for a sponsor licence that covers both types of workers.
Appoint personnel to manage your sponsorship activities
You need to appoint personnel for three key job roles to manage your sponsorship activities when you’re applying for a sponsor licence. These roles include the authorising officer, the key contact, and the level 1 user. You can appoint the same person for all three roles or different people for each role. You must provide details of your appointees in your application.
Apply online and pay the fee
The Home Office provides an online application portal to lodge your sponsor licence application. Once you’ve completed the application, you must send the submission sheet at the end of the application and all your supporting documents to the Home Office. You must pay a licence fee depending on the type of licence you’re applying for and the nature of your organisation.
How does sponsor licence guidance for employers streamline the application process?
When you work with reputed immigration service providers, they can guide you through the application process, allowing you to put together a strong application to get a positive response from the Home Office. They can even represent you in communications with the Home Office.
In addition, they can assist you in collecting the necessary supporting documents depending on the nature of your business and the visa route you’re applying for, by providing you with all the details about the required documents.
All this combined can make your experience a lot more pleasant and stress-free.
How can Nation.better support you with your sponsor licence application?
Here at Nation.better, we’ve supported hundreds of employers with their sponsor licence applications. Our experts can help make the sponsor licence application process less cluttered regardless of your requirements.
When you work with us, you get:
A step-by-step guide to building your case
From collecting your documents to ensuring you meet all the eligibility requirements, our team of consultants will ensure your sponsor licence application ticks all the boxes.
A case review by a qualified professional
Our experts will review your application to ensure that you meet all Home Office requirements and help you prepare a cover letter to support your application.
Support to submit your application to the Home Office
Once you’ve completed your application and our team has reviewed it, we will support you in submitting it to the Home Office.
Frequently asked questions
It may take up to 8 weeks to get a response from the Home Office. That said, you can expedite the process and get a response within 10 working days if you pay an extra £500.
Unfortunately, you can’t appeal the rejection. That said, if you believe your application was rejected due to a caseworker error, you may request to correct this error. This, however, doesn’t amount to a full reconsideration of the decision, and the Home Office can still reject your request.
At Nation.better, you can enlist the expertise of our team for just £800 + VAT (excluding Home Office fees).
For this fee, you’ll get:
- Step-by-step guidance
- A list of all supporting documents
- A cover letter to support the application
- Support to complete the online application
- Case review by a qualified immigration consultant
- A complimentary candidate eligibility assessment
- Representation and communication with the Home Office
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Get in touch with us
Do you have any questions? Or do you want to discuss your sponsor licence requirements with qualified immigration experts? Then don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
