What must businesses in the hospitality sector know before sponsoring a Skilled Worker?

While employment levels are at an all-time high in the UK, the hospitality industry has over 176,000 vacancies according to a Morning Advertiser report.

As the employment crisis takes a toll on the labour market, many employers across the country are looking outward to fulfil vacancies in their businesses—this situation means that the UK’s hospitality industry offers a wide range of employment opportunities for skilled workers from all parts of the world.

That said, if you’re looking to hire international hospitality workers, being familiar with the entire process is advantageous.

So here’s a brief overview of what businesses in the hospitality sector must know before sponsoring a Skilled Worker.

Requirements for obtaining a sponsor licence

Getting your sponsor licence is your ticket to hiring international hospitality workers.

That said, there are certain criteria you must meet before applying for a sponsor licence as requested by the Home Office. These include:

Not having engaged in offences relating to immigration
Proving the vacancy is genuine and meets the minimum salary requirements
Proving that an effective HR system is in place to manage sponsored Skilled Workers
Having a legal business presence in the UK

If your hospitality business meets the aforementioned requirements, you may be eligible to apply for a sponsor licence and hire international talent.

The process of hiring hospitality workers in the UK

If you’re looking to sponsor hospitality workers, you must have a good understanding of the sponsorship process.

The first step is to secure your sponsor licence, which gives you the privilege of sponsoring international workers.

While the process of obtaining the sponsor licence can be demanding, once you obtain the licence, you’re well on your way to filling your hospitality vacancies with top international talent.

You can also interview and choose candidates for sponsorship before obtaining the sponsor licence. You can provide this information to the Home Office while applying for your sponsor licence, which can strengthen your case.

After obtaining your licence, you can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to your chosen candidate to facilitate their visa application process.

Your candidate should apply for the Skilled Worker visa within 3 months of receiving the CoS, but not more than 3 months before commencing work.

Once your candidate has obtained their visa, you should also conduct a right-to-work check before work commences to ensure that your candidate is eligible to work in the UK.

Finally, once your employee arrives in the UK and you’ve onboarded them, you must continue to perform due diligence to ensure that your sponsor licence duties are met.

Obtaining and retaining a sponsor licence

You can obtain your sponsor licence by:

Checking the eligibility of the business
Checking the suitability of the job
Appointing personnel to manage sponsorship activities
Filling out the online application and paying the relevant fees

Once you obtain your sponsor licence, it’s crucial to comply with the specific rules and regulations that are issued by the Home Office. These include:

Reporting any changes to the nature of the business or change in the circumstances of sponsored employees to the Home Office
Keeping extensive records of all sponsorship activities including details about sponsored employees
Complying with immigration laws in the UK
Refraining from engaging in activities that harm the public interest

Job roles in the hospitality sector eligible for sponsorship

Sponsoring hospitality workers is done through the Skilled Worker route, but not every hospitality job role is eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker visa, including, but not limited to:

Housekeepers
Cleaners
Chambermaids
Waiters and catering assistants

In addition, you must also be aware that job roles which are eligible for sponsorship have a minimum skill requirement. Here are a few examples of such job roles:

Chefs (head chef, pastry chef)
Catering and bar managers (kitchen manager, catering manager)
Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors (restaurant managers)
Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors (hotel managers)

You can find a comprehensive list of jobs that are eligible for sponsorship here.

Consult experts to meet the above requirements before sponsoring Skilled Workers

Enlisting the service of immigration experts can make the process of hiring international hospitality workers much more streamlined and stress-free.

If you’d like to discuss your needs with experts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team at Nation.better.

What must businesses in the hospitality sector know before sponsoring a Skilled Worker?