Sponsor License

What is it?

Being a licensed sponsor will allow your company to employ workers under Tier 2 or Tier 5 of the points based immigration system.

 

Basic requirements

To be eligible for a Sponsor’s License, your company must show that you are complying with all immigration and employment legislation, and have the correct HR processes and procedures in place to keep evidence of your compliance, including Right to Work checks on all sponsored employees.

 

Most companies will be visited by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), who will check that the Sponsor is fulfilling all their duties.

 

How can Visas For Companies help me?

Visas For Companies have the knowledge and expertise to help you to set up the systems and procedures you need to implement in order to get an A rating from the UKBA.

 

We provide extensive training and support to help you prepare your company for the UKBA compliance checks, and perform a detailed audit of your business to check that you will pass the UKBA inspection.

 

Our experience in immigration can help you put together the strongest application with the minimum of stress. We will check that your application is submitted with the relevant documents and put together in a way that gives you the best chance of becoming a fully licensed Sponsor.

 

Who makes the decision?

The UK Border Agency will give your company a rating. An A rating allows you to sponsor workers, a B rating may still enable your to sponsor workers, but means that you have not met all the requirements, and the UKBA will provide you with an action plan and a deadline for compliance. If you fail to meet the requirements of your action plan within the deadline, your company may not be permitted to sponsor migrant workers, and could be issued with a fine.

 

Common Questions

 

How long does the License last?

A Sponsorship License is valid for 4 years, but your rating can be downgraded at any time should UKBA find evidence that you are not satisfactorily fulfilling your duties as a Sponsor.

 

How many overseas employees can I hire?

UKBA will ask you to estimate how many workers you will need to provide sponsorship for, and provide you an upper limit for the number of certificates you can issue.

 

What are the chances that UKBA will visit us?

The UKBA are aiming to visit all Sponsors once they have submitted their application, either before or after their license has been granted, so it is highly likely that your company will be inspected by the UKBA.

 

Will my employee need entry clearance?

Most foreign nationals coming into the UK will need entry clearance.There are some exceptions under Tier 5. Workers who are transferring from other immigration categories may not need to apply for entry clearance.