Sponsor License

If you wish to employ a person who is not a settled worker, and who does not otherwise have immigration permission to work 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.

We understand that the Sponsor License applications can be complex and once the license is granted, its maintenance can be complicated therefore using the services of an immigration expert are highly recommended. We pride ourselves on being approachable and proactive in understanding and meeting our clients’ needs. You will need to ensure that you meet all of the mandatory requirements before you apply. You will need to complete the relevant forms and collate your evidence for submission.

Routes under which you can apply for a sponsor licence:

There are two broad types of sponsor licence you can apply for: Worker (formerly Tier 2) and Temporary Worker (formerly Tier 5 (Temporary Worker)).

Within these two types, there are a number of individual immigration ‘routes’. You can apply to be licensed in as many routes as you feel appropriate for your business or organisation.

What are the eligibility requirements for a sponsor licence:

Before the Home Office grants you a sponsor licence, you will need to establish that you

• are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK
• are honest, dependable, reliable, and are not engaging and have not engaged in behaviour or actions that are not conducive to the public good
• are capable of carrying out your sponsor duties and evidencing your compliance in a timeframe and manner required
• have current human resources and recruitment practices in place to make sure you are able to fulfil your sponsor duties
• can offer genuine employment that meets the skill level and salary requirements, if applying under the Skilled Worker or Intra-Company routes

How long the sponsor license is valid for:

Your licence will be valid for 4 years. It will run from the date your licence is granted. You must apply to renew it before the 4 years has expired if you wish to continue sponsoring workers

What supporting documents are required to successfully apply for a sponsor licence?

• proof that you are based in the UK
• are genuine and are operating or trading lawfully in the UK (an organisation is deemed to have been ‘operating or trading’ in the UK from the point at which it was incorporated)
• evidence that you hold the appropriate planning permission or Local Planning Authority consent to run your type and/or class of business at your trading address, if consent is required by your local authority
• if you are required to be registered with or inspected or monitored by a statutory body to operate lawfully in the UK (such as a nursing or care home, financial or insurance business, or healthcare provider), proof that you are registered with the appropriate body – if you are applying as a head office and all branches, or as a group of branches, you must submit evidence for each individual branch within that group
• if you are a food business, proof of your registration with, or approval from, a relevant food authority
• If you are applying under Skilled Worker or T2 Minister of Religion, you must also provide additional information about your organisation, why you are applying, and the types of job you wish to fill

What are the ‘worker route’ categories for a sponsor license:

These routes are for skilled and long-term workers. There are 5 Worker routes, as follows:

• Skilled Worker: this allows employers to recruit people to work in the UK in a specific job – a Skilled Worker must have a job offer in an eligible skilled occupation and meet the salary and going rate requirements
• Intra-Company routes: there are two Intra-Company routes, both of which require the worker to be sponsored in an eligible skilled occupation and meet the salary and going rate requirements:
  • Intra-Company Transfer: this is for established workers who are being transferred by the overseas business they work for to do a skilled role with a linked business in the UK
  • Intra-Company Graduate Trainee: this is for workers who are being transferred by the overseas business they work for to undertake a role in the UK with a linked business as part of a structured graduate training programme
• T2 Sportsperson: this for an elite sportsperson or qualified coach who is sponsored in a role where they will make a significant contribution to the development of sport at the highest level in the UK and who has a valid endorsement from the appropriate Sports Governing Body
• T2 Minister of Religion: this for a person who has a key leading role within their faith-based organisation or a religious order in the UK

What happens if your Skilled Worker sponsor licence is refused:

If your licence application is refused, you may be the ‘Error correction request’ process, if you believe there has been a simple caseworking error. Alternatively, you can apply again – but only after 6 months from the date your application was refused has ended which is commonly known as ‘cooling-off period’.

At Aaryan Solicitors, team of our immigration law specialists’ can advise you on the merits of making a fresh application and/or challenging the decision by way of process called Judicial Review.

Why Choose Aaryan Solicitors?