Employer Sponsorship Licence UK
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UK Sponsor Licence Application Process
To apply for a UK Sponsor Licence, businesses need to go through a multi step process and satisfy the UK Home Office set requirements. This license is required for companies that want to make use of workers from outside of the UK under the Skilled Worker Visa or other work visas. The application process is made up of providing detailed information of your business, how your HR practices operate and the capability of meeting the obligations of sponsor licence.
Requirements for Applying for a Sponsor Licence
In order to apply for a sponsor licence, your business must meet a number of eligibility criteria, such as that you are a legally established business, have suitable HR systems and are able to demonstrate that you will comply with Home Office’s requirements when it comes to sponsoring workers.
Documents Needed for the Application
Various documents like proof of your business’s legitimacy, evidence of HR practice and details of the roles you intend to sponsor will be required by your application. These applications provide evidence with your application and prove that you are able to meet the criteria related to obtaining a sponsor licence.
Application Fee and Processing Time
The type and size of your business determine the cost of a sponsor licence. How long does it take to process times vary, but typically the Home Office would take several weeks to adjudicate your application. So it is very important to have some planning around meeting needs of hiring on time.
Obtaining and Maintaining a Sponsor Licence
Once you have an approved application, you will have a sponsor licence and can then sponsor overseas workers. Yet, you must remain compliant with the continuing obligations to keep the licence active. The Home Office may also conduct regular audits to assure compliance.
Sponsor Licence Compliance and Responsibilities
It is, therefore, a responsibility of utmost importance for all employers to maintain the conditions of their UK Sponsor Licence. Noncompliance with the Home Office requirements may lead to citations, suspension or revocation of your licence. If you understand the key compliance requirements and what your responsibilities would be as a sponsor, this will help you to stay compliant and keep hiring international talent.
Record Keeping and Reporting Obligations
Employers must maintain detailed records on their sponsored workers and report certain events to the Home Office with regards to the sponsored worker (for example if they are absent or they change jobs). These records must be regularly updated and for the duration of the worker’s employment, they are retained.
Employee Monitoring and Compliance Checks
You must also keep a close eye on the position of your sponsored workers, making sure that they maintain this status while they are living and working in Australia. Non compliance of immigration rules may lead to severe penalties as your sponsor license can also be suspended.
Responsibilities Under the Sponsor Licence
As a sponsor, you need to satisfy yourself that you have sponsored the workers for the right roles and that the employment arrangements for the workers meet visa requirements. Failure to comply with its lawful employment could affect your ability to sponsor workers in the future.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Penalties for failing to meet sponsor licence requirements include fines, penalties and revoking the licence. It is also possible that your business will be prohibited from sponsoring workers for a while in some cases.
Maintaining UK Sponsor Licence Compliance
In order to retain your sponsor licence there are systems you should have in place to manage your compliance requirements efficiently. Regular checks, as well as updates and audits, will ensure that your business remains on the right pages to meet the Home Office’s expectations, thus helping you avoid potential issues that could jeopardize your licence.
Regular Audits and Internal Reviews
Regular audits of your HR systems and records are essential to comply with requirements of the sponsor licence. Internal reviews will assist in preventing any issues from occurring before the Home Office conducts their own audit.
Keeping Up to Date with Immigration Laws
UK immigration laws are always changing and it is important to keep up to date with the changes. Make sure that your business policies are up to date in line with the latest regulations, and that appropriate training is carried out regularly among your HR team on the responsibilities of having a sponsor licence.
Staff Training on Sponsorship Compliance
Training your HR team will allow them to understand their responsibilities within your sponsor licence. A timely reporting of required events with the Home Office and monitoring of compliance should be expected due to well trained staff.
Partnering with Compliance Experts
If that’s not something you’re clear about, or if you’d rather have someone else take care of the sponsor licence compliance for you, hiring immigration experts is a good option. They can assist you with compliance checks, audits and that your organization will meet any sponsor licence obligations.
Sponsor Licence Renewal and Audit Services
It is worth noting that a UK Sponsor Licence is for a duration of four years and has to be renewed after the end of the validity period. Renewal process means that your business must still meet the Home Office requirements. You may also be audited by the Home Office to check your compliance with your obligations, and there may also be a renewal.
Sponsor Licence Renewal Process
Renewing your sponsor licence occurs at the time of renewal; after renewal, you will be expected to submit renewal application which requires updated documents and information. It’s therefore important to allow plenty of time for your renewal otherwise you could find yourself unable to sponsor workers.
Home Office Sponsor Licence Audits
If a sponsor licence holder, the Home Office may either randomly or on a scheduled basis audit your business to make sure it is adhering to terms of your sponsor licence. Usually these audits mean that your records and systems have to be reviewed to check whether you are fulfilling your sponsor duties.
Sponsor Licence Audit Service UK
Whilst we cannot guarantee any outcome with the audit LAMTANS Consultants use our sponsor licence audit service to make sure businesses are able to prepare for Home Office audits of their compliance practices. We will point out all the gaps that exist in your processes and give solutions that will keep your business in compliance, so that you don’t lose your sponsor licence.
FAQs
There is an Employer Sponsorship Licence which allows a business to hire a skilled (and in certain cases, this can be unskilled) worker from outside of the UK. The UK Home Office issues the licence and it is required by an employer to sponsor workers (including the Skilled Worker Visa) on visas.
Your business will have to meet the eligibility criteria laid down by the Home Office to be able to apply. In order to apply for this grant, you will need to fill up an online application and submit documents that will show how your company’s human resource practices follow the compliance requirements as mandated by the grant committee.
If you are a sponsor you must keep accurate records, report prescribed events to the Home Office and continue monitoring your sponsored workers and all Home Office regulations must be followed by you. If there is non compliance you could get a penalty or your licence suspended.
Companies need to renew sponsor licences every four years. You must renew your licence before it expires and it is not acceptable that your business is no longer in compliance with the remaining sponsor licence compliance requirements.
A Home Office conducts an audit, aptly named Sponsor Licence Audit, to determine whether the sponsor licence holder is complying with the terms and conditions of its sponsor license. Audits may be at random, or done on a schedule.
LAMTANS Consultants also provide expert service for cases that might assist your maintain clearance of name with your sponsor license. We provide our audit service to make sure that your business will be ready for Home Office checks and how to apply for a licence and renew it if you haven’t got one already.
