Sponsor Licence
Business Immigration
Sponsor Licence
A Skilled Worker Sponsorship Licence (SWSL), permits UK based businesses to employ overseas workers. Including workers coming from Europe after the 1st January 2021.
What are the requirements?
The application is made online and has to be submitted by a person with decision making role within the company.
The relevant application fee based on the size of the company is payable at the point of submission. A time of five working days is given to submit the supporting documents to the application.
The process is split into two parts - Eligibility and Suitability
Eligibility
- Show that the company is a genuine employer with a lawful trading presence in the UK.
- Four pieces of documents required from a specified list – examples
- current corporate bank account/statements.
- Employers Liability Insurance.
- Registration with HMRC for PAYE.
- Companies House registration to confirm company is a legal entity.
Suitability
- Show that the company has appropriate processes in place to hold a SWSL and to ensure any employees they issue a certificate of sponsorship are compliant.
- Human resources and recruitment systems in place that are fair and open.
- The company can offer a genuine vacancy that meets the skill and salary threshold under skilled worker.
- Key individuals in the company have to be free from unspent criminal convictions.
Key Personnel
Key personnel should be primarily based in the UK.
Additionally, there may be specific restrictions, such as the number of supplementary paid work hours you can undertake, so it is essential to stay informed and compliant with these requirements.
The SWSL licence is managed online through the Sponsor Management System (SMS) by key personnel.
The main roles are:
- Authorising officer – most important of all the roles and the person has to be a senior figure. Ideally is involved in recruitment or Human Resources.
- Key contact – main point of contact with the Home Office and assists the Authorising Officer with managing the licence.
- Level 1 user – responsible for all day-to-day management of the licence through use of the SMS.
What can my organisation do once a Sponsorship Licence is obtained?
- Sponsor overseas workers.
- Issue Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
- Comply with reporting duties on the SMS system to the Home Office.
- Keep detailed records of the sponsored workers.
What is my organisation NOT allowed to do once a Sponsorship Licence is obtained?
- Sponsor more workers than authorised.
Why choose us?
Our highly trained immigration experts have a thorough understanding of the sponsorship licence requirements and application process.
We can help you with your tailored sponsorship licence application by providing you with:
- An honest opinion on the positives and negatives of your case.
- Advice on the sponsorship licence requirements specific to your circumstances.
- A customised evidence checklist.
- Assistance with preparing and submitting your application form and evidence.
Family Migration
Personal Immigration
Family Migration – Entry Clearance
You are likely to require a family visa if you are looking to remain in the UK with your UK-based family for more than 6 months.
You can apply for a family visa to live with your:
- Spouse or partner.
- Fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner.
- Child.
- Parent.
- Relative who will provide long-term care for you.
If you want to visit your family members for fewer than 6 months, please see our visitor visa page here.
Applying as a Partner
The UK Immigration Rules define a partner as:
- A spouse or civil partner; or
- A fiancé(e) or proposed civil partner; or
- An unmarried partner - A couple who have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partner for at least two years.
To make a UK partner visa application you must:
- Provide evidence of your identity and immigration status.
- Satisfy the Suitability Requirements relating to your character, conduct and associations.
- Satisfy the Relationship Requirements and demonstrate you are in a genuine and subsisting relationship.
- Satisfy the Financial Requirements to show you have the funds specific to your economic circumstances. There are multiple ways to satisfy the financial requirements.
- Satisfy the English language requirements and prove your knowledge of the English language. There are limited exemptions to this requirement.
If you can successfully satisfy the partner visa requirements, depending on your circumstances, you could be granted a visa for a period of between 6 months and 33 months.
Applying as a Parent
To apply for a UK Family Visa as a parent, your child must be under the age of 18 on the day you apply or have been under the age of 18 when you were first granted a UK Family Visa as a parent.
To make a UK Family Visa as a parent, you must:
- Provide evidence of your identity and immigration status.
- Satisfy the Suitability Requirements relating to your character, conduct and associations.
- Satisfy the Relationship Requirements and demonstrate an ongoing parent-child relationship.
- Satisfy the Financial Requirements to show you can maintain and accommodate yourself and your children in the UK without recourse to public funds.
- Satisfy the English language requirements and prove your knowledge of the English language. There are limited exemptions to this requirement.
Applying as a Child
If you are applying as a child, you can either be added to your parent’s application as a dependent or apply separately. The Rules for applying as a child will differ according to your age and the immigration status of your parents.
With most child visa applications, there will be a requirement to demonstrate an ongoing parent-child relationship and financial requirements amongst others.
Adult Dependent Relative
You can apply for an Adult Dependent Relative visa if you are aged 18 or over and you are sponsored by a relative in the UK who must be:
- A British citizen.
- Settled in the UK.
- Have protection status.
- An EEA national who has permission to reside under Appendix EU.
You must demonstrate:
- You require long-term personal care to perform everyday tasks due to age, illness or disability.
- That care is not available or affordable in your country of residence.
- Your sponsor can maintain, accommodate, and care for you without claiming public funds.
Fees
Applications for a family visa can be costly and will differ depending on who you are joining and from where you are applying.
Most family visas attract an:
- Application fee; and
- Immigration Health Surcharge fee.
If you want a quicker decision on your application, you can pay extra for your application to be expedited.