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Sponsorship Licence

If your organisation intends to hire non-UK resident workers, a valid sponsorship licence is required. Our experts specialise in sponsor licence applications and compliance, ensuring a smooth and successful process.

To employ non-UK resident workers, UK employers must obtain a sponsorship licence from the Home Office. This licence is essential for hiring under various work routes, including the Skilled Worker visa, Scale-up visa, and Global Business Mobility routes. Without a valid sponsorship licence, organisations cannot sponsor migrant workers.

Types of Sponsorship Licences

Sponsorship licences are categorized into two main types:

  1. Worker Sponsor Licence: This licence permits the recruitment of overseas nationals for skilled employment in the UK, whether short-term, long-term, or permanent, depending on the specific immigration route. Sub-categories under this licence include:

    1. Skilled Worker route
    2. Senior or Specialist Worker route
    3. Minister of Religion route
    4. International Sportsperson route

  2. Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence: This licence is designed for specific types of temporary employment. Sub-categories include:

    1. Scale-up Worker route
    2. Creative Worker route
    3. Charity Worker route
    4. Religious Worker route
    5. Government Authorised Exchange route
    6. International Agreement route
    7. Seasonal Worker route

  3. Additionally, certain routes under the Global Business Mobility umbrella are classified as ‘Temporary Worker’ routes, such as:

    1. Graduate Trainee
    2. Service Supplier
    3. UK Expansion Worker
    4. Secondment Worker

Compliance and Responsibilities

Holding a sponsorship licence entails significant responsibilities. Employers must be fully aware of their immigration duties and have robust processes and systems in place to meet these requirements and maintain records as evidence of compliance. The Home Office can investigate licence holders at any time. If compliance breaches are found, the Home Office has the authority to downgrade, suspend, or revoke sponsorship licences, which can severely impact an organisation’s ability to hire skilled migrant workers and affect the sponsored workers’ permission to stay and work in the UK.

How Guidance Plus NI Can Assist

Guidance Plus NI’s business immigration specialists offer comprehensive support for organisations at any stage of the sponsorship licence lifecycle. Whether you’re applying for your first licence, renewing an existing one, addressing a refused application, or seeking ongoing compliance management, we can help. Our services include:

  • Assisting with initial considerations to determine the most appropriate type of sponsorship application and suitable key personnel.
  • Drafting your online sponsor licence application.
  • Helping you collate the necessary supporting documentation.
  • Auditing your HR and recruitment systems and procedures in preparation for a UKVI visit.
  • Training staff on their compliance duties and responsibilities.
  • Advising on the UKVI 'genuineness' test and assessing whether a prospective employee satisfies the points criteria before issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship.
  • Guidance on sponsorship-related fees, both for the application and ongoing.
  • Advice on assigning Certificates of Sponsorship to skilled visa workers.
  • Advising on alternatives if you decide not to make a sponsor licence application.
  • Licence renewal applications.
  • Dealing with sponsor licence suspensions and revocations.

Our dedicated seamlessly work with your in-house HR team or manage the entire licence application and compliance process on your behalf.

For expert advice on sponsorship licences, contact Guidance Plus NI Sponsor License Team.

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