In the past few years, UK employers have gone through significant skills shortages, especially in the global market arena. That is why hiring from other countries has become crucial to meet expertise and workforce requirements. But if you have plans and requirements for international employees, then you must go through the UK immigration route, and the first step will be acquiring a skilled worker visa. It tremendously allows employers access to the world talent market and also provides certain strict eligibility requirements. As per the law, employers in the United Kingdom will need an authentic sponsor licence to hire skilled workers from the global market. To retrieve a skilled worker sponsor licence, you must follow some UK government rules and regulations. Let’s dig in and find out how one can apply for a skilled worker sponsor visa.
A Brief Description of Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
Before getting into the actual application process of a sponsor licence, you must know what it is and why it is vital to UK employers. So, before hiring any temporary or permanent skilled workers, UK-based employers are required to get the appropriate official sponsorship licence from UKVI ( United Kingdom Visas & Immigration). This is necessary for UK employers to be able to hire new workers, and they even can not extend a current work visa or transfer existing staff to the UK. Now you must have understood the importance of a skilled worker licence. Regardless of size or industry, this applies to all various sorts of employers or businesses. PLCs, charities, and organisations from the public sector are all included in this.
Follow These Steps to Apply for a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
Here we have mentioned some of the quintessential steps to apply for a worker sponsorship licence.
- First of all, you have to submit an application to the UKVI (Home office), and they will use the application process to verify the authenticity and eligibility of your business.
- Take your time, understand the application process thoroughly, and pile up all the significant evidence you will require to send with your application.
- While applying for this licence, you will have to prove to the UKVI that your organisation meets all their eligibility criteria, such as acquiring a legitimate organisation, genuine employment, and following honesty and integrity.
- One can submit an application for a licence online using the Sponsor Management System (SMS), which is accessible on the Home Office (UKVI) website.
- UK employers use the SMS to maintain their sponsor licence on an ongoing basis and to apply for their approval if one is granted.
- To begin with the application, you have to create an account on the SMS by utilising the email address of the essential contact.
- To log into the system, a user ID and password will be issued to you, and you must keep a record of your ID because you will not get it again if it is first given.
- Once you complete the form, you must save it after each page to avoid losing work. Apart from that, you also have to pay the fee and submit all the supporting documents to the UKVI through post maximum within five working days.
Required Documents for the Sponsor Licence Application
To check the authenticity of a UK employer UKVI asks for several essential documents. Employers must have the following documents if they want to hire skilled workers from around the world.
- A bank statement of the employer’s active accounts.
- A VAT certificate.
- A proof of your liability insurance.
- Authentic proof of premises.
Do consider that all the documents must reach UKVI within five working days. It should not take more than that unless your application may get rejected. You must know that UKVI sets out all the required information at Appendix A of the sponsor guidance. UKVI can take a further decision upon your application within three to eight weeks. Sometimes, it can take up to 16 weeks.
How A Y & J Solicitors can Help You with Skilled Worker Sponsor
Every individual skilled worker sponsor licence gets deeply examined by the home office (UKVI). Your application can only be accepted if it is determined that your organisation is legitimate or fulfilling the requirements of an international hiring process. Thus the application must be prepared carefully and adequately. In this regard, you can take help from expert solicitors. There is various law firm such as A Y & J Solicitors, which can help you with every necessary step of acquiring a skilled worker sponsor licence.
Conclusion
So, it is understandable that applying for a sponsor licence requires a focused attitude to avoid the chances of rejection. At this point, UK employers must get along with a team of sponsor licence solicitors. They can take care of all the rules and regulations and make your application eye-catching and appealing. In this regard, you can come along with sponsor licence solicitors, for the document processing and ensure a positive outcome from the UKVI.
