If You Are A Business Owner In The UK And Wish To Employ Someone From Outside Of The UK (or An Individual In The UK Who May Require A Skilled Worker Visa) For A Particular Job Role You May Require A Sponsorship License. This Means That Your Business Will First Need Approval From The Home Office Before You Can Hire Any Selected Individual.

In Light Of The UK’s Recent Withdrawal From The European Union, Many Businesses That Have Relied On Flexible Movement And Working Rights For Individuals Coming From Europe Have Now Found They Require A Sponsorship License To Continue To Hire The Staff They Require. With This Being Said, Many Businesses Have Already Taken Steps To Acquire A Sponsorship License For Their Organisation In Order To Attract The Best And Brightest Talent From Europe And Also Around The Globe For Their Business Needs.

Obtaining A Sponsorship License Allows Your Organisation To Attract The Best Talent From Around The Globe. Whether You Have Already Identified The Individual(s) You Wish To Hire Or Generally Wish To Obtain The License In Order To Have Greater Candidates To Chosen From We Always Recommend Business The Obtain A Licence.

The Process Of Acquiring A License And Hiring Your Chosen Staff Member Can Be Broken Down Into Three Specific Stages As Follows: –

• Stage 1: Apply For A Sponsorship License For Your Business
• Stage 2: Assign COS To Chosen Individual(s)
• Stage 3: Apply For Skilled Worker Visa For The Chosen Individual(s)

Each Stage Outlined Above Is Dependent On A Successful Decision At The Prior Stage (i.e. A COS Cannot Be Applied For Until The Business Has Successful Received A Sponsorship License). If Your Business Is Successful, You Will Be Given A Licence Rating And Will Be Able To Issue Certificates Of Sponsorship (COS). Your License Will Be Valid For Up To 4 Years.

 

To Get A License, You Can’t Have:

• Unspent Criminal Convictions For Immigration Offences Or Certain Other Crimes, Such As Fraud Or Money Laundering And Any History Of Failing To Carry Out Your Sponsorship Duties.

Also

• You Will Need Appropriate Systems In Place To Monitor Sponsored Employees.
• You Will Be Required To Appoint People Within Your Business To Manage The Sponsorship Process When You Apply For A License

The Fee For Applying Will Depend On The Size Of Your Business. For Small Businesses, The Fee Is Currently £536. For Medium To Large Businesses, The Fee Is Currently £1,476.

You’re Usually A Small Business If:

• Your Annual Turnover Is £10.2 Million Or Less
• You Have 50 Employees Or Fewer