Generally, you’ll need a sponsor license to hire someone from outside the UK to work for you. This includes EU, Liechtensteiner, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swiss nationals who come to the UK after 31 December 2020. This includes volunteer labor, such as managing a nonprofit.
You will not require a license to support some organizations, such as:
- Irish nationals
- People who have settled or are in the process of settling under the EU Settlement Scheme
- People who have been granted indefinite leave to reside in the United Kingdom
Sponsoring someone does not guarantee they will obtain a visa to work in the United Kingdom.
How to obtain a sponsor license
- Ascertain that your firm is eligible.
- Determine whether your job is eligible for sponsorship.
- Select the type of license you wish to apply for based on the type of employee you wish to sponsor.
- Determine who will be responsible for sponsorship management inside your firm.
- Apply online and submit the required fee.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may conduct an inspection of your firm to determine its suitability.
After applying
If your application is approved, you will receive a license rating. If you have sponsorship-eligible jobs, you will be allowed to issue sponsorship certificates. Your license will be valid for a period of four years. You risk losing your license if you do not adhere to your sponsoring responsibilities.
Eligibility
To obtain a license as an employer, you cannot possess the following:
- In the last 12 months, a sponsor license was canceled
- Unspent criminal convictions for immigration offenses or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering.
You’ll need to implement proper methods to monitor sponsored employees and individuals in order to manage sponsorship effectively in your firm.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will conduct an examination of your application form and supporting papers. They may pay a visit to your place of business to ensure that you are trustworthy and capable of carrying out your responsibilities.
Suitability for the job
You can sponsor a worker if the job they’re applying for pays a living wage and requires a certain degree of competence, or if the employment fits the other criteria for their visa.
Learn more about job suitability, if you’re sponsoring:
- A competent worker.
- a person who works in health or care
- An employee who works exclusively for the corporation.
- A government-authorized exchange employee.
- A seasonal employee.
- A worker with an international sports visa
- A member of a team tasked with enforcing an international agreement.
- A resourceful worker.
- A volunteer
- A religious minister or clergyman
Additional requirements for artists and designers
Among the creative jobs performed by someone with a Creative Worker visa are the following:
- Ballet and other dancers
- Film and television actors
- Theatre and opera performers
- Models
To be considered for creative positions, you must ensure that either:
- You adhere to the creative workers’ code of conduct (if it exists for that occupation)
- The occupation is on the list of scarce occupations
If the job is not on the shortage occupation list and there is no rule of practice, you must ensure that it cannot be performed by an unsponsored worker. If you are sponsoring a creative worker under the age of 16, you may be required to obtain a child performance license if the worker participates in any of the following:
- Films, plays, concerts, or other public performances that are ticketed or take place in licensed venues
- Paid modeling assignments
You must ensure that the individual organizing the event submits an application at least 21 days before the event.
Additional requirements for international athletes with visas
You must get an endorsement letter from the relevant governing organization for athletic jobs that will be performed by an International Sportsperson visa holder.
You may sponsor a foreign worker under the age of 18 on:
- A visa for international sportspeople—they must be 16 years or older.
- A visa for creative workers—there is no minimum age requirement.
- A visa for Government Authorized Exchange-there is no minimum age requirement.
On any other visa, you cannot sponsor a foreign worker under the age of 18.
Different types of licenses
The type of license you require is determined on whether the people you intend to hire are:
- ‘Employees’-for skilled or long-term work
- “Temporary employees” for temporary employment.
You may apply for a license that covers one or both of these categories of workers.
Worker license
A ‘Worker’ license enables you to sponsor individuals seeking various forms of skilled work. Depending on the worker’s visa, the skilled labor can be temporary, long-term, or permanent.
The license is divided into the following categories:
- Skilled Worker-the position must meet the requirements for work fitness.
- Intra-company visas – including Intra-company Transfer and Intra-company Graduate Trainee – are available to multinational corporations that require the transfer of established personnel or graduate trainees to the United Kingdom.
- For individuals seeking employment with a religious organization.
- International Sportsperson-for elite athletes and coaches residing in the United Kingdom
Temporary Workers
A ‘Temporary Worker’ license enables you to sponsor individuals on a temporary basis, for example, for voluntary work or job shadowing. A Temporary Worker license is only available for specified types of jobs and visas.
The license is divided into the following categories:
- Worker in the creative Industry-such as an entertainer or artist (up to 2 years).
- Volunteer-for unpaid volunteers at a charity (up to 1 year).
- Religious worker-those who work in a religious order or organization for 2 years.
- Government-authorized exchanges-work experience (1 year), research projects, or training, such as practical medical or scientific training (2 years), to facilitate a brief exchange of knowledge.
- International agreement-when a person is brought in to perform work that is governed by international law, such as workers for foreign governments.
- Seasonal Worker-for individuals traveling to the United Kingdom for up to six months to perform farm work.
Roles in sponsorship management
When you apply for a license, you must choose somebody within your firm to manage the sponsorship process. They will mostly utilize the sponsorship management system (SMS).
The positions are:
- Authorizing officer-a senior and competent individual who is accountable for the acts of employees and representatives who utilize the SMS.
- Key contact – your primary point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
- Level 1 user – in charge of managing your license on a daily basis via SMS
These roles may be filled by the same individual or by various individuals.
Once you have obtained your license, you may additionally nominate an optional level 2 user. This is a level 2 SMS subscriber who has more limited access than a level 1 user. For example, they cannot revoke a sponsorship certificate.
Applying for license
You must apply for your license online. After completing the online application, you must provide the following:
- The application’s submission sheet
- Your supporting documentation
Affidavits and statutory declarations must be attested by a qualified, independent person, such as an attorney, Notary Public, Justice of the Peace, Commissioner for Oaths, or (in Scotland only) a Councilor.
How to send documents
You may scan or photograph your submission sheet and any accompanying documentation. Send them to the submission sheet’s email address. Ensure that your files are in PDF, JPEG, or PNG format and have descriptive titles of 25 or fewer characters.
If you are unable to scan and email the papers, contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) via the contact information provided on the submission sheet.
Fees for licenses
When you apply, you must pay a charge. The charge is determined by the type of license you are seeking and the nature of your organization.
|
Type of license |
Fee for small or charitable sponsors |
Fee for medium or large sponsors |
|
Worker |
£536 |
£1,476 |
|
Temporary Worker |
£536 |
£536 |
|
Worker and Temporary Worker |
£536 |
£ 1,476 |
|
Add a Worker license to an existing Temporary Worker license |
No fee |
£940 |
|
Add a Temporary Worker license to an existing Worker license |
No fee |
No fee |
What to look for when determining whether you are a small or charitable sponsor
Generally, if at least two of the following apply, you are a small sponsor:
- Your annual revenue is less than £10.2 million.
- Your total assets are less than £5.1 million.
- You employ fewer than 50 people.
You qualify as a charitable sponsor if you are one of the following:
- A registered charity in England or Wales
- Charity registered in Scotland.
- A registered charity in Northern Ireland-if you are not on the register, you must submit it to HM Revenue and Customs with confirmation of your charitable status for tax reasons (HMRC).
- An excluded charity, an exempt charity, a charitable ecclesiastical corporation
How long does it take for a decision to be made?
The majority of applications (8 out of 10) are processed in less than eight weeks. The UKVI may need to conduct an inspection of your firm. You may be able to spend £500 to receive a decision within ten working days by paying this fee. After you apply, you will be informed if you are eligible.
Applications are denied due to an error
You may apply for a review of your application if you believe it was denied for the following reasons:
- Your application was incorrectly processed by the caseworker.
- Your affidavits were disregarded.
You may not apply just to express your disagreement with the judgment.
