Sponsor’s Licence
With the exception of Tier 1, all migrants must be “sponsored” by a UK employer before they can apply to work in the UK. Any UK employer wishing to sponsor a migrant worker must first obtain a Sponsor’s Licence from UKVI, before they can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to sponsor a migrant worker.
To obtain a Sponsor’s Licence, the employer must meet certain ‘eligibility and suitability criteria’, by demonstrating to UKVI that it can be relied upon to apply UK immigration law properly, keep appropriate records and maintain contact with their migrant workers.
A Sponsor’s Licence is for 4 years and may be revoked or restricted if UKVI believe the employer poses a risk to immigration control. Officials will often visit a company to discuss obtaining a Sponsor’s Licence and inspect their HR systems, which must be maintained. Visits can be conducted without notice. The types of inspection include:
- A ‘pre-licence’ inspection to ensure that the criteria for a sponsor licence are met;
- A ‘post-licence’ inspection to check that the compliance with the criteria is being maintained; and
- An ‘enforcement’ visit to check compliance with legal provisions on illegal working and impose penalties if necessary.
Find more information about Becoming a Licenced Sponsor here.
If you would like any assistance in the Sponsor Licence process, please contact our Business Immigration Specialists Louis Howlett and Laurence Dunn:
Louis: 01962 670713 Laurence: 01962 714873
