Licensed Sponsor Companies in UK
You’ll usually need a visa sponsorship license to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK. This includes citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020.
- Irish citizens
- those with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- those with indefinite leave to remain in the UK
Eligibility
To get a licence as an employer, you cannot have:
- unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering
- had a sponsor licence revoked in the last 12 months
You’ll need appropriate systems in place to monitor sponsored employees and people to manage sponsorship in your business. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will review your application form and supporting documents. They may visit your business to make sure you’re trustworthy and capable of carrying out your duties.
Job suitability
You can sponsor a worker if the job they’re going to do has a suitable rate of pay and skill level, or meets the other criteria needed for their visa. Read more about VISA sponsorship job in UK, if you’re sponsoring:
- a skilled worker
- a health or care worker
- a worker on any type of ‘Global Business Mobility’ visa (senior or specialist worker, graduate trainee, secondment worker, UK expansion worker or service supplier)
- a scale-up worker
- a worker on a government-authorised exchange
- a seasonal worker
- a worker on an International Sportsperson visa
- a worker on an international agreement
- a creative worker
- a charity worker
- a minister of religion or religious worker
Types of licence
The licence you need depends on whether the workers you want to fill your jobs are:
- ‘Workers’ – for skilled or long-term employment
- ‘Temporary workers’ – for specific types of temporary employment
Worker licence
The registered licensed sponsor in UK is split into
- Skilled Worker – the role must meet the job suitability requirements
- Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) – for multinational companies which need to transfer established employees to the UK, previously the Intra-company Transfer visa
- Minister of Religion – for people coming to work for a religious organisation
- International Sportsperson – for elite sportspeople and coaches who will be based in the UK
Temporary Worker licence
The UK VISA sponsorship for employers’ is split into:
- Scale-up Worker – for people coming to work for a fast-growing UK business
- Creative Worker – to work in the creative industry, for example as an entertainer or artist (up to 2 years)
- Charity Worker – for unpaid workers at a charity (up to 1 year)
- Religious Worker – for those working in a religious order or organisation (2 years)
- Government Authorised Exchange – work experience (1 year), research projects or training, for example, practical medical or scientific training (2 years) to enable a short-term exchange of knowledge
- International Agreement – where the worker is coming to do a job which is covered by international law, for example, employees of overseas governments
- Graduate Trainee (Global Business Mobility) – for workers transferring to their employer’s UK branch as part of a graduate training programme
- Service Supplier (Global Business Mobility) – for workers with a contract to provide services for a UK company (6 or 12 months)
- UK Expansion Worker (Global Business Mobility) – for workers sent to the UK to set up a new branch or subsidiary of an overseas business
- Secondment Worker (Global Business Mobility) – for workers transferring from overseas to work for a different UK business as part of a high-value contract
- Seasonal Worker – allows people to come to the UK and work in horticulture (for example, picking fruit and vegetables) for up to 6 months, or poultry from 18 October to 31 December each year
Sponsorship management roles
You need to appoint people within your business to manage the sponsorship process when you apply for a sponsor licence.
- authorising officer – a senior and competent person responsible for the actions of staff and representatives who use the SMS
- key contact – your main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) level 1 user – responsible for all day-to-day management of your licence using the SMS
Suitability checks
- an unspent criminal conviction for an offence listed in the guidance for sponsors
- been fined by UKVI in the past 12 months
- been reported to UKVI
- broken the law
- been a ‘key person’ at a sponsor that had its licence revoked in the last 12 months
- failed to pay VAT or other excise duty
You and your allocated staff must also:
- be based in the UK most of the time
- not be a contractor or consultant contracted for a specific project
- not be subject to a bankruptcy restriction order or undertaking, or a debt relief restriction order or undertaking
- not have a history of non-compliance with sponsor requirements
HR contractors and agency staff
You can have additional level 1 or level 2 users who are employed by third-party organisations that provide you with HR services.
A temporary member of staff supplied by an agency can be a level 2 user.
UK-based legal representatives
You can allocate any of the roles to a UK-based legal representative, apart from the authorising officer role. Your representative must be qualified to give immigration advice or services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Immigration Services Provider helps licensed sponsor companies in the UK access a global talent pool to meet their workforce needs effectively.
Yes, with guidance from Immigration Services Provider, small businesses can become licensed sponsor companies if they fulfill the Home Office’s criteria.
Immigration Services Provider outlines licenses for Skilled Worker, Temporary Worker, and other categories suitable for licensed sponsor companies in the UK.
Immigration Services Provider ensures compliance by assisting licensed sponsor companies in the UK with reporting duties and record maintenance.
Immigration Services Provider helps licensed sponsor companies in the UK fulfill obligations by notifying the Home Office within 10 days.
No, but Immigration Services Provider assists companies in applying for a new license after ownership changes.
Immigration Services Provider streamlines the process for companies seeking to become licensed sponsor companies in the UK by offering expert advice and document preparation.
Immigration Services Provider ensures licensed sponsor companies adhere to Home Office guidelines, including reporting changes and maintaining accurate records.
Immigration Services Provider supports licensed sponsor companies with preparation, ensuring all processes align with regulatory standards.
Immigration Services Provider estimates that licensed sponsor companies in the UK typically receive their license within 8 weeks of application, barring delays.
