A sponsorship licence grants a UK employer permission to employ skilled foreign workers. This broadens the range of potential candidates available to hire, diversifying the workforce and bringing in new talent with different perspectives.
If you’re an employer struggling to recruit foreign workers fast enough and are waiting for your sponsorship licence, you must fast-track your application. Before this, you must ensure that your sponsorship licence application is accepted.
If your application is rejected, the process is even longer and severely delays employing skilled foreign workers.
Synergy Immigration Solutions are UK business immigration experts. We can support you through the sponsorship licencing process and help speed up the process, helping you recruit new, fresh talent to your business.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Sponsorship Licence?
The usual processing time for sponsorship licence applications is around 8 weeks. This can be a gruelling wait for employers eager to hire recruits. It can take even longer in more complex cases, which isn’t ideal for fast-paced businesses.
However, there is a way to speed up the process.
How Do I Apply for a Sponsorship Licence?
As a UK employer applying for a sponsorship licence, follow these steps:
- Make sure you qualify for a sponsorship licence and check your eligibility.
- Check if the foreign worker’s job is suitable for Sponsorship.
- Choose the type of licence you want to apply for.
- Decide who will manage Sponsorship within your business.
- Apply online and pay the fees.
As part of the process, you will be asked to send supporting documents for the sponsorship licence application. You will need to provide the following:
- Company accounts.
- Proof of VAT registration.
- A letter from your corporate banking provider setting out the dealings it has had with you, including the nature and duration of those dealings.
- Proof of inspections and outcomes for industries such as health care or agriculture.
- Business ownership and directorship proof.
- Evidence of trading locations.
- Proof that you are based in the UK.
- Proof that you are operating and trading lawfully in the UK.
- Certified translation of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
- Job titles and Occupation Codes for the roles you want to recruit foreign workers for.
Submitting false or insufficient documents could reject your application process, costing the company more money to re-apply after the cooling-off period.
What if My Application Is Refused Because Of a Mistake?
When an application for Sponsorship licencing is refused, the application fee will not be refunded. There will be a cooling-off period, which means the company cannot make another application until the period ends.
There are several reasons why an application could be rejected. It could be due to incorrect, insufficient or false documents being submitted. The company previously helped a sponsor licence revoked because of the failure to uphold the standards expected of a licenced employer.
It is essential to check communication from UKVI daily because they may request additional information and documentation. If this isn’t supplied within the given time frame, the application could be rejected.
The cooling-off period length differs from case to case and depends on the reasons for the refusal. If your application is rejected, it can push back the time it will take to increase your workforce, so it is vital that your application includes all documentation and that your company complies with the rules.
Unfortunately, if your application is refused, there is no right to appeal against the decision. Allow Synergy Immigration Solutions to support you during your application process to give you the best chance of acceptance.
Can I Fast Track My UK Sponsor Licence Application?
The good news is that there is a fast-tracking process for new sponsorship licence applications. This is often referred to as the pre-licence priority service. It comes at the cost of £500 as well as the standard licencing fees.
Using this route usually allows an employer to decide within 10 working days. However, you must apply for a sponsorship licence before being invited to use the priority service. And, if you’re invited, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will be accepted.
Synergy ImmigrationSolutions can help support your application and give you a better chance of being accepted for the pre-licence priority service so you can upscale your workforce faster.
How Does the Pre-licence Priority Service Work?
First, you will need to submit your application along with your supporting documents. If the UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) invite you to apply for the priority service with an accompanying document to complete and return via email.
If the UKVI accepts your priority request, you will receive confirmation via email informing you that you successfully fast-tracked your application, and the next steps will be given.
How Can I Ensure My Request for Pre-licence Priority Is Accepted?
You need to be aware of various factors when submitting your request. Our experts at Synergy Immigration understand these factors and can help support your request to increase the chances of acceptance.
A reason out of your control is the number of requests that the UKVI only accepts 10 per day. If you send your application after 10 have already been accepted that day, then yours will certainly be refused. A helpful tip is to send your application early on the day; the earlier, the better, to increase the likelihood that others haven’t already been accepted.
Another reason for rejection will be if the payment for this service is received after the allocated time. You have 72 hours after receiving the second email to pay the pre-licence priority service fee.
A third reason why your application may not be accepted is that the request emails need to be received within the working hours of 9 am-5 pm. It could be rejected if the request is submitted via email outside of these hours.
In addition, your request may also be declined if your application does not meet the eligibility of the service.
What Do I Need to Know About Using the Pre-licence Priority Service?
Even though UKVI aim to process all sponsorship licence application within 10 days, this isn’t guaranteed. When a case is complex or has missing information, it can take longer, and the 10 working days only start from when payment is made.
When you apply for sponsorship licencing, you must include everything requested to speed up the process and ensure that you pay the pre-licence priority service fee as soon as possible to avoid unnecessary delays.
What Happens If I Am Granted a Sponsorship Licence?
If successful, you will be given a licence rating, and you will be able to issue licence certificates to potential foreign workers so they can apply for a visa to work in the UK.
Your sponsorship licence will be valid for 4 years unless you do not meet the responsibilities of a sponsor and your licence is downgraded or revoked early.
How Can Synergy Immigration Solutions Help with Sponsorship Licencing?
The process involved in applying for a licence can be challenging and overwhelming. We can help with the application process and ensure you have included all relevant documents and information. We will also supply a letter of representation explaining how your business meets all the requirements.
We understand that the sponsorship licence application can be long and stressful. We aim to make that process more accessible, more successful and faster. Delays and rejection can cause severe disruptions to a business, so using one of our immigration experts, who are experienced in the process, can save you time and money later.
If Visiting Officers conduct routine audits of sponsors’ human resource system from the UKVI to ensure your business is adhering to the compliance duties associated with sponsoring migrant workers.
As part of our service, we will ensure that you remain compliant, and if you’re a new business, we will set up a structure to follow to get you started.
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