Skilled Worker Licence

Before your business can sponsor skilled overseas workers in the UK, they must have applied for and been granted a Sponsor Licence.

If your business has an active trading presence and can provide specified documents required by UK Visas & Immigration, and all your employees have the appropriate Right to Work checks in place we can support you in an application for a Sponsor Licence.

Additionally, we will review with you why you need the Licence and advise on your suitability for a Licence, based on the job type and level you are looking to recruit once you have been granted a Licence.

Examples of documents that can be submitted include:

• bank statements
• VAT certificate
• PAYE tax reference number
• employer’s liability insurance certificate
• evidence of premises such as a lease or freehold document
• annual accounts
• evidence of registration with local council to serve hot food (if applicable)
• Premises (alcohol) licence ( if applicable)
• evidence of registration with a regulatory body, if applicable – for example for Care Homes – Care Quality Commission registration

The UKVI may want to undertake a compliance review, either on line or in person at your business premises, in order to determine if the organisation can offer genuine vacancies to overseas workers and will be capable of carrying out its sponsor duties.

As part of a compliance visit, UKVI carries out a number of checks, including a detailed review of current Right To Work procedures and controls; a review of the organisation’s current practices, policies and HR procedures in order to ensure that it has suitable systems in place.

Following such a visit, UKVI will either grant the licence or if they have any concerns, the application can be refused.

How we can help?
We specialise in supporting applications for Sponsor Licences from all types of business, with emphasis on assessing the validity of the application, guidance on relevant company documentation, and reviewing/developing HR systems that meet the UKVI requirements and working with the applicant business to develop understanding and implementation of current guidance on preventing illegal working, record keeping, monitoring sponsored migrant activity and right to work checks