Sponsor Licence Lawyers
All organisations that wish to recruit migrant workers need to hold a Sponsor Licence. Herrington Carmichael has a specialist Immigration team working with individuals and businesses.
All organisations wishing to recruit migrant workers will require a Sponsor Licence. In order to sponsor migrant workers, an organisation must obtain a Sponsor Licence. The Skilled Worker Licence was previously known as the Tier 2 (General) Licence.
Once an organisation’s Sponsor Licence has been granted by the Home Office, it can recruit migrant workers.
The process of applying for a Sponsor Licence can be challenging. The Home Office will undertake routine audits of the HR systems (for organisations employing migrants) and other systems used in your organisation and can revoke or downgrade your licence for non-compliance with your duties. Maintaining compliance with sponsor duties is critical. A failure to comply with your sponsor duties should not be overlooked, as it can have huge ramifications for your business and your migrants, whether they are employees or students.
Different types of sponsorship licences
There are two main types of licences – Worker Licence and Temporary Worker Licence. A ‘Temporary Worker’ licence will let you sponsor people on a temporary basis, including for volunteering and job-shadowing. A ‘Worker Licence’ will let you sponsor people in different types of skilled employment.
Sponsor Licence Application Service
Our immigration services are bespoke and tailored to your needs. Our immigration lawyers are ready to assist your company with preparing for your Sponsor Licence application. We will also ensure that the right systems are in place to comply with your ongoing sponsorship duties.
Our strong relationship with the UKV&I Sponsor Licensing Unit enables us to effectively manage the progress of your licence application. Our applications are normally considered within the processing timelines.
Key Contacts
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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your most pressing questions about our services and processes.
What is a Sponsor Licence?
A Sponsor Licence grants an organisation permission to sponsor migrant workers (including EEA nationals who have not registered under the EU settled status scheme).
What is the Sponsor Management System?
A sponsor management system (SMS) is an online tool where the Home Office provides access to an organisation after granting them a Sponsor Licence, so the business can do the following:
- Draft and assign the certificate of sponsors
- Report migrant activities
- Apply for a certificate of sponsor allocations
- Report changes to your licence
What are the requirements of a Sponsor Licence?
In order to qualify for a sponsor licence, the business must meet the following requirements:
- They do not have any unspent convictions for immigration offences or other offences such as fraud or money laundering
- They have not had a Sponsor Licence revoked by the Home Office in the previous twelve months
- They have an active trading presence in the UK
- They have appropriate HR systems in place to monitor sponsored employees
How long does it take to have a licence granted?
The current published processing times for considering Sponsor Licence applications are 8 – 10 weeks. However, please note that all processing times are provided as a guide and are not a definitive timeframe in which we can expect a decision. If the Home Office wish to carry out a pre-licence audit, this could delay the processing time.
There is a priority service for which an additional fee of £500; the application will be placed at the front of the queue, and a decision should be made within 10 working days. However, a very limited number of priority slots are allocated daily.
Which licence should I apply for?
That depends on what type of visa you need for future employees. You can view all work visas here.