Shortage Occupation List 2023
The UK’s Shortage Occupation List can be a source of much confusion for employers sponsoring visa workers, particularly when hiring under a sponsorship licence for the first time or recruiting for a different type of role. It is important however for employers, HR professionals and anyone involved in your organisation’s international recruitment to understand the […]
SMS Level 1 User Guide
SMS Level 1 Users are responsible for the day-to-day administration of an organisation’s sponsorship licence using the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). Failure to carry out these duties correctly can result in enforcement action against the sponsor licence holder. This makes it critical to ensure all level 1 users understand their responsibilities and are trained to […]
Immigration Fee Clawback: Employers’ Rights
UK immigration fees are substantial. If your organisation employs or sponsors migrant workers, you may offer to fund certain immigration, visa or sponsorship fees on behalf of the worker as part of the pre-employment negotiations. If you do take on immigration costs for a worker, what are your rights if the worker leaves your organisation, […]
Sponsor Licence Number FAQs
For UK-based organisations looking to sponsor migrant workers, they will first need to be allocated a unique sponsor licence number before being able to assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to prospective new recruits. Equally, for migrant workers looking to work in sponsored job roles in the UK, they will first need to be assigned a […]
Appendix A Sponsor Licence Documents
When applying for a sponsor licence, you will need to evidence to the Home Office that your organisation meets the eligibility requirements by providing certain supporting documents. Appendix A of the Sponsor Guidance sets out what these documents are. Failure to submit the correct documents can result in your application being rejected – which is […]
Sponsor Licence Change of Circumstances
Among the compliance duties that sponsor licence holders have to meet is the requirement to inform the Home Office of certain changes in circumstances relating to sponsored workers and to the organisation itself. Failure to the meet this duty can result in enforcement action, potentially impacting your permission to sponsor overseas workers. The following guide […]
Increase in Fees to Assign Certificates of Sponsorship
Among the latest increases in Home Office fees announced last week, the cost of assigning Certificates of Sponsorship will rise from 4 October 2023. The change impacts sponsor licence holders assigning all types of CoS to sponsored workers. Most notably, the cost of a Certificate of Sponsorship for a Skilled Worker is rising to £239 from […]
Sponsor Licence Downgraded?
Sponsor licence holders are legally required to meet certain compliance duties. Where there has been a failure to discharge those duties, the Home Office can take enforcement action against the organisation, including downgrading the sponsor licence from an A to B rating. In this guide, we explain what a sponsor licence downgrade means, the steps to […]
Can Recruitment Agencies Sponsor Workers for Clients?
UK visa sponsorship rules are notoriously complex and strict. If you are considering your options to sponsor workers in the UK, you will need to ensure that your organisation is eligible. To sponsor migrant workers in the UK, organisations need to hold an appropriate sponsor licence. This requires the organisation to be approved by UK Visas […]
A-Rating Sponsor Licence Guidance
In this guide, we look at UKVI’s sponsor licence rating system, including what it means for an organisation to have an A-rated sponsor licence. We also look at the consequences of being downgraded to a B-rating and how to reinstate an A-rating. What is an A-rated sponsor licence? For routes other than UK Expansion […]