Shortage Occupation List 2025
The Shortage Occupation List has been replaced by the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The ISL specifies occupations where a reduced general salary threshold is available to Skilled Worker visa applicants. This article predates the removal of the Shortage Occupation List. Please refer to our guide to the ISL for up to date information about sponsoring […]
Sponsor Licence Suspension
If your organisation has received a sponsor licence suspension notice, you will need to act quickly to get your licence reinstated. If you don’t respond to the Home Office, your licence could be revoked. The Home Office has powers to suspend a sponsor licence where it alleges an organisation has failed to manage its licence […]
Sponsor Licence Suspended? (Act Now!)
If the Home Office considers your organisation has breached its immigration compliance duties, it may take the decision to suspend your sponsor licence. If you receive notification that your organisation’s sponsorship licence is being suspended, you will need to act quickly to resolve the issues if you want to retain your status as a licensed […]
Which Sponsor Licence Should You Apply For?
With a new UK points-based immigration system having been introduced in the wake of Brexit, all UK-based businesses now usually need a sponsor licence to recruit non-UK resident workers who don’t otherwise have the requisite immigration permission to work in the UK. There are different types of sponsor licences available, depending on the type of […]
Appendix D Sponsor Licence Records
One of the more common areas of immigration compliance risk among sponsor licence holders relates to record-keeping. Sponsor licence holders must retain the relevant documents as listed in Appendix D. Failure to comply with your sponsor duties, such as record-keeping, can lead to enforcement action, such as your sponsor licence being downgraded, suspended or even […]
Sponsor Management System: User Guide
As a licensed sponsor you are subject to a number of strict duties to ensure compliance with the UK Immigration Rules and to prevent illegal working. These duties include monitoring and reporting certain activities about sponsored workers and assigning certificates of sponsorship (CoS) to sponsored visa workers. The Sponsor Management System (SMS) is the Home Office’s […]
How to Sponsor a Global Business Mobility Visa Worker
The Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes are designed for businesses who need to temporarily deploy individuals to the UK for a work assignment with a linked UK business that cannot be done by a settled worker. In this guide, we examine the rules and requirements that must be met to sponsor a GBM worker, together […]
SOC Codes for Skilled Worker Eligible Occupations
Matching the role you are recruiting for with the relevant occupation code, or SOC code, is a crucial step when hiring a new sponsored worker under the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility or Scale Up routes. It will be important for the sponsor to allocate the correct occupation code to avoid issues with the Home […]
Recruiting Social Care Workers from Overseas
Under current rules, UK care providers are permitted to sponsor care workers from overseas under the Health & Care Worker visa. In this guide for employers we explain the current rules on hiring care workers from abroad and what you need to do to be able to recruit internationally. In a further boost to support […]
PBS Licence (Employer FAQs)
If you are a UK employer looking to sponsor an overseas national to work for you in the UK, you will need to apply for a sponsor licence under the UK’s points-based system (PBS). The ability to sponsor overseas workers can bring significant benefits to businesses, enabling organisations to access the pool of global talent […]