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It is important you are aware of the Sponsor Licence requirements and responsibilities that come with them if your business holds one.
The UK Home Office carefully considers each of the businesses they grant a Sponsor Licence to. If you have already been granted one, you will be aware of the criteria to acquire one.Â
The Government has more information about Sponsor Licence requirements on their website.
The strict rules and regulations do not just apply to those applying for a Sponsor Licence, but also to the businesses that are granted them. It is important you follow the rules completely, as failure to do so can result in penalties.Â
One of the most important things to remember is that a Sponsor Licence requires regular management. Though they probably will not take daily work, they cannot be left alone. The Home Office requires your business to have an up to date and workable way of monitoring, reporting, and keeping records.Â
Record keeping as part of Sponsor Licence requirements
Sponsorship duties, unsurprisingly, involve maintaining consistent records.Â
As a Sponsor Licence holder, you need to make sure that you keep hold of all the relevant records. It is recommended that you keep these records until an officer has assessed them, or for a year after such an assessment has taken place.Â
The documents you need to keep copies of include but are not limited to:
- Pages of the sponsored worker’s passport
- The worker’s biometric residence permit
- The worker’s National Insurance number
- A record of the worker’s absences
- The worker’s contract of employment.
You should also keep evidence to show that the worker’s job fits the necessary skill level.
Monitoring as part of Sponsor Licence requirements
The Home Office also requires you to monitor the worker(s)Â that you have granted a Sponsor Licence to. You are required to report any of the following to the Home Office using the SMS portal:
- The worker fails to turn up to work on their first day
- The worker’s contract is terminated early
- The worker is absent from work for 10 or more days, without permission
- There are changes in the worker’s contract of employment.
You should also report any suspicious activity along with any evidence of possible wrongdoing.Â
Reporting as a Sponsor Licence requirement
Part of your Sponsor Licence requirements also includes reporting any changes within your business.Â
Changes you would need to report include:
- A change of company address
- The closing of your UK branchÂ
- Significant changes to your staff
It is important to report these changes, as they could affect your ability to continue your sponsorship of foreign workers, or your ability to keep up with your responsibilities.Â
How we can help you
Our team can help you with your application for a Sponsor Licence, as well as renewals, and challenging downgrades of your licence.
You can contact us by email or phone, or you can book a free 10-minute assessment. This allows our team to see if they can help you or not. After this, you can book a longer paid consultation if they find that they are able to help. You will be able to choose from a 30-minute consultation, or an hour long one.
Whichever team member takes on your case will be happy to help you and answer any questions you have once your case is live.Â
Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you with Sponsor Licences.
Ready for assistance?
If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.
