Sponsor Licences –
Application
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Quick Look
Sponsor Licences are valid for 4 years – it is possible to renew.
Most applications are processed in under eight weeks. UK Visas & Immigration may visit the premises of an applying business during this period.
There is a fast-track option for an additional fee; £500 to get a decision within 10 working days. The fast-track service is limited to a small number of applications, each working day.
The documents required by UK Visas & Immigration will depend on the kind of workers an applying company aims to employ.
A business that wishes to employ unskilled workers on a seasonal basis, will need to provide a different set of documents to those that wish to employ skilled workers on a long-term contract.
Documentation requested may include financial statements, tax records, insurance cover, and endorsements from related governing bodies.
Should a Sponsor Licence be refused by UK Visas & Immigration, there will be a six-month cooling-off period before a business is able to re-apply. This is triggered from the date of refusal – not the application date.
Should a company believe that a mistake has been made, it may be possible to apply for a pre-sponsor error correction.
Sponsor Licence - Application
Businesses can apply for a Sponsor Licence online.
Once an application has been completed, with all supporting documentation, UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) will carry out various checks, which may include a visit to an applicant’s premises.
Most applications are processed in under eight weeks, with a fast-track option for an additional fee; £500 to get a decision within 10 working days. The fast-track service is limited to a small number of applications, each working day.
Documentation
The documentation required by UKVI, when processing an application, will depend on how a sponsor intends to use their licence.
Here are just two examples, showing how varied requirements can be when applying for a Sponsor Licence.
Businesses intending to sponsor workers under a Seasonal Worker visa will be required to provide an endorsement from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), among other documentation.
Businesses that aim to sponsor individuals under a Secondment Worker visa need to provide evidence that they have been awarded a services contract through open tendering, among other documentation.
- Other required documentation might include:
- Notarised affidavits or statements
- Audited accounts and annual reports
- Proof of funds
- Certified agreements/contracts
- Lease agreements or proof or purchase of land or property
- Planning permission
- Insurance cover
- Endorsement from a related governing body.
The Genuineness Test
- The Genuineness Test has three tenets. An applying business must prove that they:
- are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK
- have a genuine vacancy
- can offer genuine employment.
Essentially, businesses must assure UKVI that their intentions in hiring foreign workers are completely above-board.
Refused Applications
Should a Sponsor Licence be refused by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI), there is a six-month cooling-off period before the business will be able to re-apply. This is triggered from the date of refusal – not the application date.
Should a company believe that a mistake has been made, it may be possible to apply for a pre-sponsor error correction.
- Common reasons for refusal include:
- The applying business does not have appropriate systems in place to manage a Sponsor Licence properly
- The business does not respond to UKVI in a timely manner
- Failure to pass the ‘genuineness test’
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