If you are trying to relocate to the UK, you need a sponsor licence from your employer. It is valid for all people rooting for employment opportunities in the UK and includes nationals who have moved to the country after 31 December 2020. It is valid for people belonging to countries like Iceland, Norway, EU, amongst others like Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
When you have an opportunity to apply for the sponsor license, you should have basic knowledge about some things. One of them is that you should know the longevity of the license that your employer will help you with. It is an insight that is crucial for recruitment planning, especially when employers look for overseas candidates.
However, you should ensure no delays in the application process to obtain the license if you ensure that the application process is complete and correct. Then, there are fewer chances of delay. If there are any delays, it might create risks of losing the opportunity. In such cases, you can think of moving forward with different employers.
All these points make it vital to ensure that the process is duly-take care of and paid attention to. The supporting documents should be in place, so there are no professional problems.
However, the sponsor licence is not needed for certain individuals and groups like the following:
- Citizens that belong to Irish origin.
- If an employee settles in the UK or enjoys the pre-settled status as a part of the settlement scheme offered by the EU.
- All the employees who have an indefinite leave for remaining in the country.
Time For The UK Sponsorship License
The application for the sponsor licence takes 8 weeks to process based on the standard services. Employers who want to work and hire employees from overseas often suggest applying for a licence. In this case, the processing stage might take 2-3 months. During this period, there can be changes in the processing status, and you should cater to the requirements if there are any issues, as they can impact this period.
The UK Visas and Immigration process these licences. It is a Home Office division that shoulders the responsibility of administering the country’s visa system. Currently, there is a suggested delay in the visas. The priority belongs to the emergency applications under the Ukraine scheme. However, the on-field trends suggest that there is no huge delay or something that you need to worry about.
The visa department ensures a fast-track process to help you with crucial information and details. The department is over-subscribed as it can cater to small applications during the working days.
Additionally, the department helps you gain information regarding the application’s processing status and caters to other factors.
Some other factors that can influence the application process are as follows:
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Degree Of Complexity
The first factor that can influence the application process is the size of the organization and the degree of complexity that the structure possesses. If these factors are on a higher note, it will result in an uplifted need for the documentation process. The application process is incomplete without the documentation. Also, the process will not take much time if everything is in the right place. Also, it would help if you read the guidelines to know whether there is any format or information that the visa department has demanded.
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Submission Quality Standards And Requirements
Another factor to consider is the quality of the application that you are planning to submit for the licenced program. You need to cater to the quality standards and also ensure that you are following the application requirements that have been specified. Taking precautionary steps, in the beginning can help at the later stages to avoid the issues that can delay the process.
The visa department should be furnished with the necessary information so that they can decide the process better.
Visits Related To The Compliance For Pre-Licencing
Overall, the process is simple, but the time can be expanded if the officials from the visa office from the home country, that is, the UK, decide to visit your premises. They visit the premises before the process begins or decide to allow or reject the licence application.
Now, you might be thinking about the importance of such visits. It is essential to inspect the immigration compliance of your organization.
Hence, before you plan to get the licence, you should ensure the following steps for a smooth process. They are as follows:
- You should ensure that you are seeing the eligibility of your firm or organization to apply for the UK sponsorship licence.
- It would help if you kept checking the job suitability for the same.
- You should choose the licence for which you are applying for the sponsorship licence. It depends on the kind of worker you want to hire or sponsor.
- It would help if you made decisions regarding managing sponsorship terms and conditions within the functional limits of your business.
- Please don’t delay in making the fee payments and online application status. Otherwise, the process can be delayed, and in the worst circumstances, it can be rejected.
To check these points, too, the visa department officials can visit your office.
Post Application Detailing
If everything works in your favour, you will get the licenced rating for your business. Once you get the rating, you can issue the sponsorship certificates to those who have applied and been selected for the employment program.
In all, the licence can be used for issuing certificates for 4 years.
Now, what can you do after the period is over?
It would be best if you renewed it. However, you should ensure that you fulfil all sponsor responsibilities. Otherwise, the licence can get cancelled.
Conclusion
When you get the sponsorship licence, you can plan future recruitment needs and take on investment schemes. With the licence in hand, you stand a better chance of opting for a full-proof process that helps find potential candidates and build applications. You should do the needful authentically so that the process is quick and seamless.
