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Whether you represent a business employing migrant workers, or an educational institution looking for assistance with sponsoring overseas students, the solicitors at Latitude Law will be happy to guide you through the requirements of the PBS sponsorship scheme.
Sponsor licences are available for new hires, intra-company transfers and certain temporary visa routes.
The process of sponsoring an overseas worker has become increasingly complex and restrictive; penalties for non-compliance, or failure to maintain proper records, are significant. Those who are seeking to renew an old Tier 2 sponsor licence will need to take account of changes to the system, and should consult expert advice. To speak to a lawyer about applying for a sponsor licence, call us today on 0044 161 234 6800 or complete our enquiry form and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
A sponsor licence is the authority you need from UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor non-UK/Irish staff or students in the UK. A sponsor licence lasts four years (unless withdrawn by the Home Office) and must be renewed before expiry if you wish to continue to sponsor overseas staff.
For a UK business or educational institution to be considered for a sponsor licence, you must be able to prove the following:
Before applying for a sponsor licence, our solicitors can take a look at your organisation’s policies, practices and documents to ensure they are in line with regulations. We can also advise on the best action to take should changes need to be made. We offer mock audits to firms wishing to test their HR systems, which can help you to determine whether you are well-placed to apply for a sponsor licence.
If you wish to employ a worker who is not an UK/Irish citizen, you must first apply for a sponsor licence. Once issued with the licence, you will be able to facilitate the entry of your employees, or support students’ visa applications.
This will allow them to live and work legally in the UK. There are multiple options for organisations and education institutions, which include:
A Sponsor Licence is required if your educational institution wants to enrol students who are non-British or Irish. In order to be able to facilitate their visa application, the establishment must offer courses of study to full-time students in the UK.
As a Student and/or Child Student sponsor, you are responsible for:
Educational establishments which fail to comply with their duties will be investigated by the UKVI who depending on the nature of the breach may take compliance action.
Once you have been deemed eligible for a sponsor licence, we will assist you through the stages of future visa applications, ensuring you comply with the Home Office’s requirements every step of the way. The process includes:
Our expert solicitors will be with you at every step of the visa application process and can provide advice on renewing a sponsor licence.
Once you have obtained a sponsor licence, you have a number of duties that you must adhere to. This includes informing UKVI if:
We can provide advice and guidance on how to carry out your duties so you can obtain and maintain a sponsor licence.
If you are found to be employing a migrant worker without a sponsorship license, you could face severe penalties, as well as irreparable damage to your reputation. Punishments include:
If you are given a penalty notice, our specialist solicitors have expertise in the legal framework governing civil penalties and the measures you must employ in order to avoid them. We can advise on the merits of appealing and represent your interests in seeking to have the penalty reduced or cancelled.
Latitude Law is dedicated to helping employers and individuals understand and fulfill their legal obligations. Our award-winning immigration solicitors have been recognised by the Legal 500, Whos Who Legal and Chambers & Partners for our integrity and success when dealing with difficult cases.
When you call us, we will consult your situation and determine the best course of action. Our expert advice has helped many organisations and their people attain visas, and your business will benefit from our expertise and our thorough approach to this process.
Don’t take any chances when applying for a visa or sponsorship licence; the future of your business or your employees may be at risk if you neglect proper practice or fail to meet every legal requirement. Call Latitude now on 0044 161 234 6800 (Manchester) or 0044 207 046 7185 (London) and our expert immigration solicitors will help you break down the application process for your sponsor licence.
The UK’s post-Brexit labour market is facing significant pressures. Staff shortages across many sectors means that businesses are looking internationally to recruit the talent they need to thrive and grow. In 2020 rule changes took away the need for formal resident labour market testing, and removed the cap on sponsored skilled workers allowed to enter the UK.
While 2021 was quiet for immigration law changes, 2022 will see to many adjustments, especially to business-related law. New visa categories will be introduced, and already existing visas and rules will continue to be condensed and changed, such as a new mobility route for global businesses.
A new High Potential Individual visa will provide workers with flexibility to change jobs or employers, and will aim to simplify the immigration process for qualifying applicants. This aligns with the Scale-Up category, which aims to make immigration easier for those with viable business ideas.
While these factors look promising on the surface, they provide more options for potential immigrants to navigate and understand, further increasing the complexity of the system. Also, they raise questions about how they might affect the standard working visas, and whether further development in these areas will be neglected.
The sponsor licence application fees vary depending on the type of workers you are planning to hire, the length of time they will be employed for, and the size of your business.
If you are applying:
For any questions about these bands, or what your company qualifies as, please call 0044 161 234 6800 for our Manchester office, or 0044 207 046 7185 for our London office
Sponsor licences are, since 2024, issued with 10 years’ validity. If you hold a sponsorship licence you can check your expiry date and earliest renewal date in your sponsor management system (SMS) account. Usually, the earliest renewal date is 3 months before the expiry date, but sometimes the Home Office can invite a sponsor to apply earlier. You will need to ensure all the information in your SMS account is accurate before applying to renew the sponsor licence and paying the application fee.
If you have made genuine errors in your application, such as missing a document, the Home Office will usually refund the application fee and you’ll need to resubmit an application once you’ve corrected any errors.
On the other hand, if any of the following is applicable you will need to wait at least 6 months before you can re-apply and you won’t receive a refund for your application fee:
There are many reasons a sponsor licence can be revoked, therefore it is recommended that you seek expert legal advice as soon as you receive a revocation letter from the Home Office. Depending on the severity of the case, a solicitor may be able to start building a case to appeal the decision.
In order to prevent your licence certificate being revoked, it is advised that you always adhere to your sponsorship duties. This includes:
Are you hoping to work in the UK? Have you been offered a job role and seek permission to work here? Our immigration lawyers are experts in the operation of UK and European legislation that affects foreign workers.
If you need help securing a visa through the entrepreneur route, the immigration solicitors at Latitude Law are here to help. We can help you through the application process and provide legal advice and guidance on complex matters, such as appeals.
Are you hoping to work in the UK? Have you been offered a job role and seek permission to work here? Our immigration lawyers are experts in the operation of UK and European legislation that affects foreign workers.
Latitude Law is the best immigration law firm that I have ever come across. The quality of service & professionalism from Katerina, Alexandra, Natasha & Anna is out of this world. They invested time to make sure the application was successful & I received the decision exceptionally quickly. I can't thank them enough. If you are looking for an immigration firm to deal with your visa, Latitude Law is the best ever. Special thanks to Mr Gary - star of the immigration world!
Mr Malekzada
April 2024
"Many thanks to the amazing Latitude Law team, especially Katerina Woodcock, Gary McIndoe and Anna Sullivan, for expertly handling my passport application. Mine was a very complicated and multifaceted case, but thanks to the wonderful Latitude Law, I succeeded in getting my passport in a timely manner and would definitely recommend Latitude Law for any immigration or citizenship matters. When working with them, you can rest assured that you are in good hands."
Ms B
February 2024
"I would like to thank Jessica Lee and Natasha Willett for their excellent work over the last couple
of years. They have helped me secure permanent residence status in the UK and their professionalism
has been second to none throughout the process. What really impressed me is that they were prepared to
go the proverbial extra mile to achieve the desired result for me. They have been incredibly supportive
and easy to work with. Needless to say, I can highly recommend this law firm and would definitely go back to
them should I ever need legal advice again."
Mr Tom F
January 2024
All content on this page was reviewed by Latitude Law and is accurate as of 11/07/2021