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Expert support, seamless processes, and full compliance at every stage.
Clear guidance, tailored support, and simplified processes to achieve your immigration goals.
Home office requests at least four of the below documents to prove that the business is genuinely trading in UK. Depends on the type of business there may be some mandatory documents you need to provide.
Your business must have robust HR systems to meet sponsor duties. This includes tracking employee attendance, monitoring visa expiry dates, maintaining right-to-work records, and reporting any changes to the Home Office.
Check if the job role is eligible for sponsorship and meets salary requirements. Use our calculators to find out the required salary and CoS costs.
The Authorising Officer (AO) must be a UK-based shareholder, director, or employee to have a genuine connection to the business. They must also be a settled person, such as a British citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain.
Your questions, our answers, all in one place.
A Sponsor Licence allows your business to legally hire and sponsor skilled workers, including yourself under self-sponsorship. It proves to the Home Office that your business is genuine, compliant, and capable of managing sponsorship duties. Without a Sponsor Licence, your business cannot issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), which is mandatory for Skilled Worker visa applications.
Your business must meet several criteria, including being registered with Companies House, operating in compliance with UK laws, and having appropriate systems in place to monitor sponsored employees. These requirements ensure that only credible businesses with genuine employment needs can sponsor workers. The Home Office conducts rigorous checks to prevent abuse of the system.
The cost of obtaining a Skilled Worker sponsor licence varies based on the size and type of your business:
*An organisation qualifies as a small business sponsor if at least two of the following criteria apply:
Yes, there are additional costs such as Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) to consider when obtaining a Sponsor Licence.
For breakdown of additional costs, refer to the CoS and Visa Fees Calculator page.
The application process usually takes up to 8 weeks. However, the Home Office also offers a priority processing option for an additional fee of £500, which provides a decision within 10 working days. Our team ensures your application is meticulously prepared, minimising the chances of delays and expediting the process where possible.
Your licence usually stays valid for as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
If you have a licence to sponsor Scale-up Workers or UK Expansion Workers, it will be valid for 4 years. You will not be able to apply for another licence to sponsor these types of workers.
Generally, you need to submit at least four supporting documents.However, the specific number and type of documents required depend on your business activities, sector, and the type of license you are applying for.
To apply for a sponsor license, you must provide documents that demonstrate your business is legitimate and capable of fulfilling sponsorship duties. These documents typically include:
Yes, certain industries (e.g., healthcare, education, or finance) may have additional document requirements, such as:
Yes, we can help in preparing and reviewing documents for a sponsor license application to ensure compliance and accuracy.
No, the sponsor license application focuses on your business’s legitimacy and compliance. Documents for individual employees, such as passports or qualifications, are only required when assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).
If you do not provide the required documents or submit incomplete information, your sponsor license application may be delayed or refused. This can also affect your ability to reapply within a specific timeframe.
HR systems are essential for demonstrating your ability to monitor and manage sponsored employees effectively. They ensure compliance with UKimmigration rules, a core requirement for holding a sponsor license. Failure tomaintain adequate HR systems can result in penalties, suspension, or revocation of the license.
You must have systems in place to manage the following:
We can help you set up compliant HR systems to meet sponsor licence requirements.
Your HR system must securely store the following, along with any other required documents:
Yes, we recommend using Breath HR, a trusted HR management software that simplifies compliance and helps you meet sponsor license requirements. Breath HR provides features like absence tracking, reporting tools, and automated visa renewal reminders.
We partner with Breath HR to provide expert guidance in setting up compliant HR systems tailored to your business needs. From initial setup to ongoing support, we ensure your systems meet Home Office standards and help you maintain compliance with ease.
If your HR systems are found to be insufficient during a Home Office audit, you could face serious consequences, including:
HR systems should be reviewed regularly, ideally annually, or whenever there are changes to UK immigration rules or Home Office guidelines. Periodic audits can ensure ongoing compliance and readiness for potential HomeOffice inspections.
To ensure compliance with UK employment laws and sponsor license requirements, your business should have the following HR documents:
Yes, templates can be a useful starting point, but they must becustomised to comply with UK employment laws and suit your specific businessneeds. We provide tailored support to help you adapt HR document templates tomeet these requirements.
Your HR documents must align with UK employment laws and include key details that demonstrate compliance, such as right-to-work checks, job descriptions, and salary information. We provide expert guidance to review and enhance your documents, ensuring they meet Home Office standards.
Yes, we work with strategic partners who ensure that your HR documents are up to date with the latest legislation and fully compliant with sponsor licence requirements.
"Thanks to Essential Law, obtaining my visa through Self-Sponsorship route was seamless, allowing us to expand our team with top global talent."
We wanted to bring three authentic Indian chefs to our restaurant, and Essential Law made it happen. They not only secured our Sponsor Licence quickly but also handled the entire process of bringing all three chefs from abroad.
We had a talented student working with us, and we wanted to sponsor her full-time while she completed her course. Essential Law secured our Sponsor Licence in just 10 days, allowing us to retain her without disruption.
We urgently needed a priest, and Essential Law secured our Sponsor Licence in just six days. Their efficiency allowed us to bring in the right minister without delays, ensuring our religious and cultural services continued smoothly. Highly reliable and knowledgeable!
