Not sure if you can get a sponsor licence for your business? Contact us at NIDO for a free assessment of your business to see if you meet the requirements. 

1. Sponsor Licence

Once your business is granted a sponsor licence, you can employ foreign workers to work for your business in the UK under the points-based system routes such as Skilled Worker. ​

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If you are applying for the first time, you will need to show that you have satisfied several requirements which we have outlined below for you. 

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The sponsor licence application is not restricted to any size or sector. Therefore if your business has a genuine need to recruit prospective non-UK resident workers, you can always apply for a sponsor licence provided that your business meets the requirements for the category you are applying for. 

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2. How our free assessment can help you with your sponsor licence?

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If you wonder whether your business is eligible for a sponsor licence, or you are unsure if the role you want to recruit satisfies the sponsor licence's requirements, it might be a good time to give us a call for a free assessment. 

Based on the information you provide to us, we will carry out a complete assessment of whether your business is eligible for a sponsor licence, whether the role you intend to create meets all the requirements, the general process of a sponsor licence, and on a case-by-case basis, how we can help you with your sponsor licence*.

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3. Requirements for a Sponsor Licence

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In order to secure a sponsor licence for your business, the first thing you need to prove to the Home Office is that your business is genuine and is operating lawfully in the UK. 

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You have to show that you have an appropriate system and are capable to monitor your sponsored workers and comply with any sponsorship duties such as reporting to the Home Office. We help our clients in meeting this requirement through advice and assistance. 

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Also the key personnel you nominated to manage the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) must not have any unspent criminal convictions, or civil penalties as the Home Office will run background checks on the key personnel. The key personnel can be the business owner or an employee. 

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If you wish to employ a foreign worker under the Skilled Worker route, you would need to demonstrate to the Home Office that you have a genuine need for a specific role, and the employment offer meets the skill level and salary requirements.

We also provide a comprehensive guide on what to check prior to applying for a sponsor licence here.

4. Documents needed to apply for a sponsor licence 

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The exact documents will be decided on a case-by-case basis and vary depending on your business and the nature of the post you are recruiting. However, you will be expected to provide some important documents as follows: 

• Documents relating to business registration and operation;

• Documents demonstrating that your business is operating lawfully in the UK; 

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Depending on the size of your business, the number of branches your business has, the sector your business is operating in, and other factors, you will need to provide further documents.

You also need to provide documents explaining to the Home Office the reason why you are applying for a sponsor licence and how you will comply with sponsorship duties in the future. We especially guide and assist our clients with this aspect. 

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5. The process to apply for a sponsor licence, time and fee

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You will need to apply for your sponsor licence online by firstly completing the application form. At this step, it is important that every information and detail you provide is correct. You will then need to pay the application fee. The amount of fee varies depending on the size of your company and the type of licence.

After paying the fee, you will have a fixed amount of time to submit supporting documents to the Home Office. Normally it would be a period of 7 days from the date you submit the application. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you have all of your supporting documents in place before you submit your sponsor licence application. 

Once you submit your supporting documents, It would take up to 8 weeks for the Home Office to make a decision. Depending on the availability of the Home Office, you may be able to speed up the process by paying an extra amount of £500 in order to get a decision within 10 working days. 

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We also provide a comprehensive guide on fees and the application process for a sponsor licence here.

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6. How we can help with all aspects of your sponsor licence application?

At NIDO we are here to help and assist you whilst offering you advice when applying for your sponsor licence application. We have experience and the resources to help your business obtain a sponsor licence to employ migrant workers and help your business grow. Our experts guide you through the complicated documents and correspond according to the Home Office requirements. ​

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Our sponsor licence services include: 

• Advising on issues and regulations relating to sponsor licence; 

• Advising on the most suitable type of sponsorship, key personnel;

• Advising on the proposed job, skill level, and salary requirements for the foreign workers;

• Advising on the genuineness test used by the Home Office to assess your genuine business and genuine need to apply for a sponsor licence;

• Auditing and advising on your HR management system to assess your ability to comply with sponsorship duties in the future;

• Drafting and submitting your sponsor licence application through the online portal;

• Preparing additional letters and documents addressing the Home Office depending on different circumstances; 

• Assisting you in preparing the supporting documents; 

• Advising on costs, and fees for sponsor licence application process; 

• Advising on different types of Certificates of Sponsorship, and how to assign ones to skilled workers;

• Advising on the compliance duties and Sponsorship Management System (SMS);

• Advising on alternative solutions in case sponsor licence is not the most viable and suitable solution for your business need;

• Providing extra support in terms of compliance after your business is granted a sponsor licence. Unlike other firms we aim to continue supporting you throughout the period that you have the sponsor licence, assisting you and your business in the UK. 

With offices in London, Birmingham and Manchester, we are one of the very few Business Immigration Solicitors that can be found by businesses around the world as we are listed on the Government's Department for International Trade Platform.

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With us, the result is key

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Our only measurement for the quality of service is the result. It is the key reason why we are able to consistently provide services to the highest standard and have a high client retention rate. Let's have a look at some of the many sponsor licence applications we have successfully assisted our clients with ...