The UK has implemented a new points-based immigration system which replaces the old ‘Tier’ system and treats EU and non-EU citizens equally. This means that if a company or business wants to hire from outside the domestic labour market, they will need to apply for permission in advance.
There are a number of requirements that a company or business must meet in order to acquire a Sponsor Licence.
First, they should check whether their company or business is eligible. They must not have had any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes such as money laundering or fraud. They must also not have had another licence revoked within the last 12 months. They must ensure that appropriate systems are in place to monitor their sponsored employees and that they are capable of carrying out compliance duties.
Second, they should consider the type of licence they want to apply for, which will depend on the type of worker that they want to sponsor. There are several types of work visas available, all of which require the employer to hold a Sponsor Licence. This includes skilled worker visas, intra-company visa routes, healthcare visas, and temporary worker visas. The Sponsor Licence will be granted for four years and can be extended at the end of that period.
Third, they will need to decide who will manage the sponsorships, known as ‘Sponsorship Management Roles’. The roles include an authorising officer, a key contact, and a level 1 user. The roles can be filled by the same person, or by different people and legal representatives, but the authorising officer must be a senior and competent member of staff of the company or business. The managers will have access to the sponsor management system (SMS) which they will utilise to ensure they meet their requirements as a sponsor.
Once the Sponsor Licence is acquired, the company or business can then assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to an individual applying for an Intra-Company Visa or Skilled Worker Visa. Each Certificate of Sponsorship costs £199 per employee. On top of that, the business must pay an Immigration Skills Charge for each employee. The cost is £364 per year for small and medium size businesses and £1000 per year for large businesses.
During the process, or after the Sponsor Licence has been granted, UK Visas and Immigration may visit the company or business to check they are suitable and/or are maintaining their duties as sponsors.
We understand that navigating the Home Office’s procedures and forms can be complex and stressful. Our team of professionals can support business applying for sponsor licences by offering either full representation or consultancy services.
Sponsor Licences – Full Representation
Full representation is a comprehensive service, that allows our firm to become your business’s legal representatives and to represent the business in all matters concerning the Sponsor Licence. This includes preparing the appropriate forms and liaising with the Home Office on your behalf.
If you decided that full representation was the appropriate service for your business, we would take detailed instructions, issue a client care letter and other appropriate paperwork, plan works according to what we consider to be in the best interests of the business, advise the business of any documents or information that we may need when making the sponsor licence application.
We would endeavour to be on hand throughout the application process answer any questions about the process that may arise. Once the Sponsor Licence has been concluded, we would issue a closing letter outlining any items that we think the business should be aware of moving forwards.
Full representation may not be suitable for all our corporate clients, but our experience is that for those who have utilised this service with us, they have found it to be very helpful.
Sponsor Licence Fee: The licence fee for both an Intra-Company Worker Sponsor Licence and a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence is £536 per employee for small and medium size businesses and £1,476 for large businesses. The categorisation of the size of the business is made by reference to Section 382 of the Companies Act 2006.
Curzon Green (London based client) Fee: £1800-£2500 plus VAT; or
Curzon Green (Buckinghamshire based client) Fee: £1200-£1800 plus VAT.
Please do not hesitate to contact our team for advice on a precise fee for representation in your matter or with any queries that you may have.
Sponsor Licences– Consultancy Services:
Our charges for these consultancy services are outlined below.
Curzon Green (London based client) Fee: £250-£350 plus VAT per session which lasts up to an hour (depending on the experience of the person you book your consultation with); or
Curzon Green (Buckinghamshire based client) Fee: £150-£250 plus VAT per session which lasts up to an hour (depending on the experience of the person you book your consultation with).
Contact Us
If you are unsure as to which service might be appropriate for your matter, or have any other queries about our immigration services, we warmly invite you to contact our team of experienced practitioners. You can do this by clicking on the links below or by telephoning or emailing our offices. You can explain to the receptionists that you are seeking to speak with the immigration team.
Telephone our offices:
London: 020 3443 9576
High Wycombe: 01494 451355
Marlow: 01628 958445
Email our immigration practitioners: immigration@curzongreen.co.uk
