A Sponsor Licence application has to be made by an employer who wishes to hire foreign skilled workers in the UK business.
As of 31 December 2020, a sponsorship licence is required to hire non-settled EEA nationals.
Types of Sponsor Licences:
Worker Sponsor Licence:
Suitable for employers with long-term job offers.
Categories include Skilled Worker, Senior/Specialist Worker, Minister of Religion, Health/Care Worker, and International Sportsperson.
Temporary Worker Licence:
Allows temporary sponsorship, including volunteering and job shadowing.
Categories include Scale-up Worker, Creative Worker, Charity Worker, Religious Worker, and more.
Duration and Renewal:
Granted licences are generally valid for four years.
Renewal is necessary before the four-year period concludes.
Costs:
Application fees depend on the organization’s size:
£536 for charities or small entities.
£1,476 for large sponsors.
A £500 pre-licence priority service expedites the application process.
2. Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Application
Absolutely, the Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence is a key mechanism for UK employers or businesses to sponsor migrant skilled workers. This licence enables the employer to hire skilled workers to work in eligible roles within the UK. Whether the skilled workers are already in the UK or located overseas, the Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence facilitates their employment in the sponsoring business.
As a UK-based business, you could apply for a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence, allowing you to bring in skilled workers from both inside and outside the UK. This flexibility is beneficial for businesses seeking to fill specific roles with individuals possessing the required skills and expertise, contributing to the growth and success of the company.
3. Health and Care Worker Sponsor Licence
Certainly, the Health and Care Worker Sponsor Licence is a special category that permits a UK employer or business to sponsor health and care workers. This licence enables the employer to hire individuals in eligible roles within the health and care sector to work in the UK for the sponsoring business.
As a UK-based business, you have the option to apply for a Health and Care Worker Sponsor Licence, allowing you to employ health and care workers from both inside and outside the UK.
4. T2 Minister Of Religion Sponsor Licence Application
You can ask for a T2 Minister of Religion sponsor licence if you are a religious group or order in the UK and you want to hire a religious leader from another country. The T2 Minister of Religion route is for bringing in someone who plays a crucial role in their religious group or organization in the UK. This could be a religious leader, missionary, member of a religious order, or others who have mainly pastoral responsibilities. A minister of religion is someone in a religious role whose main duties involve guiding a congregation in performing religious rites and rituals, as well as preaching the important beliefs of the faith.
5. Scale-up Worker Sponsor Licence Application
The Scale-up route lets businesses that are growing a lot, hire skilled workers to work in the UK. If you have a business in the UK, you can ask for a Scale-up sponsor licence to hire workers for skilled jobs, whether they are already in the UK or from outside. This route is for talented individuals hired by a UK business that is considered a qualifying Scale-up sponsor. The worker must have a high-skilled job offer from this sponsor, and the salary should meet the required level for at least 6 months.
6. Senior or Specialist Worker Sponsor Licence Application
If your business is in the UK, you can ask for a Senior or Specialist Worker sponsor licence. This allows you to sponsor and hire workers from other countries for short-term jobs in the UK. These workers should be senior managers or specialized employees sent to you by a connected business from abroad. To get this licence, your business must have a connection through common ownership, control, or a joint venture agreement with a business outside the UK.
7. UK Expansion Worker Sponsor Licence Application
The UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence is for sponsoring foreign workers who are setting up a branch or a part of their foreign employer’s business in the UK. The UK Expansion Worker visa has taken the place of the (without sponsorship) sole representative rules of the Representative of an Overseas Business visa route.
8. Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence Application
The Temporary Worker sponsor licence is split into:
Scale-up Worker – for people coming to work for a fast-growing UK business.
Creative Worker – to work in the creative industry, for example as an entertainer or artist (up to 2 years)
Charity Worker – for unpaid workers at a charity (up to 1 year)
Religious Worker – for those working in a religious order or organisation (2 years)
Government Authorised Exchange – work experience (1 year), research projects or training, for example practical medical or scientific training (2years) to enable a short-term exchange of knowledge.
International Agreement – where the worker is coming to do a job which is covered by international law, for example employees of overseas government.
Graduate Trainee (Global Business Mobility) – for workers transferring to their employer’s UK branch as part of a graduate training programme.
Service Supplier (Global Business Mobility) – for workers with a contract to provide services for a UK company (6 or 12 months)
UK Expansion Worker (Global Business Mobility) – for workers sent to the UK to set up a new branch or subsidiary of an overseas business.
Secondment Worker (Global Business Mobility) – for workers transferring from overseas to work for a different UK business as part of a high-value contract.
Seasonal Worker – allows people to come to the UK and work in horticulture (for example, picking fruit and vegetables) for up to 6 months, or poultry from 18 October to 31 December each year.
