Every sector is facing skill shortages in the UK. But the important thing is that the Home Office has been constantly exhorting the employers to make use of this opportunity to build a Global Britain by applying for a sponsor licence, start hiring overseas skilled staff and bridge the skill gap.
The sponsor licence is also a path to establish Global Mobility because it lets you hire the best overseas professionals to your organisation.
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What we know till now?
Any foreign national, belonging to outside the UK needs a work permit to begin a career or job in the UK.
Out of other already existing visas, there are only a few visas that let you work in the UK and offer you a route to settlement (ILR) and British citizenship.
If you are a British citizen, you will not need to apply for any work visa but as a foreign national you ought to apply for a worker visa and must be sponsored by a UK employer to begin your immigration journey to the UK.
What kind of work visa?
Typically, the work visas under the sponsor licence are classified into 2 types:
Short term work visas and long term work visas.
Today, we will be going in detail about long-term work visas, skilled worker visas.
Formally known as Tier 2 General visa, the skilled worker visa allows foreign nationals to come to the UK to do an eligible job offered by the UK employer who is Home office authorised Sponsor licence holder.
The skilled worker or prospective worker must be paid a minimum threshold salary of £25,600 each year, or £10.10 per hour or as per the ‘going rate’ for the type of work you will be offered by the employer.
What do you need to demonstrate?
As an applicant you need to demonstrate that you have English language skills of B1 level if you belong to any country that does not have English as their first language.
If you possess a degree in English language taught by a UK recognised university.
Check occupations list
It may be possible that not all the eligible jobs are listed for sponsorship, you need to check whether your role is under the sponsored category or not before applying for a skilled worker visa.
Another thing is to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for the eligible job offered.
CoS is a job confirmation certificate, which possesses your job details and employers details. Once you have received your CoS, that’s where you begin skilled worker visa applications.
Prospective Sponsor licence holders
You must have a genuine, actively trading firm. Need evidence that your firm is honest, reliable and trustworthy to be granted a sponsor licence. You will only employ workers legally without abusing the immigration system and law.
You need mainly 4 pieces of evidence
- Your organisation’s bank statement
- PAYE account reference number
- VAT registration details
- Employer’s liability insurance
Additionally, when you apply only, you need to prove that you have a strong HR recruitment system in place to begin the hiring process.
You need an authorising officer and other key personnel to handle the Sponsorship Management System(SMS).
Depending on the size of the organisation you will be charged a fee.
Small firms pay £536 while medium or large firms pay £1,476.
You can by all means consult immigration experts to avoid any mistake or misinterpretation of guidance on Sponsorship licence. Choose A Y & J Solicitors for their bespoke services in UK visa and immigration.
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Author Bio: Hi, I’m Pooja and I’m a passionate Blogger, Freelancer, Writer, and Digital Marketer. I love tech stuff and games. Gembells, Hotmaillog.
