Sponsor Licences

Sponsor Licence
In order to sponsor applicants, an employer will need to have registered with the UK Border Agency as a Licensed Sponsor.

For this registration to be accepted, the employer will need to meet certain requirements for the particular category of Tier 2 and or Tier 5 and accept certain responsibilities to help with immigration control.

Employers will need to demonstrate an ability to comply with UKBA requirements in terms of preventing illegal working and having in place robust HR systems before they can apply for a sponsor licence.

Once granted a licence (valid for 4 years) they will be able to issue Certificates of Sponsorship to non-EEA workers who meet the relevant criteria, this being the equivalent of obtaining a work permit under the previous system. Workers will qualify for a Certificate of Sponsorship if they are undertaking a job of at least NVQ3 standard and meet the relevant points for attributes, English language and Maintenance requirements.

The Sponsor will need to assign a Certificate of Sponsorship before an applicant can apply for leave to enter the UK or remain in the UK under Tier 2. The Certificate of Sponsorship will act as an assurance that the applicant is able to undertake a particular job and intends to do so and that the Sponsor is not employing illegal workers.

Sponsorship Duties
Upon being granted the Sponsor Licence, the Sponsor has a number of record keeping and reporting duties for the applicants that it sponsors.

Record Keeping Duties:

Keeping copies of the applicant's passport or UK immigration status document and contact details

Reporting Duties:

The UK Border Agency must be informed of the following:

If a sponsored migrant does not turn up for his or her first day of work
If a sponsored migrant is absent from work for more than 10 working days, without the sponsor's reasonably granted permission
If a sponsored migrant's period of engagement is ended as a result of the migrant resigning or being dismissed
If any registration that the sponsored migrant needs to work in the UK (such as with a governing body) is ended
If the sponsor stops sponsoring the migrant for any other reason (eg if the migrant moves into another immigration route that does not require a sponsor)
If there are any significant changes in the migrant's circumstances (eg change of job or salary excluding annual pay rise)
If the Sponsor has any information which suggests that the migrant s breaching the conditions of his or her leave
If the Sponsor has any information which suggests that the migrant may be engaging in terrorism or other criminal activity (The Sponsor must also pass any such information to the Police)