Sponsor Licence Application Guide 2021

1. CASE STUDY MARCH 2021 Sponsor Licence Application Guide 2021 What is UK Visa Sponsorship? As per the point-based immigration system of the UK, there are three main routes for non-UK citizens working in the country; they are as follows: Tier 5 temporary worker visa Intra-company transfer visa Skilled worker visa (This visa replaced Tier 2 visa) All these visa categories have to be sponsored by a licenced employer. To employ workers under any of the listed visas, an employer will be required to apply to UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration), the Home Office division for UK immigration matters. The sponsorship licence allows an organization to sponsor employees/workers in its business. For a UK work visa, no individual can be licenced as a “sponsor”. 020 7183 2462 1 www.osbournepinner.com

2. Sponsoring workers from 1st January 2021 The EU free movement rules have ended as per the new changes to the UK immigration rules. Now, all EU and non-EU nationals must be sponsored by a licenced employer. The new points-based system for UK immigration holds an immigration route for workers having a job from a registered sponsor in a qualifying role. It has replaced the Tier 2 work visa, and now the new skilled worker route is applicable for: Non-EU nationals who have applied for a UK work visa on or after 1st December 2020. EU nationals who arrived in the United Kingdom later than 11 pm, 31st December 2020. The new rules have made it even more challenging for employers to hire foreign workers in 2021. Major changes like lower skill and salary limits have been introduced to allow sponsorship for a wide range of jobs and a bigger number of workers in comparison to the outdated Tier 2 visa route. Irish citizens are exempted from the new provisions, and they will not be required to get sponsored for working in the United Kingdom. EU nationals already residing in the UK on or before 31st December 2020 are required to get sponsored. To maintain their lawful stay, they will require registration under the EU Settlement Scheme before 30 June 2021. Sponsorship regime by The Home Office Being a licence holder, you will assume speci?c compliance responsibilities by exposing your ?rm/organization to Home Office scrutiny. The Home Office follows a sponsorship regime to avoid misuse of the UK immigration system and illegal working. The sponsorship regime will ensure: Whether or not a sponsor is meeting compliance duties while sponsoring migrant workers. 020 7183 2462 2 www.osbournepinner.com

3. The roles being sponsored ful?l the requirements for salary level, skill level and genuineness. In case a sponsor fails to meet the listed points, it can lead to substantial ?nes, enforcement action or even revocation of the licence. This will ultimately make the sponsor’s visa workers lose jobs and their stay illegal in the UK. How Osbourne Pinner assisted the client with the application? Our client, a business owner, was trying to get a sponsorship licence to proceed with the immigration route of Intra-company transfer. She was having multiple doubts and slight nervousness when it came to proceeding with the application. Thus, she approached Osbourne Pinner for a clear and seamless licence application procedure. We made her understand according to the 200-page sponsor guide document provided by the Home Office. After imparting complete knowledge of the documents and other requi required aspects, we initiated the application on her behalf. It takes a lot of time and patience for employers to understand the complicated process. With consistent efforts to put various pieces of information together, we helped her understand what a sponsor licence allows and what a holder should do in compliance with the licence-holder duties. Our legal advisor explained all the requirements that employers have to meet while applying for the licence and the duties after securing it as well. We shared suggestions into what UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration department) speci?cally looks for in an ideal applicant. 3 020 7183 2462 www.osbournepinner.com

4. We prepared for licence application submission and covered the practicalities of submitting the same. Once the application was accepted, we consistently monitored the process and kept updating our client regarding the status. The sponsor licence application form is a relatively small part of the whole application process; however, it is crucial and requires immense attention. We examined other key aspects in detail as well with which our client was not familiar. Record keeping and close monitoring helped our client to attain a sponsorship licence. Who are we? Osbourne Pinner is one of the high-rated and reliable law ?rms in the UK. Having years of experience in immigration and family law matters, we have su successfully maintained a rating of 4.9/5. Our emphasis remains on accountability, compliance and professionalism. This helps us offer quick response, highly-professional service, con?dentiality, affordable fee and tho and thorough client satisfaction. Our ?rm is a team of experienced and quali?ed lawyers who can offer you the best legal advice on sponsorship licence. Your law consultant can assist at every stage of licence application. We will not only guide you in applying for a licence, but we will also help in achieving long-term compliance with Home Office requirements. The UK Home Office is becoming strict about compliance with time, and we are trying to make compliance procedures successful for organizations having sponsor li licences. Thorough hand-holding support that leads to an assurance of desired results is guaranteed from our end. 4 www.osbournepinner.com 020 7183 2462

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