Sponsoring Overseas Workers – The Supply and Demand Dilemmas Facing UK Employers
Nowadays immigration never seems to be out of the UK news- but for all the wrong reasons. For UK employers struggling to fill vacancies because of the skills shortages the country faces, the current immigration situation can appear bizarre as UK firms desperately need overseas migrant workers to fill the hole left by Brexit and by the end of free movement of EU nationals. Immigration solicitors can help your business work out whether a Home Office-issued sponsor licence to sponsor overseas migrant workers will assist your company to overcome its staff supply and demand issues.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For legal advice on sponsor licences and on business immigration law call the expert London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Does your business need a sponsor licence?
Sponsorship Licence lawyers are increasingly being approached by small to medium size UK enterprises who are struggling to decide whether they need a sponsor licence or not. That indecision is partly fuelled by government talk of a recession lasting until 2024 and worry about how a downturn in the UK economy will affect their business.
As business immigration solicitors we understand the dilemma facing some UK businesses that cannot currently recruit the staff they need from the UK but who are uncertain about their long-term recruitment needs. One concern expressed by managers and the HR staff tasked with overseas recruitment is how long it will take to obtain a sponsor licence.
Sponsorship Licence lawyers can reassure UK companies that it is still possible to secure a sponsor licence within a matter of weeks, provided that your company has the right systems in place or is receptive to your current HR practices being tweaked to make your business systems pass Home Office requirements for a sponsor licence practices. Your company will also need to be able to provide the correct paperwork in support of your sponsor licence application. Our business immigration solicitors can identify the relevant documents that your business will need to supply in support of your sponsor licence application.
The commitment of a sponsor licence
Smaller size UK employers are expressing concerns about the commitment of a sponsor licence but Sponsorship Licence lawyers can reassure your business that:
- A sponsor licence is granted by the Home Office for 4 years. If you decide that your company no longer requires a sponsor licence you can give it up early by notifying the Home Office
- If your firm finds that it needs to sponsor a different type of overseas migrant worker to the visa applicants that your sponsor licence allows you to recruit then you can ask the Home Office to provide you with a new sponsor licence to recruit the type of worker that now meets your business needs
- If you are concerned about having to recruit a minimum number of overseas workers each year then rest assured this is not necessary – there is no minimum requirement
- If you are worried that your company will need to recruit additional HR or administrative staff to manage the sponsor licence then this may not be necessary if you are only planning to recruit a limited number of new employees on skilled worker visas or on other sponsored routes, such as the scale-up visa. Another option is to ask our Sponsorship Licence lawyers to manage your sponsor licence for you to avoid additional work for your already busy HR team and admin staff
- The business of recruiting new employees on skilled worker visas may be new to your recruitment team. Our business immigration solicitors can assist your company with any employment law-related issues with overseas migrant workers or British staff and can guide you through the new rules on right-to-work checks for British and non-British staff as well as provide your company with specific support with the recruitment of overseas staff. For example, our Sponsorship Licence lawyers can advise you on whether your job vacancies meet the eligibility criteria for a skilled worker visa and if they comply with the minimum skills and salary threshold and if the job description meets a standard occupational classification code of jobs eligible for the skilled worker visa published by the Home Office. Our business immigration lawyers can also advise on specific aspects of the recruitment and work visa application process, such as the allocation of the certificate of sponsorship or whether a job vacancy is on the government-produced shortage occupation list or if a new recruit meets the criteria of a ‘new entrant’ as defined in the immigration rules
- If your business experiences difficulties with your sponsor licence or want to keep up to date with your sponsor licence reporting and recording duties our Sponsorship Licence lawyers can carry out internal audits of your files or can help if you receive any communications from the Home Office threatening the suspension or revocation of your sponsor licence
At OTS Solicitors, our specialist business immigration solicitors can help you decide on whether to apply for a sponsor licence or to renew your sponsor licence. We aim to make sure the sponsor licence application and overseas recruitment process operates as smoothly as possible so you can focus on your business and recruit the overseas staff you need.
UK Online and London-Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For expert legal advice on sponsor licences and business immigration law call the immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
Related Posts
A Guide to Certificates of Sponsorship for Businesses with Sponsor Licences
The UK Skilled Worker Visa – the Recruitment Solution for UK Employers
Tech Sector Businesses Recruiting Overseas Skilled Workers
Sponsor Licence Management Services
OTS Solicitors Celebrate the 2023 Legal 500 London Immigration Rankings