What documents are needed to apply for a sponsor licence to sponsor skilled workers?

Sponsor licence solicitors say to business owners applying for their first Home Office Sponsor Licence to recruit overseas workers that half the battle to securing your Sponsor Licence is to ensure that your business has the right paperwork to support your application. With the end of free movement on the 31 December 2020 and the introduction of the points based Immigration system in January 2021 it is now more important than ever for UK businesses to get the right documents ready to submit with their sponsor licence application.

UK Sponsor Licence solicitors

London based OTS Solicitors specialise in business immigration law. For expert advice from the specialist team of work visa and sponsor licence solicitors call 0203 959 9123 or contact us here. Appointments are available through video conferencing, Skype or by telephone appointment.

What are the Immigration Rules on sponsor licences and supporting documents

The document that sponsor licence solicitors and UK business owners need to study to check the documentation needed to support a Sponsor Licence application is Appendix A.

This appendix details the full Home Office policy guidance on:

• Sponsoring overseas based or non-UK resident workers requiring a skilled worker visa and
• The paperwork a business needs to produce in support of their first Sponsor Licence application or sponsor licence renewal application.

Appendix A lists the documents your business must provide to support your Sponsor Licence application. UK sponsor licence solicitors say that Appendix A isn’t a straight forward document detailing the paperwork your business needs to produce. That’s why many first time applicants for sponsor licences send the wrong or incomplete documentation with their Sponsor Licence application. It is therefore best to either take specialist sponsor licence legal advice or study the guidance and work out what paperwork you will need to supply as that will depend on:

• The nature of your organisation and
• The type of Sponsor Licence your business is applying for, for example to sponsor overseas workers on skilled worker visas or on Tier 2 intra company transfer visas.

There are two types of documents that your business will need to supply, namely the mandatory documents and the documents relevant to your application, for example, Sponsor Licence category specific paperwork.

Mandatory documents for a Sponsor Licence application under Appendix A

Appendix A lists the mandatory documents your business will need to supply in support of its sponsor licence applicationbut the mandatory documents aren’t standardised as the rules are based on variables such as the type of Sponsor Licence you are applying for or the nature of your organisation.

As the mandatory documents are individual to your business the only way to ensure that you send the right paperwork is to either study Appendix A or take legal advice from a sponsor licence solicitor to avoid your application being delayed or refused.

For example, the Home Office require a business that has been in operation for less than eighteen months to supply additional paperwork in comparison to a more established business, and it is this sort of point that can easily be missed.

What happens if a business can't produce the right paperwork in support of its Sponsor Licence application?

Sponsor licence solicitors always recommend that legal advice is taken on a Sponsor Licence application as early as possible so that the lawyers can identify what mandatory documents will be required in support of the application. That way, with or without support, the correct documents can normally be located in time for submission of your sponsor licence application.

If your business doesn’t have the correct paperwork then your application could be refused or delayed so it is worth checking what documents you will need at the outset of the application process (and that they are in date) so you don’t have to scramble to find the correct original paperwork when you are ready to submit your Sponsor Licence application.

Will the Home Office ask for additional documents after submission of the Sponsor Licence application?

If your business doesn’t send the right paperwork with your Sponsor Licence application the Home Office official could either refuse the application or request the additional documents.

If the Home Office caseworker exercises discretion and asks for more paperwork, rather than simply refusing your application, then your business will only be given an extra seven days to locate and submit the documentation. If you can't comply with that timescale you face the risk of your Sponsor Licence application being refused and having to submit a fresh application and pay a further Sponsor Licence application fee.

When do Sponsor Licence application documents need to be submitted to the Home Office?

The rules say that the documents to support your Sponsor Licence application must be sent to the Home Office within five working days of your online sponsor licence application. Special rules apply during the Covid-19 pandemic permitting submission of documentation online.

When the Home Office insists on paper submission of documents, many businesses assume that they can send a photocopy of the relevant paperwork to the Home Office but the Home Office won't accept copies. Your documents must original or, in some situations, the Home Office will accept certified copies.

How can OTS Solicitors help with your Sponsor Licence application?

The sponsor licence solicitors at London based OTS Solicitors understand the importance of getting your Sponsor Licence application right first time round so pay attention to detail when it comes to the paperwork needed to support your application and the statement required to address why your business meets the eligibility criteria for a Sponsor Licence.

The approachable and experienced UK business immigration and sponsor licence specialists will manage the Sponsor Licence application process on your behalf to reduce the risk of a refusal or a delay in the Home Office processing of your application.

UK Sponsor Licence solicitors

OTS Solicitors are specialist sponsor licence solicitors with the experience and expertise to apply for your first Sponsor Licence. We can then efficiently manage the sponsor licence for your business.

OTS Solicitors specialise in business immigration and employment law and are recommended in the two leading law directories, The Legal 500 and Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession. For UK sponsor licence advice call OTS Solicitorson 0203 959 9123 or contact us here. Appointments are available through video conferencing, Skype or by telephone appointment.