Process of employing someone from outside the UK

If you are employing someone from outside the UK in most instances your company will need to hold a Sponsor Licence. There are however categories of people whom you do not need to sponsor

• Irish citizens
• those with settled or pre-settled status
• those with indefinite leave to remain in the UK
• Ancestry visa holders

You can sponsor a worker if you have the appropriate salary and skill level which meets the suitability of the Standard Occupational Coding.

Company Eligibility for Employing someone from outside the UK

In order to qualify for the Sponsorship Licence you must demonstrate through supporting documentation that you can meet the requirements for example that your company is a genuine employer and has a trading address. You will also be assessed on your good character, whether you have any unspent criminal convictions, whether you have a history of abusing the immigration system and also whether you have held a Sponsor Licence which may have been revoked or refused. You will also be assessed on your Human Resource Systems and due processes; this is to ensure that you have the capacity to employ your chosen individual.

Sponsor licence fee

You will need to pay a fee when you apply for a sponsor licence. The fee is dependent on the following:

• the type of licence you’re applying for
• what type of organisation you are for example the size and number of people you employ
• If you would like to get a fast turn around
• Applying to renew your licence after 4 years

For more information on fees please follow link to Sponsor Licence Fees

Certificate of sponsorship fee

In order to legally sponsor someone using the sponsor management system you must assign a Certificate of sponsorship to the overseas national. For more information regarding Certificate of Sponsorship fees please click here

Immigration skills charge

You might have to pay an additional charge when you assign a certificate of sponsorship to someone applying for a Skilled Worker or Intra-company Transfer visa.

You normally pay the immigration skills charge if they’re applying for a visa from:

• outside the UK to work in the UK for 6 months or more
• inside the UK for any length of time

Visa costs for employing someone from outside the UK

There is also the visa processing fee for the sponsored worker. The cost of this visa depends on which category they are applying under. There is a priority service available for fast tracking the decision-making process. There is also a Immigration health Surcharge which every migrant coming to the UK on a long term visa has to pay.

Sponsor licence application processing times

Once you have completed your online application which should only take 30 minutes and submitted the supporting documentation. You application will be considered within 8 weeks maybe sooner.

In some cases the application may go to further consideration, usually when you have applied before and your application has been refused of your licence was revoked. The UKVI will need to have extra time in order to be satisfied that you operate lawfully in compliance with the latest Home Office guidance.

For more information regarding sponsor licence processing times click here

Visa application times

Visa processing times vary depending on where the individual is applying from. Usually, if it is under the Sponsored route and the applicant is applying from outside the UK it takes up to 3 weeks. If the applicant is applying to extend or switch inside the UK it can take up to 8 weeks to process. These timelines are based on approximations and the individual circumstances.

Need some support?

Our team specialises in Points Based System Sponsorship Licences and sponsoring workers. We advise employers on how to navigate complex Immigration rules with a proven record, and we are very competitive. For a complimentary consultation please Call Us.