Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) seeking to hire workers from different parts of the world must obtain a sponsor licence. The Home Office must authorise the business to recruit global talent, and the application process must be followed step-by-step.
SMEs recruiting foreign workers must comply with all the requirements in the Certificate of Sponsorship to avoid the downgrading, suspension or revocation of their sponsor licence. In this article, we examine the sponsor licence, how SMEs (businesses) can obtain it, and strategies for SMEs to attract global talent.
What Is a Sponsor Licence?
A sponsor licence is approved for UK businesses (SMEs) to permit them to recruit non-UK skilled workers from overseas to come and work for them in the United Kingdom. The sponsor licence is issued to businesses or companies and not to individuals. Therefore, a business must be registered in the UK to obtain a sponsor licence.
Before a sponsor licence application, the businesses’ application must show they are eligible and meet all the requirements from the first day. As a business, should the Home Office doubt your ability to comply with your duties, your application may be declined and your fee won’t be refunded. After obtaining the sponsor licence, the Home Office can complete unplanned compliance visits in your organisation to ensure you stay compliant.
If they believe you are not performing your sponsorship duties and obligations, they may downgrade, suspend or revoke your sponsor licence. If your licence is revoked, you will no longer have the right to hire migrant workers. Additionally, your sponsored workers staying and working in the UK will be at great risk of deportation.
Types of Sponsor Licence
The UK Home Office designed sponsor licenses to suit different kinds of SMEs’ needs, typically in the context of UK Work visas. There are two types of sponsor licences, they include:
- Worker sponsor licence
- Temporary worker sponsor licence.
Worker Sponsor Licence
The worker sponsor licence permits businesses to hire foreign nationals in several skilled employment types in the United Kingdom. This employment could be permanent, long-term, or short-term depending on the immigration route. There are four subcategories of worker sponsor licence, they include:
- The Minister of Religion route
- The Skilled Worker route
- The International Sportsperson route
- The Senior or Specialist Worker route.
Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence
The temporary worker sponsor licence allows UK businesses to hire foreign workers only temporarily, including volunteers. Businesses would seek a temporary worker sponsor licence to hire migrant workers for temporary employment such as:
- The Government Authorised Exchange route
- The International Agreement route
- The Creative Worker route
- The Seasonal Worker route
- The Religious Worker route
- The Scale-Up Worker route
- The Charity Worker route, and more.
Note that when bringing global talent to the UK, the type of sponsor licence you’ll get depends on the employment type you’ll offer the migrant workers.
How to Apply for a Sponsor Licence
As an SME owner who wants to obtain a sponsor licence, you must follow a step-by-step procedure. Below are the steps to take for your sponsor licence application:
- Choose the categories you wish to include in your licence.
- Check if your business is eligible or suitable for the licence category and change your HR systems, as necessary.
- Appoint your Key Personnel. They include your Authorising Officer, Key Contact, Level 1 and Level 2 Users of the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
- Gather all required documents to support your application and submit it.
- Choose the number of Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) you wish to obtain for the first year of holding the licence.
- Finish and file the online application alongside the hard copy to the UK Home Office.
- Always be ready for unplanned compliance visits by the Home Office at your business premises or offices.
- Get the decision.
How SMEs Can Attract Global Talent
SMEs potentially hold unique attractions for prospective employees. Benefits can include more scope to contribute to business operations and development. SMEs that want to attract global talent can implement the following strategies to enhance their offering:
Employee Training
To help employees thrive, SMEs should invest in training and career development.
Effective Communication
SMEs should encourage effective communication in the workplace to foster positive workplace relationships. If employees are not allowed to express themselves, it can make them less valued and poor communication can lead to misunderstandings.
Remote or Flexible Work
SMEs can adopt remote or flexible work arrangements to attract global talent. Flexible work arrangements encourage hybrid, remote work where global teams can benefit employees and employers. Such modern and forward-thinking strategies present the SME as a business that understands the work-life balance of its employees.
Final Thoughts
SMEs should adapt various strategies to attract global talent and stay competitive in today’s fast-paced world. SMEs must obtain a sponsor licence to hire foreign workers and seek legal guidance from immigration lawyers to navigate the recruitment process in light of the recent changes in the UK immigration rules.
Immigration lawyers have the recent updates and procedures needed to bring foreign workers into the United Kingdom without breaking the immigration rules. Immigration lawyers will help assess the SMEs’ eligibility to bring foreign workers and also ensure that those foreign workers meet the requirements.
