Top 3 Issues to think about if you want to sponsor someone as a Skilled Worker

The Skilled Worker visa route is the UK’s main work visa route. It is designed to allow businesses operating in the UK to recruit foreign workers if they have a genuine need for someone to fill that role. If you are thinking about taking on a foreign worker, you should first consider the below three issues.

1. Do you have a sponsor licence?

You can only sponsor a foreign worker if you have been granted a sponsor licence by the UK authorities. If you do not currently hold a sponsor licence, you would need to firstly apply for one. The application process can take from several weeks to months, so it is something you need to consider early on when looking to fill vacancies with employees who require sponsorship

2. Is the role sponsorable?

At the same time, you should also consider whether the role can be sponsored. For a role to be sponsorable under the Skilled Worker route, it generally must be sufficiently skilled (to A-level and above), and it needs to carry a specific minimum salary (which depends on the job).

3. What are my ongoing reporting duties?

The obligations in relation to sponsoring a Skilled Worker visa holder do not end with the granting of the visa. As a sponsor, you are required to report a number of different occurrences to the Home Office via your online Sponsorship Management System. Changes such as a new job title, a new job description, location of work, and change in visa category are all reportable within 10 working days of the change occurring. This list is not exhaustive, so those managing the sponsor licence need to be well aware of all changes in circumstances that need to reported.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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