Tier 2 Sponsor Licence for UK Employers
Under current UK immigration rules, a Tier 2 sponsor licence allows British employers to hire non-European Economic Area (EEA) workers. However, from 1 January 2021, British businesses will need to apply for a sponsor licence to recruit workers from EU member states, following the end of freedom of movement rights for EU citizens entering the UK.
Different Types of Tier 2 Visa
There are four types of Tier 2 visa:
- Tier 2 (General) visa
- Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer visa
- Tier 2 Minister of Religion
- Tier 2 Sportsperson
You will need to specify the type of worker you are looking to hire when making a Tier 2 licence application.
Tier 5 Visa
The Tier 5 visa allows you to hire skilled international workers on a temporary basis, according to your recruitment needs. The Tier 5 visa program has five different categories:
- Tier 5 Charity Worker
- Tier 5 Religious Worker
- Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange
- Tier 5 International Agreement
- Tier 5 Creative and Sporting
You will need a sponsor licence to recruit international workers under this category, and you will need to be very clear about the skills you require, so that the licence covers the duration of the visa. A Tier 5 sponsor licence is valid for four years.
How Our Tier 2 and Tier 5 Sponsor Licence Lawyers Can Help
With some of the best Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsor licence lawyers in the UK, we can help your business or charity secure the workers and volunteers you need.
Our sponsor licence lawyers offer a start to finish service, helping you with your sponsor licence application, gathering all the evidence you will need to support your application and making sure that you are, and remain, compliant with your responsibilities as a sponsor.
We have helped charities with Tier 5 entry visa applications and the UK sponsorship management system, while successfully representing the Christian, Hindu and Thai Buddhist Councils for the UK and Ireland, to meet their immigration needs.
In most cases, we can submit your sponsor licence application on the same day!
Tier 2 Sponsor Licence Requirements
To make an application for a Tier 2 sponsor licence, your organisation will need to show evidence that:
- Yours is a genuine business operating in the UK lawfully.
- The key personnel named on your application are dependable, reliable, and honest.
- Your business has the means to adhere to sponsor duties. For example, you have the necessary human resources and hiring systems in place.
- You are offering a genuine employment opportunity that adheres to the skill level and rate of pay requirements of a Tier 2 (General) visa.
Unless the job you’re offering is on the Shortage Occupation List, your Tier 2 sponsor licence application will require you to justify why you’re unable to hire a British worker for the role under the Resident Labour Market Test. You will need to provide proof that every effort was made to hire a UK resident without success.
As part of your Tier 2 sponsor licence application, you will need to name key personnel that have been assigned the role of overseeing your organisation’s sponsor licence duties, and managing the sponsor management system, on behalf of your company.
You need to assign these roles:
- Authorising Officer: This must be a senior-level, competent staff member that oversees the actions of staff and representatives using the SMS.
- Key Contact: This will be your organisation’s main point of contact with the UK Visas and Immigration department of the Home Office.
- Level 1 User: This will be the person responsible for the day-to-day management of your sponsor licence using the SMS
Sponsor Licence Application Guidance
Your Tier 2 sponsor licence application must be made online at which point a fee is payable. For support with your application, contact our specialist Tier 2 sponsor licence lawyers, today.
You will then need to provide all your supporting evidence within five days of making your application. If you fail to submit supporting documents within the timeframe, your application will be delayed or rejected, and additional fees will apply.
The list of documents you will need to send is highly specific, very extensive and will vary depending on the type of business you are – for example a public organisation, a startup or a charity.
For help compiling the documents you will need to support your application, speak to a top London immigration lawyer, now.
Once you have made your application and submitted the correct supporting evidence, your organisation may be subject to a visit from the Home Office to assess whether a licence can be granted. Your business will be subject to a ‘genuineness test’ to establish whether the licence you apply for fits the type of employment described on your application.
If your organisation is approved to hire international workers, you will be issued with an A-rated sponsor licence and added to the official list of Home Office registered sponsors. This will then allow you to issue Tier 2 Certificates of Sponsorship to overseas talent.
Hire a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence Lawyer
Your Tier 2 sponsor licence application will be assessed in accordance with the Home Office’s ‘grounds to refuse’ criteria. If your application is unsuccessful, you are unable to appeal. Your application must be 100% accurate and provide all the necessary supporting documentation, otherwise you risk refusal.
With no margin for error, hiring a specialist Tier 2 sponsor licence immigration lawyer will save you time and money, but most importantly it removes the pressure of trying to navigate the system alone.
Ash Norton Solicitors has more than 20 years of experience helping all kinds of UK businesses secure a sponsor licence to hire the talent they need. For a start to finish service, talk to our UK immigration team. Call +44 (0)207 629 3633 or click here to get in touch.
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