How Long Does It Take To Get A Sponsorship License In The UK?
Employees should know how long it takes to obtain a sponsorship license in the UK after completing the application process. When looking to hire someone overseas, a sponsorship license is crucial.
Failure to issue the sponsorship license could cause you to lose your candidate as they will sue any other employer. You must complete the application and submit it on time so that you can keep the deserving candidate for yourself.
In this article, we wanted to help employers how to get a sponsor license in uk. It includes great practices and tips to speed up the process and avoid inconvenience during the sponsorship process.
How long does it take?
As part of the standard services, processing a referral license can take up to two months. Employers you work with are strongly advised to obtain the sponsorship license within two to three months of applying. You can speak to the Home Office to expedite processing or other factors that may impact processing.
The part of Home Services responsible for processing the sponsorship visa license is UKVI (United Kingdom Visas and Immigration). For emergencies in the Ukrainian diet, the UKVI is delaying all visa processes giving it priority. However, the referral license is not affected by these delays.
UKVI is heavily oversubscribed as it has been limited to receiving a small number of applications per working day. This makes the process faster.
Other factors affecting the sponsorship application process
Besides the UKVI, other factors that influence visa sponsorship speed include:
Application complexity
The size of the organization and its complexity will require more documentation to complete the application process. This factor can cause delays in the application processin particular if the documents are to be submitted in a manner provided for by the UKVI.
Quality of your submission
The quality of the application you have submitted and the extent to which you have followed the rules and regulations set out by UKVI will help you to fast track obtaining the sponsorship license in the UK.
Pre-licensing compliance visit
Suppose UKVI officials decide to visit your organization before making the decision to issue the sponsorship license. The purpose of this visit is to inspect the organization’s immigration compliance.
Priority pre-licensing application service to speed up the licensing process
You speed up the process by paying an additional £500 to have the application processed faster within ten working days.
This process is advantageous for employers who have already identified their candidates. In case they wish to expedite the obtaining of their license by their candidates and avoid delays in the awarding of sponsorship certificates.
However, this service is limited to a small number of submitted applications. Here are the slots that are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis for applicants.
The priority slot has become difficult to reach because, since the end of 2020, priority services have been saturated.
Pre-licensing compliance visit
One of the main reasons for the delay in getting the sponsorship license in the UK is the compliance inspection process. The UKVI has the power to visit your organization for inspection if they deem it necessary. They do this to ensure that you meet all of the sponsor license criteria and hire someone abroad.
Not all sponsor licenses need to be inspected. The decision whether or not to carry out an inspection rests with the UKVI authority. Make sure you avoid this step by submitting your application error-free and following all rules and regulations set out by UKVI.
6-8 weeks from the date of submission is a good time to visit the site.
The Home Office is required to give you two weeks notice before the date of the inspection. During this time, be sure to take care of any issues that may be bothering your prospects and prepare for confrontation. Use this time wisely to avoid any further delays.
If the HY system and documents have not yet been subject to mock audits, it is advisable to request the audit as soon as the Ministry of the Interior informs you of the inspection date. This will give you time to rectify any errors before the inspection.
After visiting your organization, officials will provide reports of their findings. You will receive the license once you clear the inspection and results. You may need a delay of six to eight months after the conclusions.
When your referral license is granted
Once your sponsorship license is granted, your organization will be registered under Licensed Sponsors and you will be granted a license qualification. You will then have the authority to authorize the foreign candidate sponsorship visa to come and work for your company. The license is valid for four years. You can continue to enjoy the benefits by reapplying before the expiration date.
Will applying for a sponsorship license be a good idea now?
Applying for a sponsorship license would be a good idea now, as all factors point to a continuation of the current trend of receiving a large number of applications. Processing can take a long time, but with the amount of work going on, the speed won’t drop any time soon.
If you need a sponsorship license now for next year, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Things may seem dark and confusing, but with the right help, you’ll be able to get everything done without any pressure or tension. Hire an experienced adviser to help you through the UK sponsorship license process. the experienced professional will help you from the first step, which is to pilot the application, collect the document and submit it in an organized manner. They also have strategies that will help you avoid further delays. You can have complete confidence in them as they know well and have the experience to get things done when it comes to licensing sponsorship.