UK Sponsor Licence: Keep It Active and Avoid Penalties

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UK Sponsor Licence
Expertise and precision for all UK visa
solutions. Timely support to inspire customers.
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What is a UK Sponsor Licence?
Hiring Overseas Talent
Certificate of Sponsorship
Needed for UK businesses hiring overseas
professionals.
Mandatory to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Work Visa Requirement
Employees need it to apply for most UK work visas.
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Sponsor Licence Overview
Who Needs It?
Unpaid Roles
UK businesses employing skilled professionals.
Required even for unpaid positions, like charity
work.
Includes EU, Iceland, and Swiss citizens arriving
after 2020.
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Eligibility Criteria
Criminal Convictions
Revoked Licence
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No unspent convictions for immigration or fraud
offences.
No licence revoked in the past 12 months.
Monitoring Systems
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Appropriate systems to monitor sponsored
employees.
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Certificate of Sponsorship
Electronic Record
An electronic record with a unique number.
Visa Application
Worker uses the number to apply for a visa.
Time Limit
Apply within 3 months of certificate assignment.
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Sponsor Responsibilities
Skills Check
Job Suitability
Report Compliance
Verify skills and qualifications of workers.
Ensure jobs are suitable for sponsorship.
Report visa condition non-compliance to UKVI.
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Immigration Skills Charge
Pay an extra fee when assigning a Certificate of
Sponsorship.
Applies to Skilled Worker visas and Senior or
Specialist Worker visas.
Pay if applying from outside the UK for 6 months
or inside the UK.
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Sponsorship Management Roles
Authorising Officer
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Senior person responsible for SMS users' actions.
Key Contact
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Main point of contact with UK Visas and
Immigration.
Level 1 User
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Manages the Sponsor Licence using the SMS daily.