The employees need to know how long it takes to get a sponsorship license in the UK after they are done with the application process. When you are looking to hire someone overseas, a sponsorship license is crucial.
Failure to issue the sponsorship license might make you lose your candidate as they will pursue any other employer. You must complete the application and submit it in time so you can keep the deserving candidate to yourself.
In this article, we have aimed to help employers how to get sponsor license in UK. It comprises excellent practice and advice on speeding up the process and avoiding inconvenience during the sponsorship process.
How Long Does It Take?
Under standard services, it might take up to two months to process a sponsorship license. It is highly advisable to the employers that you work based to get the sponsorship license within two to three months of applying. You may talk to the Home Office to speed up the processing or other factors that might impact the processing.
The part of Home Services responsible for processing the sponsorship visa license is UKVI (United Kingdom Visas and Immigration). For the emergencies in the Ukraine scheme, the UKVI is delaying all the visa processes giving it a priority. However, the sponsorship license is not affected by these delays.
The UKVI is highly over-subscribed because it has limited to receiving a small number of applications per working day. It makes the process fast-tracked.
Other Factors Affecting The Sponsorship Application Process
Other than the UKVI, the other factors that influence the speed of sponsorship of visa applications include:
Application Complexity
The size of the organization and its complexity will need more documentation to complete the process of application. This factor can cause delays in the application process, especially if the documents need to be submitted in a manner laid down by the UKVI.
Quality Of Your Submission
The quality of the application that you have submitted and how well you have followed the rules and regulations set by UKVI will help you in gaining speed to get the sponsorship license in the UK.
Pre-licence Compliance Visit
Suppose the UKVI officials decided 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.
Pre-license Application Priority Service For Fast-Forwarding The Licence Process
You make the process faster by paying extra 500 pounds for the application to be processed faster within ten working days.
This process is beneficial for employers who have already identified their candidates. In case they want to expedite their candidates’ securing their license and avoid delays in assigning certificates of sponsorship.
However, this service is limited to a small number of applications submitted. Here are slots that are allotted on a first-come, first-served basis for the candidates.
The priority slot has become hard to achieve as, since the end of 2020, the priority services have become overcrowded.
Pre-license Compliance Visit
One of the primary reasons for the delay in getting the sponsorship license in the UK is the compliance inspection process. The UKVI has the authority to visit your organization for inspection if they this that it is necessary. They do it to ensure that you meet all the criteria for the sponsor license and hiring someone overseas.
Not all the sponsor license needs inspection. The decision on whether to go for an inspection or not depends upon the UKVI authority. Ensure that you avoid this step by submitting your application with no mistakes and abiding by all the rules and regulations that are laid by UKVI.
The 6-8 weeks after the submission date is the time that is prone to the site visit.
The Home Office is liable to give you notice two weeks before the date of inspection. During this time, ensure that you take care of all the issues that might hamper your prospects and prepare yourself for the face-off. Utilize this time well so that you can avoid any further delays.
If the HY system and documents have yet to be subjected to mock audits, it is advisable that you call for the audit as soon as the Home Office notifies you about the inspection date. Doing this will allow you time to rectify the mistakes before the inspection.
After visiting your organization, the officials will provide the reports of their findings. You will be issued the license once you clear the inspection and the findings. You might require a time of six to eight months after the findings.
When Your Sponsorship License Is Granted
Once when your sponsorship license is granted, your organization will be registered under the Licenced Sponsors, and you will gain a license rating. You will then have the authority to allow the overseas candidate sponsorship visa to come and work for your company. The license is valid for four years. You can continue enjoying the benefits by reapplying before the expiry date.
Will Applying For a Sponsorship License Will Be A Good Idea Now?
Applying for a sponsorship license would be a good idea now as all the factors are pointing towards the continuation of the current trend, i.e., receiving high-volume applications. The processing may take a long time, but with the amount of work going on, the speed will not drop any time sooner.
If you are in need of a sponsorship license now for next year, we recommend you apply as soon as you can.
Conclusion
Things might seem gloomy and confusing, but with the right help, you will be able to do all the needful without any pressure or tension. Hire an experienced advisor who will help you during the process of getting the Sponsor Licence in the UK. the experienced professional will help you from the first step, which is flying the application, collecting the document, and submitting them in an organized manner. They also have strategies that will help you to avoid further delays. You can have complete faith in them as they are well-versed and experienced in getting things done when it comes to sponsoring licenses.
