Considering the post-Brexit transition the sponsor license guidance for every employer has grown significantly important. 01.01.2021 onwards, a compulsory requirement for every UK employer to secure a sponsor license UK and effectuate its sponsorship duties.
In that context, the sponsor licence renewals are to be given priority, otherwise, the employers lose their licence the opportunity to hire skilled staff for their organization.
The Home Office’s take on the sponsor licence renewals
Recently, the sponsor licence renewal processing has been expedited by the Home Office. This could be beneficial to the UK employers and will give them ample time to submit the documents. On the other hand, if the application were to be rejected on some unavoidable grounds, then the employers will have enough time to resubmit the application before the sponsor licence expires.
The Home Office has now started to remind the employers of the sponsor licence renewals much before the expiry date.
All UK employers can now renew their sponsor licence as early as 90 days(three months) before the expiry.
The sponsor licence renewal applications are now being processed within 10 days of the application submission date.
There Home Office has been strictly and rigorously checking the activity on your sponsor licence to identify if there are any compliance gaps.
It is always recommended that the employer conducts the mock audit before making the application for renewals by expert immigration Solicitors.
Any outcome of the evaluation for your sponsor licence renewal will be communicated to you by the Home Office.
When can you renew your sponsor licence?
The sponsor licence needs to be renewed after every 4 years. You can renew it by submitting the renewal application as early as three months before your licence is bound to expire.
The information on licence renewal and expiry can be accessed from the Sponsorship Management System(SMS)
The Home Office will send you a reminder message on your Sponsorship Management System to renew your licence 120 calendar days before the expiry date. Other reminders will follow at 30-day intervals, and up to the very last month before the licence expiry date. You will get a final reminder two weeks before the scheduled expiry date. This is one of the advantages of keeping your contact information on the Sponsorship Management System(SMS) up to date to ensure the appropriate personnel(Key personnel or level 1 user) will receive the reminders and initiate the renewal process at the appropriate time.
Documents needed for sponsor licence renewal
Generally speaking, there are no additional documents required during the submission of the sponsor licence renewal applications.
However, the Home Office can ask you to directly submit any document specifically needed in your case.
The employer must submit all the relevant documents asked within five working days, otherwise, the Home Office can take strict action against you.
The worst-case scenario would be your sponsor licence can be downgraded, revoked, or suspended further.
New documentary evidence to be provided by the Sponsor
There are some sponsors licensed routes that are operating in certain sectors that must provide new copies of some documents on renewal as laid down by the Home Office.
- T2 (Sportsperson) and T5 (Temporary Worker) Creative or Sporting Worker sponsors must provide sports governing body endorsement.
- T5 (Temporary Worker) International Agreement Worker sponsors which are a diplomatic or consular mission or international organisation must provide a signed letter from the head of the mission, the consulate or the organisation’s office in the UK to confirm they:
- agree to the licence renewal application
- wish to continue to sponsor workers on the T5 (Temporary Worker) International Agreement Worker route
- accept the sponsorship requirements
How can you expedite?
The sponsor licence applications and renewals take much longer than you would imagine. A lot of compliances and documentation work needs to be processed which may overwhelm you from time to time. The best would be to take legal assistance from the best immigration law firm. A Y & J Solicitors understand your sponsorship licence renewal need and relevant updates from the Home office to hand-hold you by conducting mock audits before application, assessing compliance activities and many more.