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If you live in the UK there is a high chance that you’re wondering about sponsorships, as well as license applications along with their prices. With the British economy expected to become better and grow strongly in 2024 and 2024, people are still wondering what the future holds and how it is going to make an impact on their businesses or jobs.
Do you want to employ a worker that is from another country? Are you a foreigner looking for an opportunity in the UK?
First, you will need a license issued by the state to employ foreigners or enroll them as your students. Keep on reading and find all that you should know down below.
What is the typical cost of a sponsor license application?
It doesn’t really matter what type of business you’re in or what you’re applying for (private or public options), rules stay the same for all.
You have to apply for and secure a sponsor license before anyone can begin with your paperwork or recruitment. This is why and where the prices can vary.
The top three factors to take into consideration are:
- The type of your license
- Fees for the sponsor
- Fees for bigger sponsors
In the end, prices can vary from £530 – £1,500. You should also know that a UK sponsorship visa license is valid for 4 years, after which you can renew your license if you still meet the eligibility criteria.
Top 4 key elements to know and take into consideration
1. Home office sponsor license and its application fees
It begins with the size of your business. You can always add on and get additional fees for an enhanced level of service to get better benefits. A sponsor may apply for this as well to get an unlimited number of undefined certificates for job candidates who then may apply for the UK work visa.
You will be looking at a fee of £25,000 per year for bigger businesses or £8,000 for a small business.
2. Immigration skills charge
The next thing to look out for is the immigration skill fee that is payable by the sponsor license holder. It has to be paid in full and can’t be deducted from the employee’s salary in no case whatsoever.
The immigration skills charge fee for sponsor license holders is £360 during their first year. An additional £182 is payable every six months.
3. Health surcharge + application fees
This is a fee payable by the visa applicant unless they fall within an exemption category for their specific case. This includes even private health care, including access to a private GP service.
The immigration health surcharge is £624 per year for most job applicants. On the other hand, the visa application fee depends on the nature of the work visa and its length. Costs will vary from £610- £1,220.
4. Optional add-ons for you to consider
There is also a ton of different possible and potential administration fees that we have already mentioned and talked about, all of these can speed up the process itself.
This could also help you keep your passport throughout the process, have a courier drop it off to you, and enjoy faster lane perks.
PS: However, many of these won’t apply to EU citizens as they will be applying for an e-visa.
FAQ about license applications
1. How much time does it take to get a UK sponsor license?
A ton of people might be in a rush, which is why the most important question (along with its pricing) will come down to its effectiveness. In most cases, you’re looking at a period of at least eight weeks.
There could be a lot of talk between both parties, a time-consuming period of gathering documents and sending them back and forth, as well as facing some delays. Most experienced immigration advisors recommend possibly adding 5 more weeks to this period for safe & sound results.
PS: to speed up the process you can add an extra £500 to have your application fast-tracked.
2. What to do after getting a sponsorship license?
After the process is almost done or completely sorted out you will be getting an “A” rating in the Register of Sponsors, which is an important part and role for your company and your documents.
Keeping copies on both ends is crucial to have your paperwork documented. If you do not perform your duties as a sponsor level, your rating might be downgraded to a “B” level. If this does happen to you heads up since some opportunities will be limited.
3. What to do if your UK sponsor license gets downgraded?
Speaking of a B license and a lower grading, the approach may have to change since you will not be able to employ new foreign workers or issue new certificates of sponsorship if it comes to this. You will have to try and get back up to an A level first.
In most cases, the Home Office will provide you with a different route that you can take and you can try different options if they discover something during the inspection. Be aware that your license could get revoked in some extreme options.
Want to learn more and get a bit of help?
In the end, do you know what steps to take? In fact and contrary to popular belief, it is not difficult to obtain a sponsorship license for hiring foreign specialists, but you have to have a proper approach. It all comes down to having the right documents and taking action.
With the right guideline and a bit of help, you should easily get a sponsorship license. If you need more info or if you want to learn all there’s to it make sure that you check out https://imperiallegal.com/sponsorship-licence/.
They are a global company that can answer and helps out with any residence, citizenship, immigration, or tax-related questions for any person!
