If you’re a UK employer looking to hire skilled workers from abroad, you must apply for a Sponsor Licence. Since December 2020, businesses need a licence to hire employees from the European Economic Area (EEA).
Types of Sponsor Licences:
•Worker Licence: For long-term roles such as Skilled Worker, Senior/Specialist Worker, and Health/Care Worker.
•Temporary Worker Licence: For short-term sponsorships, including volunteers and job shadowing.
Licensing Duration & Renewal:
•Licences last for four years and must be renewed before expiration.
Fees:
•Small or charitable organizations: £536.
•Large businesses: £1,476.
•Expedited processing: £500 additional fee.
This licence allows UK businesses to hire skilled workers from both within the UK and abroad. It’s ideal for employers who need to fill positions that require specific skills and experience.
Specially designed for employers in the healthcare industry, this licence enables you to sponsor health and care workers for positions in the UK. It applies to roles within health and care settings, both for UK-based and international candidates.
If you’re a religious organization, this licence lets you sponsor religious leaders or individuals working within a religious group. This could include ministers, missionaries, or other pastoral roles, to perform religious duties in the UK.
For rapidly expanding businesses, the Scale-Up licence allows you to sponsor talented individuals to fill high-skilled roles. The candidates must be offered jobs in qualifying companies with appropriate salary levels.
This licence allows UK businesses to sponsor senior managers or specialist employees who are transferred from international branches. The sponsoring business must have a connection with the overseas company through joint ventures or common ownership.
If you’re expanding your business into the UK, this licence allows you to sponsor employees from your overseas branch to help establish your new operations.
This licence covers short-term employment for a variety of sectors, including:
•Creative Workers (e.g. artists and performers).
•Charity Workers (unpaid roles).
•Religious Workers (for roles in religious organizations).
•Seasonal Workers (for jobs in agriculture, horticulture, or poultry).