Visa Sponsorship In the UK

Currently, the inclusion of visa sponsorship has given employers the privilege of employing individuals with the desired skills, knowledge, and experience from overseas. However, there are certain rules attached to visa sponsorship that the employer and employee must adhere to. In this article, we will talk about visa sponsorship in the UK.

Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship involves a process where an employer seeks to support a foreign worker to travel to his country and work. As the sponsor, he or she would be responsible for handling the work visa that would legally allow the foreign worker to gain access to the country.

Type of UK Sponsorship Visas

There are numerous work visas that an individual can use to reside and work in the UK. Currently, below are the specific visas that need sponsorship by a UK-based employer.

Skilled Worker Visa

A skilled worker visa is one of the most common sponsorship visa types and is specifically designed for skilled workers with a job offer from a UK employer. The role is required to meet specific skills and salary and the foreign worker must be fluent in English.

Temporary Worker Visa

A temporary worker visa enables an individual to travel to the UK and spend a minimal period. During this short time, one is allowed to take up a wide range of roles with the inclusion of creative, charity, and religious work.

Scale Up Worker Visa

Scale Up worker visa is a hybrid type of visa that comes with an initial six-month sponsorship. This visa allows skilled workers from overseas to be hired by high-growth employers.

Health and Care Worker Visa

A health and care worker visa is a specialist visa type that focuses on healthcare professionals. This visa seeks to offer support for the employment of various health personnel including doctors, nurses, and various others in the healthcare sector of the country.

Global Business Mobility Visas

A global business mobility visa is a company-based type of visa that usually comes with sponsorship. This visa is specifically designed for employees of multinational companies who are to be transferred to their UK branch

 

Each of the above-mentioned visa types comes with its requirements and eligibility criteria which the worker and employer must fulfill.

The Need for Sponsorship License

Before a foreign worker can be sponsored for a work visa, the employer must obtain a sponsorship license from the necessary agency. The license would assist the agency to ensure that the employer meets the standards and can fulfill their sponsorship duties.

If this specific license is not present, an organization cannot legally employ a foreign worker through a sponsored work visa. An employer must pass through the necessary process, show commitment, and ensure the foreign worker conforms with the laws before being issued the sponsorship license.

Responsibilities of A Sponsoring Employer

As an employer, there are some responsibilities that you will be handling if you decide to sponsor a foreign worker and secure the sponsorship license. Some of the responsibilities include;

Training and Awareness

As a sponsoring employer, you must ensure that your sponsored workers are trained and informed of their duties. It’s crucial for your human resource department as they will be in charge of managing the compliance aspect of the visa sponsorship.

Regular Audits

The agency responsible for issuing the sponsorship license may conduct regular audits or visits to ensure the compliance of the employer. If you fail to comply with their rules, it could result in suspension or withdrawal of the issued sponsorship license.

Record Keeping

As a sponsoring employer, you must maintain records of all your sponsored workers in your establishment. These could include copies of their passport, their qualification, and evidence of their rights to work.

Worker’s information about their homes, payment, and contracts must be retained.

Ensuring the Eligibility of Workers

Before foreign workers are offered sponsorship for a particular role, they must have the skill, knowledge, and experience to manage that role well. As an employer sponsoring a visa, you must ensure the worker in particular is eligible for the role you are offering.

Reporting the Duties of Workers

Another essential responsibility of a sponsoring employer is to report the activities of the foreign worker to the immigration office. Any changes to the contract which could be a promotion, demotion, or termination of the contract must be communicated.

Also, if you are selling off your business, you need to report it too.