Sponsorship Licence Renewal

UK companies and businesses employing skilled foreign workers have to apply for a sponsorship license depending on the category of workers they wish to employ. These companies can apply for the renewal of their existing sponsor license so that they can continue to employ foreign workers in their businesses. An application for sponsor license renewal can be made three months from the date of expiry of the current license. This needs to be made by using the Sponsor Management System, or SMS, which was put in place to issue the Certificates of Sponsorship to employees as well as keeping track of them.

A company submitting the application for the renewal of a sponsor license has to provide the details of all the employees sponsored under the currently held sponsorship license. The team of immigration experts at rapid-visas.co.uk can help you ensure that you submit the desired documents in the correct format to avoid rejection of your renewal application. Our experts can guide you through the whole process, especially organising your supporting documents and using the SMS to file your renewal application.

What is a Sponsor Management System?

The SMS, or the Sponsor Management System, is an online tool used by an organization that already has a sponsorship license. It can be used to manage and renew the sponsor license. The system is also used for:

• Creating and assigning certificates of sponsorship to prospective employees under the Skilled worker visa visa category.
• Reporting any change of circumstances of the employees sponsored by your business.
• Reporting any changes in your own circumstances such as change in the ownership or location of your business.

How Can I Get My Skilled worker visa extended and my UK Sponsor License Renewed?

If your business intends to continue hiring more foreign workers or continuing with the existing foreign workers, you need to apply for the renewal of your sponsor license. While the usual date for applying for a renewal of your sponsor license is up to three months before the expiry of your current license, the deadline for the same can be found on the summary page of the SMS along with the date of the current license’s expiry. The application for the renewal of license has to be submitted via the SMS. The fees for seeking renewal of your sponsor license will depend on the size of your business.

What Do I Need to Keep in Mind When Applying for the Renewal of a Sponsor License?

A company or business applying for the renewal of its sponsors license must ensure that they provide correct details in the SMS. It also needs to ensure that the details of the current employees and the SMS users are updated correctly. All information on your employees must be up to date and a failure to do so can result in the refusal to renew your sponsor license. The submission of the renewal application and payment of the fee to UKVI is followed by the generation of a submission sheet which needs to be sent to the sponsor licensing unit after it has been signed and completed.

How Much Do We Have to Pay In Fees for the Renewal of Our Sponsor License?

The fees for the renewal of a sponsor license varies according to the size of the company and can be paid directly through the SMS at the time of submitting the application. A small or charity company is required to pay a fee of £536 for the renewal of its sponsor license. A company is considered to be small if its annual turnover is a maximum of £10.2 million. If your company has an annual turnover of more than £10.2 million, it falls in the category of medium or large and is required to pay a fee of £1,476 for the renewal of its sponsor license.

Is the Renewal of a Sponsor License Essential?

Yes, if you wish to continue to employ non EEA workers legally in your business you have to apply for a sponsor license renewal. Employment of foreign workers without a sponsor license is illegal and can attract imposition of penalties by the UK Home Office. The failure to get a license renewed while continuing to employ foreign workers can also result in the suspension of the company’s rights to seek a sponsor license in the future. The punishment can result in imprisonment in certain cases.

The immigration experts at rapid-visas.co.uk can help businesses apply for a renewal of their sponsorship licenses by assisting them with the use of the SMS. The experts will also guide you in keeping all your information up to date and factually correct. They can also help your business get ready for a visit by the UKVI officials besides coordinating with the Home Office about the status of your application.