When one is going to work in the UK they require sponsorship from a company based there. This is essential for the entire immigration process to go through as the government needs to see proof of employment of every individual. A UK work visa is not hard to obtain if one finds valid sponsorship from a UK based company.
The sponsorship process is based on many variable factors that include the availability of companies willing to become sponsors for an individual, the employer, and the background of the individual seeking a visa. In this article, we will be talking about the general sponsorship process and how to apply for a licence. We will also cover the time duration in getting the sponsor and worker licence processed.
Doing Everything Online
Immigration lawyers can help with the entire process across different industries like agriculture, finance, technology, and hospitality. The best thing about the sponsorship process is that it can be done remotely and all the documents can be submitted online. Applying online for the worker Visa on the sponsor licence is both very easy and all the required information is presented on the website.
There needs to be a submission sheet as well as all the copies of important documents. One also needs to look at the statutory declarations and affidavits. All of the affidavits should be looked over by a solicitor, Justice of the Peace, a Notary Public, or a Commissioner of Oaths. If one is applying in Scotland, the statutory declaration can be witnessed by a Councillor.
Required Documents
It has already been established that all the required documents can be submitted online as long as they are scanned legibly. Bus submission sheet and all the documents can be scanned and sent to the official email address of the authorities. PDF, JPG and PNG formats are accepted for all the documents so pictures will work just as well as scanning.
The titles of all the documents should be focused on the purpose of the files and not randomly generated numbers. So if it is a file of identity proof it should be titled identity proof. The ideal length of the title should be 25 characters or less. Pictures are accepted but they should be a good enough quality to understand all the details.
An important aspect of the documents is that they should be either in Welsh or English. For any individual whose documents are in any language other than English, a translator is required. A certified translator will help in the process and one can look for guides available for more information on the same. UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) have separate contact details in case there is any issue with email in the files.
All the Costs
The application and all the documents should be perfect at the first attempt because you have to pay a fee for applying. The cost depends entirely on the kind of licence an individual applies for. It will also depend on whether the sponsor classifies as medium or large, or small or charitable.
For instance, a worker licence for charitable sponsors is £536 while it is £1476 for medium/large sponsors. The fees for both types of sponsors for a temporary worker licence is the same which falls at £536. If one is going for both the licences together, then the fee structure resembles the one for worker licence.
If an individual under the sponsorship of a small or charitable organisation wants to add to their already existing temporary worker licence, there are no fees. However, they would have to pay £940 in case they are under the sponsorship of medium/large sponsors.
On the other hand if an individual wants to include a temporary worker licence to their already existing worker Visa, there is no fees on any kind of sponsorship. You can know more about the costs at https://imperiallegal.com/sponsorship-licence/.
How Long Will it Take?
Understanding the duration of the procedure is extremely important in order to plan ahead and make all the related decisions accordingly. Whether you send the documents through email or the UKVI site, it will take at the most 8 weeks to get everything processed. Some officials will also visit the business in order to look at the validity of the sponsor.
This is all a part of the verification process which will happen in the due course of 2 months at the least. On the other hand, if one wants a speedy decision within 10 days they can do so after paying 500 pounds. This request is only done on the first Come first of basis so one might still have to wait until the 10 day duration is over.
Also, understand that these 10 days will be working days, so weekends are exempted. After the application is a success there will be detailed information on guiding you how to choose for a faster decision.
Requesting a Review
Since one is paying so much to get the application process, one cannot leave any room for error in documents submission and application filling. Sometimes you may do everything right but the case worker might make certain mistakes in the application. If you feel that everything was perfect you can request a review which will give you a second chance especially if there were no mistakes.
Review can also be requested if the supporting documents were not looked at closely or were this regarded during the processing. But the review will only be accepted in these two situations and not because somebody disagrees with the decision of the authorities.
The Takeaway
The sponsorship process is not complicated if one goes about it by the book. It will require vigilance and submission of all the documents appropriately for the application to be accepted. 8 weeks is the standard time for the process but it can be reduced to 10 working days based on personal preference.
