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UK Tier 2 sponsor licence

The Tier 2 visa category was earlier known as Work Permit visas, Tier 2 visas are work visas that Home Office licensed UK employers holding Tier 2 sponsor licence. There are various subcategories of Tier 2 visa UK including:

  • Tier 2 General
  • Tier 2 Intra company transfer
  • Tier 2 Minister of religion
  • Tier 2 sportspersons

If you are a UK business considering sponsoring migrant workers under the points-based system and would like to find out whether you can be a Tier 2 visa sponsor, how to apply for a Tier 2 sponsor licence, how you can sponsor Tier 2 migrants when you have a licence, and what your duties are as a Tier 2 sponsor, then this reading is for you.

A UK employer will need a Tier 2 sponsor licence to employ someone from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland to work for you in the UK. This includes unpaid work, like running a charity.

As UK employer the company can apply for Tier 2 sponsor licence depending on their requirement:

  • Tier 2 – skilled workers with long-term job offers
  • Tier 2 Shortage Occupation
  • Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme)

UK employers can apply for a sponsor licence covering either tier or both.

Tier 2 Sponsor Licence

A Tier 2 licence allows employers to bring in skilled workers who will be employed on a long term basis. Tier 2 licence holders can bring applicants in the UK on the following sub categories:

  • Tier 2 General – the role must meet the job suitability requirements
  • Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer – for multinational companies which need to transfer employees to the UK
  • Tier 2 Minister of Religion – for people coming to work for a religious organisation (for up to 3 years)
  • Tier 2 Sportsperson – for elite sportspeople and coaches who will be based in the UK


At The Smartmove2UK our UK Immigration experts have helped companies in different industries including Information Technology, Mobile telephony, App development, Gems & Jewelery, Industrial goods manufacturers, Engineering goods, Health & wellness companies to successfully apply for Tier 2 sponsor licence.

Tier 5 Sponsor Licence

A Tier 5 licence is for skilled workers who want to be employed on a temporary basis.

Tier 5 licences are split into the following sub categories:

  • Tier 5 Creative and Sporting – to work as a sportsperson (up to 1 year), entertainer or artist (up to 2 years)
  • Tier 5 Charity Worker – for unpaid workers (up to 1 year)
  • Tier 5 Religious Worker – for those doing preaching, pastoral and non-pastoral work (2 years)
  • Tier 5 Government Authorised Exchange – work experience (1 year), research projects or training, eg practical medical or scientific training (2 years) to enable a short-term exchange of knowledge
  • Tier 5 International Agreement – where the worker is coming to do a job which is covered by international law, e.g. employees of overseas governments

Sponsor Licence Renewal

After the initial granting of a Sponsor Licence, the licence will be considered valid for a period of four years after which it must be renewed. Failure to renew a Sponsor Licence leads to an inability to employ your non-EU workers, and will result in strict penalties and fines if an unlicensed employer continues to employ these workers.

At The Smartmove2UK, we have experience with Sponsor Licence renewals, and are available to assist you with this process.

Call us on +91 98191 27002 email us at info@smartmove2uk.com to book an initial consultation with our UK Immigration Expert based Mumbai | Delhi | Bengaluru.

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