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Guide 2022 – UK Tier 2 Sponsor Licence

By UK Immigration Lawyers in India & UK

Reading time: Approx 7 mins

The UK Tier-2 Sponsor license is used to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK. The Tier-2 visa covers all sorts of general work, including unpaid work like running a charity. You will not need a license to sponsor Irish citizens, people having settled or pre-settled status, and people having indefinite leave to remain in the UK. You need to apply online for the visa, after which you would be given a license rating. This license will be valid for four years and can be taken away from you if you do not fulfil certain responsibilities as a sponsor. To get a license without going through the hassles of the application process, you can take the help of the SmartMove2UK.

UK Tier-2 Sponsor license requirements

To be eligible for a Tier-2 sponsorship license, you will have to fulfil the following criteria.

You must not have criminal charges against you for offences related to immigration or similar crimes, like money laundering and fraud.
You must not have had your sponsorship license revoked in the last 12 months.
To be a successful sponsor, you will need to have monitoring systems in place to keep tabs on your sponsored employees. The immigration department will also review your application form and supporting documents, and might even visit your business to check the credibility of your application.

What are the Regulatory Procedures and Registration Formalities for UK Tier 2 Sponsor Licence? Know more

Certificates of sponsorship

A certificate of sponsorship is an electronic document handed by you to each foreign worker you employ. The certificate has a unique number through which a worker can apply for the visa.

Defined certificates

are for people who are applying through a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK. You need to issue defined certificates to these people through sponsorship management systems.

Undefined certificates

are for people who are applying from inside the UK. You will need to provide an estimate of how many undefined certificates you’ll need.

Your responsibilities as a UK Sponsor Visa provider

  • To provide sponsorship, you must see if the workers are eligible.
  • You must ensure they have the necessary skills, with evidence, to do their jobs and keep copies of the documents for the same.
  • You must only assign the certificates to workers whose job is eligible for sponsorship.
  • You must inform the immigration office if the sponsored workers show a lack of compliance with the conditions on their visa.

You must also monitor employees in terms of:

  • Immigration status
  • Keeping relevant documents updated
  • Tracking attendance
  • Keeping updated contact details

Workers below 18 need to be taken suitable care of, like travels and living arrangements.

Failing any of the responsibilities will cause you to lose your license.

Types of licenses

The license you apply for depends on the workers you need for the job.

for long term or permanent employability. It includes

Temporary worker license

for temporary employment. The working time ranges from 6 months to 2 years. It includes

  • The government authorized exchange worker
  • International agreement worker
  • Creative or sporting worker
  • Charity worker
  • Religious worker
  • Seasonal worker

Information on Sponsorship License Application

You need to apply online for the Tier-2 sponsorship license and send in the submission sheet and supporting documents at the end. A license fee is asked when you apply, and it depends on the type of license you’re applying for. You can either be a small sponsor or a charitable sponsor. Based on this, your license fee will vary depending on what type of worker you’re sponsoring.

An application usually gets reviewed within 8 weeks. An application might be refused if any of your supporting documents are rejected or the caseworker made an error while reviewing your application.

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

Your UK Sponsorship license rating

  • Your license rating determines your freedom to hire new workers.
  • As soon as your application is approved, you get an A rating.
  • Your application can be downgraded to a B rating if you do not meet your sponsor duties. This will prevent you from issuing certificates of sponsorship for new workers.
  • An ‘action plan’ payable with a fee can help you get upgraded to an A rating after the completion of all the steps.
  • If you get another B rating in 4 years, your license can be revoked. You need to wait for 12 months to reapply for the license.

Job Suitability

A worker you sponsor must have job suitability, that is, they have a suitable pay and skill level and meet other criteria on their visa. Sponsoring under-18s cannot be done under visas of a skilled worker, Intra-company, seasonal worker, or international agreement worker.

Skilled Worker Sponsor License

Also known as a skilled sponsor license, it is the main method through which skilled migrants can be employed in the UK. The Tier-2 employer sponsor license has been renewed as the skilled worker sponsor license. However, the existing Tier-2 sponsors can continue to employ workers with their license.

You can speak to our UK Migrant Worker Licence Consultant on +91 98191 27002

Thus, a UK Tier-2 Sponsor license can help you make your workforce more inclusive. However, applying for the license is a time-consuming process. You can take the help of the SmartMove2UK’s services to make your application process easier. With the personal review service, you can check if you’ve made any mistakes while applying.

The SmartMove2UK also has a full representation service where you can completely rely on the experts to get your application filled up and approved as soon as possible. After getting the approval, you can employ the workers necessary for your job.

You can know more details about how this process works by contacting us on

Do we require any authentication code on sponsorship letter for UK Tier 2?

- Question asked in a forum
There is no authentication for Certificate of Sponsorship issued by a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence holder.

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