Sponsor Licence Compliance

A UK based business needs a sponsor licence to employ someone from outside the UK to work for your business. A post sponsor licence compliance visit is to check whether a sponsor who already holds a sponsor licencece is fulfiling his duties.

The sponsor is responsible for fulfilling certain duties from the day their licence is granted until:

• the sponsor surrender their licence
• they let their sponsor licence lapse
• the Home Office revokes their sponsor licence

Home Office may be carrying out a compliance visit because:

• Sponsor Operations have requested the visit in connection with:
  • intelligence about the organisation
  • the sponsor hitting a trigger point for the number of migrants they have sponsored
  • a sponsor licence renewal application
• another unit in the Home Office has requested the visit as part of a joint operation
• the sponsor is B-rated and is therefore subject to an action plan that now requires assessment
• the sponsor has requested the visit
• a probationary sponsor requires assessment because they have applied for Tier 4 sponsor status
• the Premium Service team have requested a visit

An announced and unannounced visit

Home Office can make an announced or unannounced visit, as the sponsor guidance makes clear to sponsors that they must allow Home Office staff access to any of their premises or sites under their control, on-demand.

If a sponsor refuses to allow Home Office access o demand this may result in the sponsor licence being refused or revoked.

How Connaught Law can help

Our business immigration team can guide you through the whole process of applying and assist you with every step of the sponsor licence application. If you are interested in applying for a sponsor licence or need help with a post-license compliance visit, please get in touch with us on 0203 909 8399