It is mandatory
for organisations that want to appoint non-EEA workers must apply for the
sponsor license. If the same is granted by the Home office, then the
organisation becomes eligible to recruit sponsored workers by issuing
Certificates of Sponsorship to them. It is expected that the scope of the sponsor
license visa model will be more expanded in the post-Brexit future to allow
skilled workers from EU countries. Organisations that have a plan to replace
their ongoing workforce with foreign skilled workers need to apply for a
sponsorship license by the starting of 2021. These companies need to consult
the best immigration solicitors before applying for the sponsor license to get
a clear idea about the various costs associated to sponsor a skilled worker.
How much does the sponsor need to spend?
It is important
for all organisations, which are planning to recruit foreign employees from the
countries excluding the EEA region, to have a clear picture of the cost
associated with it. The companies must understand that bearing the cost of the
application fee is just the starting. There are various other costs associated
which we will discuss in this article.
Application fee for the
sponsorship license
The application fee for the sponsor
license for any
company depends on mainly two things, the size of the company/business and the
tier of the sponsor license the
company is applying for. Following are the fee structure,
●
Only Tier 2 sponsor license: £1,476 for large and medium size
companies/ businesses, and £536 for charities and small size companies/
businesses.
●
Only Tier 5 sponsor license: £536 for large and medium size
companies/ businesses, and £536 for charities and small size companies/
businesses.
●
Tier 2 and 5 sponsor license: £1,476 for large and medium size
companies/ businesses, and £536 for charities and small size companies/
businesses.
●
Adding Tier 2 to an existing Tier 5 sponsor license: £536 for
large and medium size companies/ businesses, and no fee applicable for
charities and small size companies/ businesses.
●
Adding Tier 5 to an existing Tier 2 sponsor license :No fee
applicable
Companies/Businesses having an
employee strength of 50 or, less or, having £10.2 million or less annual
turnover is considered as small businesses.
Once the
application process is done, the company needs to be prepared for facing a sponsor license compliance visit by the
Home Office as a part of their assessment process before granting a sponsor
license. If, the license is granted then also the company may face a sponsor license compliance visit by the
Home Office again in the future at any time during the validity period of the sponsor license. In case, the company
receives a ‘B’ rating from the Home Office after the visit, they need to follow
an up gradation process of their sponsor
license accompanying a penalty fee.
Once the
sponsor license is granted to a company by the Home Office, it must also
remember that the license needs timely renewal. The cost for sponsor license renewal must also be taken into account. One can visit
the website of the Home Office to get a clear idea and breakups of the license
renewal cost.
Application fee for Work
Visa
In Tier 2
sponsor license, an application fee for a work visa must be paid for each worker
and each of their dependents. This fee ranges between £464-£1,408, depending on
the following factors,
●
Place of application
●
Whether the worker's skill comes under the list of shortage
occupation.
●
Duration of Visa.
Cost of CoS (Certificate of
Sponsorship)
The
organisation needs to pay £199 to the Home Office for issuing each CoS to its
employee.
The employer
needs to carry various other charges like the immigration skills charge and the
healthcare surcharge for each of the skilled workers they are hiring. So, any company
needs to calculate these costs in depth before hiring foreign skilled workers
who will work hard to grow the company's business in the future.
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