Businesses thrive when they have the right people in place – but finding them can be difficult, especially in niche areas of work. So what would it mean to your business if you could cast your net wider? To search further afield for the right people and skills?
Sponsoring a skilled worker from overseas is one way of increasing the number of potential candidates available to you. True, it can bring with it some added complications, it can also provide significant benefits – and we’ll look at both of these aspects in this blog.
What Could Sponsorship Do for Your Business?
Overseas recruitment creates a much wider pool of possible candidates for the position (or positions) you are looking to fill. This means you can target the skills you absolutely need amongst an enormous range of talent, making it especially beneficial in fields where the skills you are looking for are scarce or you need the absolute best that’s out there. This can be invaluable for many different sectors, but particularly roles in engineering, technology, care, hospitality, and creative projects.
If all goes well, you could find yourself with exactly the right employee you need: someone with the ideal skill set who is strongly committed to your organisation.
Matters to Consider
There are some risks to the sponsorship process, however.
In the UK, you have to obtain a sponsor licence if you wish to sponsor any overseas workers. Once obtained, it allows the workers you wish to sponsor to apply for appropriate work visas. But applying for a sponsor licence represents an investment of time and money, and there is no guarantee that your licence will be granted.
Similarly, the worker you are sponsoring must be successful with their work visa application. This is assisted considerably by your sponsorship but the usual requirements, such as criminal background checks, will also apply and could result in an application being refused.
And there are other matters to account for when considering sponsorship, such as:
- Whether the role you are looking to fill is suitable for sponsorship. The job must, for example, meet certain requirements regarding wages, the work involved, and the skill level necessary.
- The time the process will take – as a rough guide, it usually takes about 8 weeks for the Home Office to decide on a sponsor licence application but it may take longer.
- Ongoing compliance requirements – to ensure that your sponsor licence isn’t revoked and/or your worker’s visa is not curtailed. These include reporting and record-keeping duties as well as co-operating with any Home Office audits.
Taking Full Advantage of Sponsorship
You can increase your chance of a positive sponsorship outcome by obtaining support from solicitors who specialise in immigration matters. By getting practical advice right from the outset, you can make necessary preparations and ensure your licence application is as strong as possible.
At Truth Legal, we have extensive experience of helping businesses to apply for sponsor licences and maximising their chances of success. We also provide ongoing HR and compliance support to assist with the obligations that come alongside sponsorship.
Sponsoring a skilled worker may sound like a lot to go through, but the rewards are certainly there. You might just find the perfect new hire to elevate your business.
