A sponsor licence holder has many duties to fulfil in sponsoring a migrant worker. UK employers that acquire a sponsor licence must perform their duties set by the United Kingdom Immigration and Visa department. Sponsor licence duties are mentioned in the sponsor guidance of the home office. If you fail to adhere to the duties mentioned in the sponsor guidance, your licence can be suspended or abolished by UKVI. In this peculiar article, we will discuss the various responsibilities of a sponsor and how long they require to fulfil them.
Responsibilities of the Sponsor for an Immigrant
In the process of sponsoring an international worker for your firm, it is essential to keep an eye on sponsor guidance, as it frequently gets updated. You can not fail to accomplish your duties, as it can lead to major consequences. Apart from that, as an employer, you are responsible for an immigrant till the duration of your sponsor licence expiry and further as well if you extend the licence, and the worker is willing to work with your organisation. If you are unaware of sponsor licence duties, follow the following steps.
- A UK employer is responsible for avoiding the misuse of the sponsor evaluation process.
- Monitoring the concerned behaviour of migrant workers.
- Ensuring that international workers are following the immigration rules of UKVI.
- You have to notify the home office about relevant changes in your organisation, such as a change of address, a change of organisational work nature, and changes in the number of migrant workers.
- You need to inform the UKVI about replacing the authorising office and key personnel.
- As a UK employer, it is your duty to monitor the leaves and attendance of migrant workers.
- You need to report to the UKVI regarding any changes to the migrant worker’s employment.
- As Appendix D mentions, inform the home office about retaining crucial documents from migrant workers.
- As your sponsor licence duties, you must follow the rules and regulations of UKVI and cooperate with them throughout the entire process.
These are a few essential duties of a sponsor licence holder; however, it can be challenging for you to fulfil your responsibilities without hurdles. But you can minimise them by associating with a sponsor licence solicitors. They can help you accomplish your employer duties transparently and accurately. The home office can perform compliance visits if you lack in fulfilling your duties.
A Brief About Compliance Visit of UKVI
Suppose the home office develops any doubt that a UK employer is not able or willing to adhere to its duties. In that case, they may visit your organisation’s premises at any time to run a compliance visit. During this visit, the UKVI closely analyses whether an employer is accomplishing its duties. They also look into whether the sponsored worker’s employment is authentic. Through this compliance visit, they verify every crucial aspect of the employer and employee that comes under the specific criteria of a sponsor licence. During this visit of UKVI, you have to prove the authenticity and stability of your organisation along with other crucial factors that are required to get a sponsor licence. Hence, you can not disappoint the home office at any point; their disappointment may cancel your licence and drastically impact your organisation. Migrant workers will no longer be able to work for your organisation if UKVI suspends your sponsor licence. However, to avoid such unacceptable behaviour of UKVI, getting along with a sponsor licence solicitor who can let you fulfil all your duties precisely is better. Various law firms in the UK, such as A Y & J Solicitors, can help you with such complex situations. Their impeccable knowledge and understanding of UK immigration law can prove helpful for you in terms of adhering to your sponsor duties.
Conclusion
Now, you must understand the crucial duties of a sponsor licence holder. As long as your licence is valid as an employer and you can sponsor migrant workers outside the United Kingdom, you are responsible for their activities. A sponsor licence can be valid for five years, including the renewal time period. As an employer, your job is not only sponsoring migrant workers but also various sponsor duties that you must successfully accomplish. You must avoid escaping your sponsor duties as it can lead to consequences. The UKVI can suspend your licence, and you won’t be able to sponsor migrant workers. Monitoring workers’ activities and ensuring their detachment from criminal offences also comes under a sponsor duty. Apart from that, you must inform the home office if a worker does not appear at your organisation on their first day of joining. You must inform UKVI about the leaves and attendees of migrant employees. If you adhere to the duties mentioned in the sponsor guidance, your licence can be allowed to continue and continue by UKVI.
