The Home Office has recently declared the upcoming termination of the sponsor renewal requirement every four years, providing noteworthy relief to employers and expats in the UK. This move is crucial for employers in the country to streamline the need for massive paperwork and the payment of hefty fees for worker retention.
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According to the information on the official government website regarding UK Visas and Immigration, the UK sponsor license was a mandatory requirement for employers wishing to hire international workers. This requirement applied to every individual who arrived in the UK after December 31, 2020, including the natives of EU member countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Furthermore, the education providers also required a sponsor license to get overseas students and faculty into the UK.
Here’s all that you need to know:
What is the New Rule?
- With effect from April 6, the rules that required renewal of sponsor licenses every four years will no longer exist.
- From April 6, all the expiring sponsor licenses will automatically be extended by ten years, abolishing the renewal requirement altogether.
- Within this timeframe, valid license-holding sponsors do not need to take any action, as the extension automatically covers their licenses.
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What Were The Earlier Rules?
- Formerly, businesses that sponsored licenses were required to submit applications 90 days before expiration.
- They must pay a hefty fee ranging from £536 to £1,476 according to their size and charity status.
- It could take up to 8 weeks to process the renewals.
What Will Happen To Those In The Renewal Process?
The UK Home Office stated that it would contact those sponsors who have already initiated the renewal process while refunding the application fees to sponsors in the renewal process. Additionally, it instructed verifying their license expiration through an online Sponsorship Management System (SMS).
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Besides immigration being a controversial point in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government intends to raise overseas personnel hiring costs, including a noteworthy hike in salary requirement to be declared in December.
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