TIER 2 SPONSOR LICENCES | SPONSORSHIP LICENCES

TIER 2 SPONSOR LICENSES & TIER 2 VISAS

At Westkin Associates our business immigration team focuses on obtaining new sponsorship licences for businesses of all sizes. Our employer-friendly and focused approach provides business owners and human resources professionals a complete managed solution. This runs from the outset, from the point that the licence is successfully obtained to the visa being granted for the prospective employee.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM WESTKIN ASSOCIATES?

We normally commence with an initial telephone call with your firm’s key contact. This can be the key decision maker, the relevant human resources officer or even the migrant who wishes to be sponsored. The initial call is at no charge and shall allow us to discuss and advise you on your matters.

We aim to use our experience to ensure that the sponsorship licences are obtained quickly. We provide the Home Office more than the basic minimum requirements and include our own audit report on your business in your application. We do this in order to minimise the chances of a visit from the Home Office and to speed up the process.

We ensure that we project manage the entire application post the sponsorship licence being obtained for your company. This means that the certificate of sponsorship (CoS) and the Tier 2 General visa is also handled by the same team to ensure a smooth and efficient process throughout.

Our team ensure that we handhold the key contact through the entire process. We aim to ensure our work is, in the words of one of our clients, ‘one less headache’ in your working day.

We are also licensed to make applications using the Home Office’s priority service for emergency licence applications. This allows for a faster service to obtain the sponsorship licence in urgent situations, whilst there cannot be any guarantees using this service, we have obtained licences, including visits and reports within a working week.

This is followed by one of our unique selling points, one of our senior lawyers can visit your premises as soon as possible. We understand that for you or your staff, even a few hours out of the office visiting a lawyer can cause disruption. So our immigration lawyers can come to you.

Ongoing services:

Once the licence is obtained, our optional additional services include:

1. Obtaining further Tier 2 certificates for new and existing employees;
2. Visa applications for new staff that you may wish to employ;
3. Visa extension applications for existing employees:
4. Ongoing compliance and maintenance of the Sponsor Management System;
5. Illegal working audits and compliance;
6. Training in the above for key HR and non HR staff.
7. All other forms of UK immigration advice.

OUR CLIENTS:

We have the privilege of working with some of the most well-known companies in the world. Our clients expect exceptional results from us, and we succeed by being integral to their success.

We have experience working with a wide range of industry sectors, allowing us to give seamless provision of services in your organisation. Our loyal clients in the UK include industries such as:

• Banking & Finance
• Media
• Tech
• Retail
• Hospitality
• Legal
• Oil & Gas
• Creative
• Sports & Leisure
• Professional Services

At Westkin Associates we work closely with the world’s leading institutions to create and deliver the essential advantage they need to survive and thrive in a changing world.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

The process application is broken down into the following stages:

1. Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)
2. Tier 2 Sponsorship Licence
3. Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
4. Tier 2 General or Intra Company Transfer Visa

• Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT)

The company shall have to identify the need for a specific job role in order to commence the process. This process is to ensure that the prospective employee is best suited for the job role.

We shall have to advertise the specific job role for a minimum period of 28 days. This shall have to be conducted as per the UKBA requirements and in light of the continuingly evolving changes in law.

• Tier 2 Sponsorship Licence

A sponsorship licence under this category allows employers to employ foreign and migrant workers.

As part of our services, we will complete all necessary forms, prepare them for submission, advise you as to the most appropriate supporting documents, and ensure that these are all submitted.

Although not strictly necessary, we insist, in addition, on preparing a detailed cover letter, explaining the application and referring to the supporting documents in relation to the rules and guidance.

• Tier 2 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Once the company has been registered as a licenced sponsor, we must apply for a ‘restricted’ or ‘unrestricted’ Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) and then assign it to the employee.

Our experienced immigration lawyers follow UKBA best practices to get efficient and smooth results for our corporate clients. We ensure that we get licences with the appropriate certificates to allow for employees to be taken on instantly. 

• Tier 2 General Visa

Once the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) has been issued, the prospective employee will then need to make the General Visa application. We will of course advise them and prepare the entire visa application.

This is the final stage of the process and is the point when the employee will be legally allowed to work for the company.

• Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer

This is a process that is tailored for those companies who have locations in the UK and abroad. The ultimate goal is the movement of employees from the company abroad to the company in the UK.

There are four types of Intra-company Transfer Visas:

• Long Term Staff
• Short Term Staff
• Graduate Trainee
• Skills Transfer

The key point behind this visa is that an employee can be moved from the company abroad to the company in the UK without having to advertise the job role for 28 days. This is highly beneficial for those employees who wish to work in the UK with no view to indefinite leave to remain in the UK at the end of the visa period.

Contact our team on0207 118 7868, via email on info@westkin.co.uk or use the contact box to the right for a no obligation discussion with one of our team.