Employers need a sponsorship licence if they wish to employ migrant workers from outside the EEA in the UK.

Sponsorship licences must be renewed in good time otherwise organisations may suddenly have to dismiss their migrant workers leading to significant disruption and damage to staff morale.

Who is responsible for your sponsorship licence and its renewal?  Are they on top of things and will they notice the renewal reminders popping into their inbox and react accordingly?  Does the relevant manager understand their responsibilities as the holder of a sponsorship licence and will they carry out their duties effectively?

Lapsed sponsorship

If the organisation fails to renew their sponsorship licence, the first you may know of this could be when one of your employees tells you they have received notice that they have to leave the UK.  If by chance this is when they are about to go on holiday, then the embarrassment of being stopped by the Border Force on their return may await and they may not be allowed to return to the UK for at least the following 12 months.  Even if the employee is lucky enough to be permitted re-entry to the UK to sort out their personal life before being deported, this is only likely to be for a very brief period of a week or so.

What employers need to note

Sponsorship duties must be taken seriously.  Licence renewal dates should be carefully diarised and licences renewed in good time.  You can find out more about sponsorship duties by following this link: https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/your-responsibilities.

If you need further advice on employment or immigration issues, please email Caroline Banwell on caroline@harmonyhrsolutions.com or call 07964 903664.