• Fees
  • Client Care Letter
  • T 07831170371
  • Home
  • UK visas
    • Points-based system
      • Tier 1 Entrepreneur
      • Tier 1 Investor
      • Sponsor licence for employers
      • Skilled Worker visa
      • Tier 2 Intra-company Transfer
      • Tier 4 Student
      • Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme
      • Tier 5 Temporary Workers
    • Other visas and citizenship
      • Spouse visa, Civil Partner, Fiance
      • Parent of a child in the UK
      • Settlement or Indefinite leave to remain
      • EEA nationals
      • Long Residence
      • Tourist and short stay visas
      • Domestic Worker
      • UK Ancestry visa
  • Other visas
    • Schengen visas
    • Russian visas
    • Other countries
  • Additional services
    • Documents checking service
  • News & Blog
  • Contact us
  • Language: English
    • English English
    • Русский Русский
News

Consequences of Sponsor licence expiration for employees

What is a Sponsor Licence?

Companies wishing to employ migrant workers in the UK must have a Sponsor Licence. Essentialy, licence means a permit issued by the Home Office.

Once the licence application is granted a company receives an approval letter and details on how to access Sponsorship Management System by email.

Sponsor licence is granted for 4 years and can be renewed prior to it’s’ expiration. The Home Office will sent several reminders about renewal to your employer by email: 120 days, 60 days, 30 days and 14 days prior to licence expiration.

How can you become aware that the Licence has expired?

Sometimes Home Office reminders do not reach an employer due to the change of an email address by the latter and therefore, sponsor licence becomes expired.

You can check whether the name of company sponsoring you is listed in the register of licensed sponsors. If it’s there it means that your employer’s licence is still valid.

Sometimes the fact the licence has expired becomes apparent when migrant workers are applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. When they enter Sponsor Licence number in the application form, the system doesn’t recognise the sponsor and states that the number is invalid.

It would be wise to ask your company about the expiry date of their licence, make a note of it and remind them directly when the end date is approaching as consequences of licence expiration are quite heavy for employees and not just for employers.

Consequences for migrant employees

Once the licence is expired, the Home Office might shorten the permission of any migrant workers to 60 calendar days if their visa doesn’t expire before then. The notice cancelling permission will be sent to you either by post or email. Therefore, you need to make sure that the Home Office always has your correct address, you can update it here: https://visa-address-update.service.gov.uk/

If you haven’t received a cancellation notice from the Home Office, the best way to find out your status would be to check your right to work online: https://www.gov.uk/prove-right-to-work. The system will show the date until you are allowed to work in the UK.

If you successfully passed through UK border control recently it also means that your visa was still valid on the date of crossing the border.

Staying in the UK

While your visa is still valid you might consider searching for a new employer who can sponsor your visa application or you can switch to a different visa.

You will need to make a new visa application prior to the expiry date of your visa or 60-day cancellation period in order to avoid overstaying.

 

Please feel free to contact our Immigration lawyer in London for professional advice. Alrose Legal Immigration Services is on hand to translate technical issues into plain English and to provide you with superior solutions, whatever your immigration needs.

Date of publishing: 21 January 2023

Share in social networks

Contact Us

    Latest news

    • Visas allowing employment, self-employment and running a business at the same time
    • Consequences of Sponsor licence expiration for employees
    • How to obtain the UK’s Global Talent visa?
    • Domande di immigrazione per gli europei alla luce della Brexit
    • Comment devenir citoyen britannique par la naturalisation?

    Share

    OISC

    London

    Alrose Legal Immigration Services
    132, 134 Lots Rd, London SW10 0RJ


    Tel: 07831170371

    E-Mail: info@alroselegal.com

    © 2015 - 2023 Alrose Legal Limited. All rights reserved. Regulated by OISC, reg. number: F201400880

    • Terms & Conditions
    • Privacy and Cookie Policy
    • Online Dispute Resolution