Understanding Sponsor Duties: A Guide for Employers

Holding a sponsor licence is crucial for hiring skilled workers when looking to hire from a global pool. Your sponsor licence comes with multiple of benefits so it’s important to know the responsibilities you have as a sponsor. These responsibilities ensure the immigration system remains fair and effective, and failure to meet them can lead to serious consequences, including the suspension of your sponsor licence.

Why are sponsor duties important?

Sponsor duties are essential for maintaining the integrity of the UK’s immigration system. They help prevent illegal working and ensure that migrants are genuinely filling roles that require their skills. By performing your sponsor duties, sponsors play a vital role in upholding the law.

Key Sponsor Duties for Care Providers

Record Keeping: As a care provider, you must keep detailed and accurate records of your sponsored care workers.

Monitoring and Reporting: You must keep track of your sponsored employees and report specific activities to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

Migrant Tracking: Regularly check and update your records to ensure that the information about your sponsored workers is accurate. This helps in tracking their compliance with the visa conditions. If a migrant leaves your employment, you must report this within 10 working days.

Compliance with UK law: Ensure that your care home or service and sponsored migrants comply with UK immigration laws and broader legal requirements. This includes paying your employees the appropriate salary and ensuring the job role meets the requirements of the visa category.

Consequences of Non-Compliance

Failure to comply with your sponsor duties can have severe consequences. Home Office conducts regular audits to ensure sponsors are fulfilling their responsibilities. If they find any discrepancies or breaches, your sponsor licence can be suspended or even revoked.

Example: A care home recently had its sponsor licence revoked because it failed to report that one of its sponsored care workers had left their employment. This has affected the care home’s ability to hire new talent but also affected the existing sponsored employees who are now left uncertain regarding their immigration status.

Conclusion

Being a sponsor in the care sector in the UK comes with significant responsibilities. By diligently adhering to your sponsor duties, you can ensure smooth operation and contribute positively to the UK’s immigration system. Non-compliance not only affects your ability to sponsor new employees but can also have serious legal and financial consequences.

Stay informed, stay diligent, and you’ll be able to leverage the benefits of hiring skilled international talent. Ensuring that you meet your sponsor duties is not just a legal requirement but also a commitment to providing the highest quality care to those who need it most.

Join Our Free Sponsor Compliance Webinar

To help you better understand and meet your sponsor duties, we’re hosting a FREE SPONSOR COMPLIANCE WEBINAR. Sign up to learn more about maintaining compliance and protecting your sponsor compliance.

Don’t miss this opportunity to stay informed and keep your care business compliant!