UK visa changes in 2024: Major tweak in sponsor licenses process from next month to ease hiring. 6 things to know

UK work visa: In a major relief to expats in the UK and employers alike,  the Home Office recently announced that they would soon abolish the need to renew sponsor licenses every four years.  This will significantly make things easier for employers in the country, who previously dealt with massive paperwork and paid hefty fees to retain workers. 

According to the UK Visas and Immigration information on gov.uk, the UK sponsor licence was a must for people who want to employ someone from outside the UK, including citizens of EU member countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after December 31, 2020. Education providers, too, needed a sponsor licence to get overseas students and faculty into the UK. Here's all that you need to to know: 

What is the new rule:

• The rules that required sponsor licenses to be renewed every four years will no longer exist from April 6.
• Once it starts, sponsor licenses that are expiring will be automatically extended by ten years, eliminating the need for renewals altogether.
• Sponsors holding valid licenses within this timeframe are not required to take any action – their licenses are automatically covered by the extension.

What were the earlier rule: 

• Earlier, the businesses that sponsored licenses had to first submit applications 90 days before they expired. 
• They were also required to pay hefty fee between £536 and £1,476 depending on their size and charity status. 
• Processing times for renewals could also stretch up to eight weeks.

The UK Home Office will refund application fees to sponsors in the renewal process and urges them to verify their license expiry through the online Sponsorship Management System (SMS). It said sponsors who have already initiated the renewal process have been contacted. 

Immigration has been a contentious point in the United Kingdom. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government plans to increase costs for hiring overseas personnel, including a notable salary requirement hike announced in December.

(With inputs from ET and Moneycontrol)