Temporary Residency, Permanent Residency, Settled Status, Pre Settled Status

For temporary residency can apply everyone who has documentation for residency and work in the UK for last 12 months. 

Permanent Residency and Settled Status is basic requirement for application for British citizenship.

UK visa sponsorship for employers

You will need a sponsor licence to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK. This includes citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein,
Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020.

This includes unpaid work, like running a charity.
You will not need a licence to sponsor certain groups, for example:
- Irish citizens
- those with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- those with indefinite leave to remain in the UK

Sponsoring someone does not guarantee that they’ll be allowed to come to or stay in the UK.

How to get a sponsor licence?
1. Check your business is eligible.
2. Choose the type of licence you want to apply for - this will depend on what type of worker you want to sponsor.
3. Decide who will manage sponsorship within your business.
4. Apply online and pay the fee.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may visit your business to check it’s suitable.

Types of licence

The licence you need depends on whether the workers you want to fill your jobs are:
‘Workers’ - for those with long-term job offers
‘Temporary workers’
You can apply for a licence covering one or both types of worker.

Worker licence
A ‘Worker’ licence will let you employ people long-term or permanently. It’s split into:
- Skilled Worker - the role must meet the job suitability requirements
- Intra-company visas - this includes Intra-company Transfer and Intra-company Graduate Trainee, for multinational
companies which need to transfer established employees or graduate trainees to the UK
- Minister of Religion - for people coming to work for a religious organisation
- Sportsperson - for elite sportspeople and coaches who will be based in the UK

Temporary Worker licence

A ‘Temporary Worker’ licence will let you employ people on a temporary basis. It’s split into:
- Creative or Sporting Worker - to work as a high-level sportsperson (up to 1 year), entertainer or artist (up to 2 years)
- Charity Worker - for unpaid workers at a charity (up to 1 year)
- Religious Worker - for those working in a religious order or organisation (2 years)
- Government Authorised Exchange Worker - work experience (1 year), research projects or training, for example practical
medical or scientific training (2 years) to enable a short-term exchange of knowledge
- International Agreement Worker - where the worker is coming to do a job which is covered by international law,
for example employees of overseas governments
- Seasonal Worker - for those coming to the UK for up to 6 months to do farm work

After you apply

You’ll be given a licence rating if your application is successful.

You’ll be able to issue certificates of sponsorship if you have jobs that are suitable for sponsorship.

Your licence will be valid for 4 years. You may lose your licence if you do not meet your responsibilities as a sponsor.

More information

www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers