Did you know the way you hire from the EU is changing?
08 Oct 2020
From the 1st of January 2021, businesses will need to register as a licences sponsor to hire eligible people from outside the UK.
The UK government has announced that free movement is ending and a new points-based immigration system will introduce job, salary and language requirements that will change the way many UK jewellers hire from the EU.
In the announcement, an extract states:
The new system will treat EU and non-EU citizens equally and transform the way in which employers recruit from outside the UK.
You’ll need a sponsor licence to hire most eligible employees from outside the UK. This does not apply to Irish citizens.
Some immigration routes, such as Global Talent, are ‘unsponsored’. You don’t need a licence to hire employees with an unsponsored visa.
View more on hiring from the EU in 2021
How to become a sponsor
Before applying to be a sponsor you should:
- check that the people you want to hire will meet the requirements for coming to the UK for work
- check your business is eligible
To apply, you will need to:
- choose the type of skilled worker licence you want to apply for
- put appropriate systems in place to act as a sponsor
- apply online and pay the fee.
As part of the new system, people coming to work in the UK will need to meet certain requirements:
- A job offer from an approved sponsor
- That job offer must be at the required skill and salary level
- They must speak English at the required level.
What’s more, the employer will need to apply to be a licences sponsor, the decision of which will (usually) be provided in eight weeks. Being a sponsor allows employers to recruit skilled workers globally for four years, and the government is requesting businesses to be prepared for the new system.
It is important to point out that the new system will not apply to EU employees already working for jewellers in the UK. EU citizens and their family members living in the UK by 31 December 2020 can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme (deadline 30 June 2021).
Apply to be a sponsor
Source: Gov.uk