Skilled Worker Visa Lawyer

What Is a Skilled Worker Visa?

The Skilled worker visa route is one of the main professional visas that allows international workers with particular skills to come and work in the UK via a sponsored arrangement. It must be applied for in tandem with the employer, who will have to obtain a valid sponsor licence and provide a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) with which the employee will then be able to obtain their visa.

While offering great opportunities for both workers and employers, the Skilled Worker visa also involves a complex application process and the implications of being a sponsored worker or sponsoring a worker in the UK come with sustained liabilities that must be adhered to.

If you are a worker or employer and want to learn more about the sponsorship process in the UK we can help you understand whatever you want to know.

Who This Service Is For

When navigating professional UK visas, the application process is twofold in that it involves steps that must be completed by the employee and the employer. Our team of experienced immigration lawyers have expertise and experience in all areas of this process and can support you, whether you are looking to come and work in the UK with a Skilled Worker visa, or you are an employer looking to hire an international worker via this Skilled Worker route.

For employees, we can help you understand your eligibility routes and what you must obtain in order to file a successful application. Whether it is supported by the professional or personal aspect of your visa requirements, our immigration lawyers can walk you through the process and help you feel prepared and confident ahead of the visa application which will offer you access to new opportunities and professional growth. We can also liaise with your employer, where needed, to make sure that you have been issued a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

For employers, our immigration experts can help you with all aspects of sponsoring international talent and the licences you will need. Be it your initial sponsorship licence application, or support in issuing or maintaining valid Certificates of Sponsorship for your workers, we will be happy to advise you, help you with the application itself, and make sure that you know what it means to be a sponsor.

Why You Need a Skilled Worker Visa Solicitor

Sometimes there can be reasonable reservation to the idea of hiring extra support for an application that does not technically require a lawyer, but it is always good to consider that visa and sponsorship applications involve nuanced legal processes which are essential to adhere to. 

While there are a variety of options when it comes to UK immigration and professional visa routes, these come with significant conditions and implications which must be adhered to strictly. It is a complex net of circumstances that must be navigated carefully, not just during the application process but after, when you or your employee is in the UK as continued compliance is a key factor towards the continued validity of any visas or certificates issued.

Our lawyers can help you find security while navigating such a high-stakes process. From minimising the chances of refusal to ensuring that you understand and adhere to all associated legal liabilities, our aim is to offer you success with the visa process and the future.

Services Offered by our Skilled Worker Visa Lawyers

Our immigration lawyers offer a variety of services to help support you during your Skilled Worker Visa journey. Whether you are planning to apply as a worker or you are sponsoring foreign talent, our team of specialists will be happy to help. While our services are geared towards offering you bespoke support, below are some of the key things that we can help you with:

Sponsor Licence Applications & Compliance:

Whether you are an employer looking to branch out into sponsorship for the first time, or there are concerns about continuing to stay on top of your sponsor duties, our specialists can advise you on all aspects of the UK sponsor licence. We can work with you to create a compelling application, help you understand the steps towards preparing for sponsored workers and your reporting duties, and explore options towards maintaining or re-qualifying for compliance.

Skilled Worker Visa Preparation & Submission:

Our experts can help you understand all aspects of the Skilled Worker Visa and how they apply to your individual situation. We can help you understand your options, prepare and check your documents, and file your visa application. No matter what stage you are in, if you have any questions or concerns about the visa process, our specialists will be happy to support you.

Visa Extension & Switching Services:

The UK Skilled Worker Visa is very strictly tied towards your employment and it can be challenging if you need to make any changes after it has been issued. Whether you are hoping to stay longer or face changes in your personal or professional circumstances that now require you to update your visa, we can help existing Skilled Worker visa holders understand the requirements and how to approach this process. It can be daunting to feel like life changes could cost you the certainty of your visa status, so our team of lawyers will be happy to support you and help you understand the best options for your individual needs.

HR Compliance Training for Employers

Becoming a sponsor for international talents involves more than just applying for the licence and being done with it. As part of your sponsorship duties, your company must implement a specific system and functional HR department to oversee it, which can be a daunting factor. Our team of specialists can offer you and your HR team the necessary training to ensure that you are well-prepared to tackle the duties and challenges of being a sponsor and help you stay in compliance at all times.

If you have any other visa or sponsorship concerns or want to know more about any of the aforementioned areas of support, you can contact our team at IAS by calling +44 (0)333 414 9244. We will be happy to discuss your individual needs and support you just as you’d like us to.

How Our Skilled Worker Visa Solicitors Can Help with Your Sponsor Licence

Our team of immigration specialists has experience with all aspects of UK immigration law, including on the business side. We can help you understand the implications and liabilities of becoming a sponsor and navigate the application process to obtain your sponsor licence with you. As part of this, we will be able to offer advice, guidance, and training not only about the general implications of sponsorship and how to remain compliant, but also how to set up the necessary roles in your HR department, meet your reporting duties, and how to navigate the Sponsorship Management System (SMS).

Can IAS Lawyers Help with Certificates of Sponsorships?

Once you have obtained your sponsor licence, our immigration specialists will be able to assist you in issuing a valid Certificate of Sponsorship to the international worker who you wish to sponsor. We can help you understand what you need to do to issue a CoS and your duties once this has happened.

Certificates of Sponsorship are tied to particular employment arrangements and may need re-issuing or updating along the line. We can help you understand the nuances of maintaining compliance when handling a CoS and what you might need to consider if your sponsored employee’s circumstances change, they get promoted, or quit. 

Sponsorship comes with reporting duties for every worker whom you have issued a CoS for and it is essential that you and the respected HR members of your companies understand what this means. To fail your reporting duties can have severe consequences, not just for your continued eligibility as a sponsor, but also in a wider legal sense. So we aim to prepare you to avoid any possible problems down the line.

How We Can Help If Your Application is Rejected

Sometimes, applications might end up rejected for a variety of reasons and it can be a challenge to understand what went wrong and how to rectify the situation as efficiently as possible. Our team of experts will be able to walk you through your options post-rejection and explore why this rejection might have happened in the first place. Depending on your circumstances, appeals processes might require swift and decisive actions and there is no room for mistakes when a rejection is already on the table, and you might want the additional security of legal support as this is not a simple process.

We can make sure any missing or incomplete application aspects are rectified and we can argue your case against the rejection reasons, using our credibility and legal expertise to give more weight to the appeals claim.

Why Choose Our Skilled Worker Visa Solicitors?

When deciding on the support you want for any part of the Skilled Worker visa application process, you might wonder how to pick the best person to help you.

At IAS, our team of immigration specialists has decades of experience with all aspects of commercial and professional UK immigration regulations and visa options. We can help you with all immigration queries be they professional, personal, or commercial. Whether you need support to obtain, update, or revive your sponsorship licence, have questions or concerns about certificates of sponsorship or their legal implications for you and your business, or simply need someone to check that basic immigration requirements have been met, our team of visa solicitors can help with the Skilled Worker visa and far beyond. You can call us today at +44 (0)333 414 9244 to find out more about how we might best support you and your company.