The Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) has put in place additional support for potential sponsors planning to make an application for a sponsor licence. The Immigration team at Bates Wells & Braithwaite LLP can fully support and assist you in the application process and prepare you for an audit.

The points-based system application process has been designed to be straightforward and transparent. The BIA website includes comprehensive guidance as well as a number of supporting documents to show how the processes work in practice. A number of potential applicants may require further assurance on their readiness to make a points-based system sponsorship application.

Bates Wells & Braithwaite LLP is listed as an organisation which has demonstrated to the BIA that we have a good understanding of the sponsorship arrangements. We have provided the BIA with evidence about the type of checks and services that we will offer when working with clients to apply for their sponsors licence. We are able to provide prospective sponsors with a document which assesses their readiness to make a sponsorship application, and conduct an audit to ensure that the employer remains compliant, and their readiness to make an application.

The BIA have stated that where such documents are submitted to them, they will not normally duplicate the checks, as they expect organisations such as ours to have already made. As such, the BIA are expected to make decisions on applications supported by one of these documents well within the standard six-week turnaround.

Please note the BIA do reserve the right to carry out checks and to visit any prospective sponsor as part of the sponsorship application and management process at any time.

Should you require further information please contact Philip Trott or Sue Kukadia, or any member of our Immigration team:

Philip Trott & Sue Kukadia
Immigration Department
Tel: 020 7551 7777
Email: p.trott@bwbllp.com / s.kukadia@bwbllp.com