New Licence for small company

[breakingwaves]

Hi All

I ring up today about Sponsorship licence which my company applied on 23rd April. They said it will be minimum 8 weeks.

Does any one have any update about Sponsorship licence winning?

Does UKBA send a hard copy of letter or email once licence is issued?

Cheers

My employer applied to be a sponsor on February 22, and I still haven't heard a thing. It has nearly been 4 months. I called UKBA but they said unfortunately they can't give us a date.

Is anyone else experiencing such delays?

I was previously on the T5 and have had to leave the country.

[mansoorash]

My employer applied to be a sponsor on February 22, and I still haven't heard a thing. It has nearly been 4 months. I called UKBA but they said unfortunately they can't give us a date.

Is anyone else experiencing such delays?

UKBA will not give you a date as to when you should be expecting anything from them. However if you give them the company's details they will be able to tell you whether or not your case has been assigned to a case worker.
In my case, my employer applied on 13th Mar and as at yesterday the application has not even been allocated to a case worker yet.

[breakingwaves]

My employer applied to be a sponsor on February 22, and I still haven't heard a thing. It has nearly been 4 months. I called UKBA but they said unfortunately they can't give us a date.

Is anyone else experiencing such delays?

UKBA will not give you a date as to when you should be expecting anything from them. However if you give them the company's details they will be able to tell you whether or not your case has been assigned to a case worker.
In my case, my employer applied on 13th Mar and as at yesterday the application has not even been allocated to a case worker yet.

Thank you mansoorash. They did contact my employer 2 weeks ago to resend a form, so I'm assuming it's with a caseworker now. I guess that's better than nothing!

[sweetuno]

Hi all,

I checked yesterday that my employer has been added onto the list of registers of sponsors so I guess I shall provide my timeline here for anyone who is still waiting and good luck to all!

Application made on 23/02/2012 for Tier 2 General sponsor licence.
License granted on 12/06/2012 and employer added to the list on 13/06/2012.
Time taken: almost 16 weeks.

During the waiting time, NO further information required from UKBA and NO pre-licensing visit from UKBA.

[Shamino]

Thanks for the timeframe details sweetuno

Legend



Would you happen to know how long your employer took to obtain the original VAT Certificate of Registeration?

I'm still waiting for my employer to send their application

[mansoorash]

Company had applied for sponsorship license on 13th of March, heard nothing from UKBA so manager called them friday last week and was told that the application is in final stage and we will hear from them shortly.

I am hoping that it's only a matter of days now.

[UKkumar]

Hi All,
I ring up to UKBA yesterday and last week. They mention that current the waiting time is 12weeks.
Hey does any one have idea what document i need to submit when applying for Tier2 Visa once I have COS. (restricted COS)?????
My employer have no idea about the document, they are dealing with sponsorship first time.
Please help me..
UKkumar

[breakingwaves]

Hi everyone, some positive updates. We applied February 22 for a new company sponsor license and that has just been approved.

I have not been issued with a COS yet as that is only done monthly, on the 11th of each month. So I'll update you guys if that is successful.

So for some people, there's possibly another 1 month of waiting even once the company is added to the list.

Hope this helps.

[UKkumar]

Don't you get by default one COS with new licence ?
If not do you need to specify restricted or unrestricted CSO at a time of application.
cheers
kumar

[swans]

I agree with Uk Kumar Cos will be allocated by default along with the sponsor license if you have mentioned one. otherwise it will be set to zero there is nothing like will be allocated 11th of every month.

[breakingwaves]

I agree with Uk Kumar Cos will be allocated by default along with the sponsor license if you have mentioned one. otherwise it will be set to zero there is nothing like will be allocated 11th of every month.

Swans and UK Kumar, I'm just speaking from experience. The new employer license was granted around the 22nd, but we had to wait until the 11th before being issued with a restricted COS number. Even my visa lawyer was under the impression it would be issued immediately, so I'm not sure if it's a recent change.

http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/busin ... icted-cos/

Monthly allocation process
All applications received up to and including the 5th of each month will be considered on the 11th of the same month - the 'allocation date'. For example if you apply between 6 May and 5 June, your application will be decided on 11 June.

_________

We've posted all our applications and supporting documents to the Manila office now. It takes 4 business days each way to Sydney, so here's another 2–4 weeks of waiting, but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

[UKkumar]

Hi All I ring up this morning to UKBA about my new sponsorship licence application. They told me that they are dealing with 20th march application. And he was aggred with me that we will have to wait about 5-6 month in total for new licence. If you see my old post in May month they said they are dealing with beginning of March application. But so far in last 2 month they processed only 3 week application. I and my employer desperately looking for licence in order to start my work. But it looks like they are busy with OLYMPIC.
UKkumar

[Shamino]

Thanks UKkumar and breakingwaves

much appreciated on your updates

My employer's HR is under the impression that if they submit the new sponsorship licence application 2 weeks prior to the expiry of my visa, they will be able to receive the results within a week

I mentioned to my boss that we're realistically looking at 3 to 5 months before an answer

[UKkumar]

Today i ringup UKBA and they have same answer "they are dealing with end of march application" for last 3 weeks they are saying same things.
So i guess for one week application they take 4 week to process. So waiting time can be more than 6 months.

cheers
UKkumar

[lmcinnis3]

My company applied for a sponsorship licence on April 30th 2012, we called several times a week over the 3 month and were told multiple timings from minimum 12 weeks up to 18 weeks.

I am currently on a Tier 5 visa which expired August 8th, so I had to leave the country and return to Canada. When my visa was 14 days from expiring we sent a request for urgent treatment. Anyone who tells you they will not look at an urgent request for people on a Tier 5 do not listen to them, if your case is strong they will consider it.

We received an email on August 4th saying that they are currently processing our application urgently.

We have not received any further information and they cannot provide us with a timeline as to when the application will be finished, nor will they give us the name of the case worker.

Does anyone have any experience in this? If all paperwork checks out and a workplace visit is not required does anyone know how long they take to process a new sponsorship application? I am desperate to not miss the September 5th deadline for the restricted COS.

Thanks,
Lindsay

[Shamino]

Lmcinnis3

Thanks for the update

I am in a similar situation as you are, but my visa expired on the 6th August.

My employer too has received an email on the 13th August to suggest their application will be treated urgently, but haven't provided an estimated time either

I'm guessing once ur employer obtain their licence and request for the Restricted CoS, the UKBA will allocate this on the 5th September right?

[UKkumar]

Dear All,
I think we have serious problem with sponsorship licence, I agreed that we are in same boat and it is very difficult to cross the river. UKBA stick with the same answer “We are dealing with 28th March application” I am getting same answer from last 4 weeks. I think we have to take some action “I raised this problem via FOI” lets see what they response.
Cheers
UKkumar

[sha23]

Dear All,
I think we have serious problem with sponsorship licence, I agreed that we are in same boat and it is very difficult to cross the river. UKBA stick with the same answer “We are dealing with 28th March application” I am getting same answer from last 4 weeks. I think we have to take some action “I raised this problem via FOI” lets see what they response.
Cheers
UKkumar

does the team at ukba that looks after sponsor licensing an exclsuive team which only deals with sponsor licenses? or the manpower that allots unrestricted cos allocations mid year the same as this?

[mimi3]

UKkumar: Thanks for all of your updates. I too am in the same boat, eagerly awaiting my company's sponsor license for months and months (they applied mid April) and have been checking this forum regularly because I'm eager to know at least something of what's going on. Unfortunately each update just makes me more and more depressed! I can't believe there is such a delay. I called up the UKBA, myself, last Monday (August 13) and was told that they were processing ("processing" = "working on"?, "completing"?, "just starting to look at"? I'm afraid to even ask...) license applications from March 27th. Which was discouraging to hear after you had posted approximately three weeks prior to that that they were on March 20th applications.

sha23: I'm not exactly sure if there's a dedicated sponsor license team. Both times that I called the UKBA to ask for information I was told they were slow because the staff was thinned because those who would be processing standard procedures were busy with the Olympics - volunteering as extra support for immigration, I was told, and who knows what else. So this leads me to believe that there aren't specific sponsor license employees. Which also discourages me when it comes time to wait for the CoS, which is seeming equally dismal, based on those related postings.

This last time I called the UKBA I was also told that part of the problem was these companies who wanted to hire graduating students, so they flooded in applications for sponsor licenses.

Thanks again to everybody who's been sharing info! I'm sure we're all equally frustrated. It's also quite discouraging checking the UKBA list of registered sponsors and seeing the number of companies go *down*! Yes, I'd imagine some licenses expire, some get revoked, but still, this seems like negative progress!

[UKkumar]

Hi all
Thanks MIMI to share your situation.
This afternoon when I ring up UKBA I got another shocking update. If UKBA delay more then 6 month my employer has to do RLMT again. When I argue that delay is from UKBA site not from applicant side, but they said as per the rules if your employer still want to hire you they have to conduct RLMT test. I hope i will get my employer licence before 6 month of my employer advertisement. It is almost 4 months hope so in remaining 2 months I will have COS.

[mimi3]

Yes, I was aware of the 6 month problem and have been worried about that, too, as my company did the RLMT in May, and now it feels like it's cutting it close to that "within 6 months" requirement. I was hoping that maybe since like you said, the delay is due to the UKBA, there would be some forgiveness, but I guess not

Did the UKBA say today what date applications they were processing? (I'm afraid to ask...).

I also found some information online that said because the Sponsor License requirement has been in place for almost 4 years, now is about the time when a bunch of the first companies to get it will be renewing their license. So yet another reason possibly contributing to the delay.

[makky86]

My company has already Tier 2 ICT. It took them around 6 months to get that.
Now my company has applied for Tier 2 General so could any one guide me that will this take less time since they have already gone through all the check during Tier 2 ICT.

Any help will be appreciated .

[chris_g642]

Gravity of the delays is really getting worse now... Can't we do anything about it !! What options we are going to be left with !!? If we breach over stay even for one day, we break the law and should be punished, how you think we should consider these delays for months from UKBA without giving us any certain reply or special arrangements. Applicants whose visas are getting expired while waiting for lingering delays, would they be granted with any special arrangements !! RLMT Test expires in 6 months, SL and CoS are taking more than 6 months all together !!? and if Applicant's current visa expires while waiting for CoS which is not his fault, from 1st Oct any one who has overstayed their application shall be refused straightaway, this all seems a plan of UKBA!!... Please Please put some light or take some action !!

[makky86]

Gravity of the delays is really getting worse now... Can't we do anything about it !! What options we are going to be left with !!? If we breach over stay even for one day, we break the law and should be punished, how you think we should consider these delays for months from UKBA without giving us any certain reply or special arrangements. Applicants whose visas are getting expired while waiting for lingering delays, would they be granted with any special arrangements !! RLMT Test expires in 6 months, SL and CoS are taking more than 6 months all together !!? and if Applicant's current visa expires while waiting for CoS which is not his fault, from 1st Oct any one who has overstayed their application shall be refused straightaway, this all seems a plan of UKBA!!... Please Please put some light or take some action !!

I agree with you . This is way of discouraging employers to get Tier 2 License.

[UKkumar]

Dear All,

This morning I ring up to UKBA Sponsor Licensing Unit (SLU) Customer Contact Centre. I got as usual same answer “we are dealing with end of March application”. When I told them I am getting same answer from you from last 1 month, there is no any progress on backlog, then he ask me what is you application ref no. He check quickly on data base and mentioned that not yet come on our system, you have to wait about 3 weeks because you applied end of April.

UKkumar