Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence for a care provider approved within 5 working days
Background
We successfully assisted a large organisation operating in the UK care sector with obtaining a new sponsor licence following its acquisition of another care business that already held a sponsor licence and sponsored more than 20 workers.
Our client employed more than 200 employees across eight care locations, while the acquired business operated three additional care locations. The acquisition therefore required careful consideration of the existing sponsor licence arrangements, reporting obligations and the immigration implications of the corporate takeover.
We guided the client through the relevant compliance requirements, ensured that the necessary reporting relating to the acquired business was completed, and prepared a comprehensive sponsor licence application supported by the appropriate documentation.
The application was granted within just five working days of submission, without the need for a pre-licence compliance visit.
Our Challenge
The acquisition presented a number of important immigration compliance considerations.
The acquired company held an existing sponsor licence and was sponsoring more than 20 workers. Following the takeover, it was essential to address the relevant sponsor reporting obligations and consider the implications of the corporate transaction for the existing sponsorship arrangements.
Our client was already a substantial care provider, employing more than 200 workers across eight care locations, but they were not holding a sponsor licence. The acquired business operated a further three care locations, making it particularly important to ensure that the new sponsor licence application accurately reflected the organisation's structure, operations and workforce requirements.
Sponsor licence applications in the care sector can also attract close scrutiny from UKVI, including the possibility of a pre-licence compliance visit.
The key challenge was therefore to ensure that the existing sponsorship arrangements were dealt with appropriately while preparing a robust new application that clearly demonstrated the client's suitability and readiness to meet its sponsor duties.
Our Approach
Following our instruction after the acquisition, we worked to a tight deadline, as the client had just 20 working days from the date of the acquisition to submit the sponsor licence application.
We guided the client through the necessary reporting for the acquired business. In parallel, we prepared a new sponsor licence application for our client, taking into account the size of the organisation, its operational structure, its existing care locations and the additional locations acquired as part of the transaction.
With the deadline approaching, we worked closely with the client to identify and collate the supporting documentation required for the application. Particular attention was given to ensuring that the evidence was consistent, comprehensive and capable of demonstrating the genuine nature of the business, its operational arrangements and its ability to comply with sponsor duties.
Given the additional scrutiny that care-sector sponsor licence applications face, we focused on preparing a thorough and well-supported application that addressed the relevant compliance considerations from the outset.
Our Outcome
The client's sponsor licence application was granted within just five working days of submission, without a pre-licence compliance visit.
This was an excellent outcome, particularly given the complexity of the corporate acquisition, the existing sponsored workforce of the acquired business and the scale of our client's operations across multiple care locations.
Through careful planning, proactive compliance guidance and thorough preparation of the supporting evidence, we helped the client navigate the sponsorship implications of the acquisition and obtain its new sponsor licence quickly.
Summary
This case highlights the importance of specialist immigration advice when a business acquisition involves an existing sponsor licence and a substantial sponsored workforce.
Corporate transactions can create important reporting obligations and raise questions about the continuity of existing sponsorship arrangements. These issues need to be addressed carefully, alongside any new sponsor licence application.
For organisations operating in the care sector, preparation is particularly important. A well-prepared application should accurately reflect the business, be supported by appropriate evidence and demonstrate that the organisation understands its responsibilities as a sponsor.
By addressing the relevant reporting requirements, guiding the client through the supporting documentation and preparing a comprehensive application, we helped a large care provider secure its sponsor licence within five working days, without the need for a pre-licence compliance visit.
