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on December 23, 2022
A biotech start-up founder who had a majority shareholding reached out to Cranbrook Legal, asking for help with getting Home Office approval for a sponsor licence before launching their business. The company focused on developing cutting-edge medical treatments using innovative biotechnology.
We advised the client that some of the other UK visa routes may not be appropriate for him. We further explained that because of this, obtaining the Skilled Worker visa through our self-sponsorship programme represented the best option for him.
We informed the client that his UK-based co-founders could manage the sponsor licence for him, after which, his company could directly sponsor him under the Skilled Worker visa category.
We assisted the co-founders by registering their company in the UK with Companies House and with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We then collated the documents needed to support the sponsor licence application.
Following submission of the sponsor licence application, the Home Office contacted the company and its authorising officer to explain that it would only be able to make a decision on the application following a compliance visit.
It was anticipated that during this visit, the interviewing officer would ask the company’s authorising officer about the business’s recruitment practices and its capabilities in preventing illegal working. The company was told that the visit would take place within five working days.
Our team here at Cranbrook Legal moved quickly to arrange an audit of the company’s systems. Alongside this, we carried out a mock compliance visit to assist the business in ensuring it was adhering to all requirements. This would help the company to show to the Home Office that in the event of a sponsor licence being granted, it would be able to fulfil its sponsorship duties.
After the mock audit was carried out, the authorising officer felt confident that she could handle a full Home Office compliance audit. The Government department then conducted its visit, and later decided to grant the company a sponsor licence in response to its application. This meant that the company was now able to sponsor foreign workers.
Our client supplied documents in support of his Skilled Worker visa application, which we turned around within five days. We completed the online application form for the client and prepared legal representations, setting out a case for why the visa should be granted.
We were then able to submit the online application, upload all supporting documents, and arrange the biometric appointment at a visa application centre close to our client’s home. Following a short period of 10 days, the client was approved for a Skilled Worker visa, which mean he was now permitted to enter the UK and could begin work in his company.
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