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on May 27, 2022
Our client, an Italian restaurant based in Leeds, was looking to expand its operations and required a sponsor licence in order to hire a chef from Italy, so that it could offer authentic Italian cuisine.
During our initial consultation with the client, she made it clear that Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic had severely impacted their business, and that if they could not obtain a sponsor licence, it was likely they would have to close.
Her sole concern was that the business had not traded much, as they were required to close during the pandemic; she was therefore worried about her ability to meet the financial requirement. We immediately allayed these fears by advising that there was no financial requirement, but rather the Home Office would require evidence of the business being genuine. As long as the business could afford to hire the chef, this would be enough to satisfy the Home Office that the employee was capable of being hired.
We advised our client that the Authorising Officer was required to provide specific evidence in line with the Immigration Rules. We outlined each of the documents that would be required by her and her company in order for the application to stand a chance of success.
As the documents were complex in nature, she asked us to liaise with the company accountants in order to obtain the relevant documents from them. We arranged a quick call to explain what was needed, and a follow-up email with additional notes.
After receiving the documents from the accountant, we asked our client for evidence relating to the recruitment practices and HR systems. We were able to finalise the application with her, and provided her with the necessary documents to submit the application.
Our client was notified of the decision after a short wait of six weeks. She was very happy with the outcome and was now looking forward to running her business.
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