A clinic that could not hire the clinician it had already found

A private orthotics provider had an Australian specialist in the UK and ready to work. What it did not have was a sponsor licence, and it was not VAT registered, which removed the most obvious way of proving it was a real business.

At a glance

• Client: Private clinical orthotics provider, US parent ownership
• Matter: Sponsor licence, full service
• Business need: To recruit and sponsor an Australian orthotist already in the UK, with more overseas hires anticipated
• Complications: Not VAT registered; director identity documents had to come through the US parent
• Instructed: 29 May 2026, 39 days after first contact

How they found us

They found our sponsor licence application guidance page and requested the guide through it on 20 April 2026. They instructed us 39 days later.

The challenge

• The clinic was not VAT registered, which removes one of the simplest ways of evidencing genuine trading activity.
• Identity documentation for the director had to come through a US parent ownership structure, which held the matter up for weeks.
• The licence was not for one hire. The clinic anticipated sponsoring further overseas clinicians, so it was buying infrastructure.
• The later worker application would face its own tests on role genuineness, occupation coding, salary compliance and evidence of a genuine vacancy.

What we did

• Proved trading without the obvious document. Confirmed the client held at least four mandatory documents and acceptable alternatives, then assessed premises, infrastructure, trading activity and the ability to cover the sponsored salary and overheads.
• Worked the identity blockage through to resolution. Obtained a notarised passport copy and recent proof of address from the parent company director and routed them internally to unblock the checks.
• Flagged the second-stage risks at the first stage. Role genuineness, occupation coding, salary compliance and evidencing a genuine vacancy, so the clinic knew what the worker application would need before the licence arrived.
• Paused the matter rather than pushing it. When the director identity documents stalled, the file was put on hold until the client was ready instead of being chased into a weak application.

Why it matters

Small specialist clinics feel the skills shortage as sharply as hospitals and have none of the infrastructure. A licence is not paperwork for them. It is the difference between having found the right clinician and being able to employ them.