Elite sports clubs often recruit international talent to be competitive. To hire foreign players, coaches, and support staff, a club must obtain a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence and comply with UKVI regulations. Compliance duties include tracking the immigration status, keeping a record of contact details, and reporting any new changes. If a club does not comply, it risks suspension or even withdrawal of its licence, hugely affecting its ability to retain and recruit international athletes. Our mock audits allow for identifying and fixing compliance-related problems so clubs can fully prepare for any visit from the Home Office.
The expert legal services provided by A Y & J Solicitors assist sports clubs through their Sponsor Licence obligations. We conduct detailed audits by reviewing record-keeping duties, reporting duties, and all other areas of compliance. We also follow this up with individually tailored advice to address any weaknesses that may be brought out so that your club runs legally and efficiently. Our expert immigration team shall keep you updated with the latest UKVI regulations, remaining focused on the success of your club while we take care of the intricacies that come with immigration compliance.
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What to do next.
Download our guide on how to apply
for a sponsor licence:
With a crackdown non-compliance, there is an increase in inspections in these industries.
Calculate the cost of a
sponsor licence here:
Understand the eligibility requirements
for a sponsor licence here:
With many years of experience in sponsor licence compliance for sports clubs, A Y & J Solicitors ensures that you will comply with UKVI requirements so you never have to face any penalty or licence revocation. That’s why we handle all the compliance issues so you can concentrate on your business. We also undertake mock audits to ensure that the sports clubs are compliant with all the legal requirements of a sponsor. Let us help keep your club compliant and your international talent on the field.
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Elite sports clubs often access international talent in their quest for the top spot in their league. Whether it is players, coaches, or support staff, being able to recruit talent from anywhere in the world is essential. However, like all UK employers who hire foreign workers, sports clubs must obtain a Sponsor Licence and comply with extensive Home Office sponsorship duties and responsibilities.
Although it may feel like acquiring a Sponsor Licence is the culmination of efforts to bring foreign team members in, there are still a few essential actions to undertake. All Sponsor Licence holders can expect to receive compliance visits from the Home Office. These visits are designed to check that Sponsor Licence holders are compliant with UKVI rules and regulations. If the compliance officer finds that the sports club is in breach of compliance duties and responsibilities, the Sponsor Licence can be suspended or revoked causing the loss of all foreign talent in that sports club and an inability to issue new Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).
If you are a Sponsor Licence holder, you are deemed compliant if you follow the rules and regulations set out in the Sponsor Guidance, and under various UK legislation. The Home Office is carrying out more checks of Sponsor Licence holders than ever before, and there is zero tolerance for non-compliance. Many of these inspection visits take place unannounced, so all Sponsor Licence holders need to be fully prepared for a Home Office visit at all times.
Yes! Use our calculator below to calculate the cost of your sponsor licence.
Please answer the questions, and you will be able to calculate the approx cost for the sponsor licence –
When a sports organisation obtains a Sponsor Licence, it must comply with several duties and responsibilities set by the Home Office. When applying for a licence, the company is declaring that it can comply with all compliance duties:
In addition, there must be personnel within the organisation with specific responsibility for some, or all of the duties and responsibilities who are:
Sponsor License holders also need to ensure there are sufficient backup systems and personnel in place in case those with specific responsibility are away from work or there are other potential breakdowns in reporting lines.
All staff responsible for the employment of the sponsored migrants should be aware of their duties and responsibilities, and when they need to contact Home Office with other specific responsibilities (i.e. the Level 1 user) for reporting relevant matters. For example, the person charged with managing the Sponsor Management System (SMS) should inform UKVI via the SMS of the change of work location for a sponsored worker within 10 working days from the date of the change.
As a Sponsor Licence holder, you have agreed to work with the Home Office, and are expected to allow compliance officers entry to your club to conduct compliance checks. If you are unprepared for an inspection, this might lead to suspension or revocation of the licence and your current international team members may be unable to continue to work and compete for you, and you may be unable to bring international talent to your club in the future.
The impact can be devastating to all involved. A Y & J Solicitors can work with you to protect your Sponsor Licence, making you more confident in hiring the talent required to continue your club’s success.
We have substantial experience with Sponsor Licence matters. The Sponsor Licence Compliance Audit that we have developed for sports clubs will identify any compliance weaknesses within your organisation and give you the solutions to fix these concerns. The result is the certainty that you remain compliant with immigration requirements and that your sponsored skilled players can retain their positions within the club.
Our Sponsor Licence Compliance Audit for sports clubs has been created to prepare you for a Home Office inspection. We are 100% confident that this investment is a winning solution, and we stand by our service.
Yes, all sports clubs that wish to apply for a Sponsor Licence must obtain an endorsement from the governing body for your sport. This endorsement confirms to the Home Office that the application for a licence is from a genuine sports club (or equivalent) that has a legitimate requirement to bring migrants to the UK as sportspeople.
Absolutely. In fact, it is in the Home Office’s interests to catch high-profile organisations which breach their compliance duties, as the media attention garnered will ensure that smaller clubs and organisations increase their diligence regarding their Sponsor Licence duties and responsibilities.
