Recruitment

We are the most trusted and prominent UK headquartered foreign recruitment consultancy giving top international talent the opportunity to work in the United Kingdom via the Skilled Worker Visa. Williams Allan also assists and has the expertise to support UK companies of all shapes and sizes to find the best highly competent and qualified international candidates enabling your business to expand.

Our services are delivered using our unique methodology with reliability, individual consideration and confidentiality at the highest professional standards bringing together qualified international candidates to UK employers in record time.

FOR UK EMPLOYERS SEEKING SKILLED WORKERS
AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES

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FOR SKILLED WORKERS LOOKING TO WORK IN
THE UK WITH A UK SPONSORED EMPLOYER

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FOR UK EMPLOYERS SEEKING SKILLED WORKERS AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES

READ MORE

FOR SKILLED WORKERS LOOKING TO WORK IN THE UK WITH A UK SPONSORED EMPLOYER

READ MORE

FOR UK EMPLOYERS SEEKING SKILLED WORKERS AND RECRUITMENT SERVICES

READ MORE

FOR SKILLED WORKERS LOOKING TO WORK IN THE UK WITH A UK SPONSORED EMPLOYER

READ MORE

What we do for UK employers seeking skilled workers and recruitment services:

To employ skilled workers from outside the EU, UK employers must first apply to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for a sponsor licence. Before any worker can apply to come to the UK, or remain in the UK for work workers must have a job offer from you as an employer that has made a successful sponsor licence application. Williams Allan international recruitment will support you as a UK employer to source the best qualified international candidates in record time.

We can help UK employers with all aspects of their sponsor licence administration and compliance duties, as well as guidance on assigning the Certificates of Sponsorship.

What is a Certificate of Sponsorship?

A Certificate of Sponsorship is often referred to as CoS. It is a self-certifying document that a sponsor licence holder issues to a sponsored work visa applicant. It is an electronic record with a unique reference number.
It is a compulsory pre-requisite certificate for visa applications in the Skilled Worker, ICT, some T2 and T5 routes visa categories.

Two young men working as architects, discussing a building model in front of them, representing people who hold skilled worker visas

A Certificate of Sponsorship is often referred to as CoS. It is a self-certifying document that a sponsor licence holder issues to a sponsored work visa applicant. It is an electronic record with a unique reference number.
It is a compulsory pre-requisite certificate for visa applications in the Skilled Worker, ICT, some T2 and T5 routes visa categories.

Employer Sponsor Licence Applications:

Nearly all sponsor licence applications are processed within 8 weeks and valid for 4 years, after which you will need to apply for a Sponsor Licence Renewal. It is imperative that your sponsor licence application is prepared carefully, as there is no right of appeal if your licence application is refused. If you are refused a licence, you may not be able to apply again for up to five years, depending on the circumstances.

As part of the application process, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may visit your business premises in order to check if it satisfies the sponsorship criteria.

To acquire a sponsor licence, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that:

  • Your company is a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK.
  • You are honest, dependable and reliable.
  • Able to carry out your sponsor duties and evidencing your compliance in proper timeframe and manner.
  • You can offer genuine employment that meets the appropriate skill level and appropriate rates of pay.

To acquire a sponsor licence, you will need to satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that:

  • Your company is a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK.
  • You are honest, dependable and reliable.
  • Able to carry out your sponsor duties and evidencing your compliance in proper timeframe and manner.
  • You can offer genuine employment that meets the appropriate skill level and appropriate rates of pay.

You will need to submit several company-related documents. The exact documents will depend upon the type of organisation that you are and the tiers that you wish to sponsor migrants under. UKVI will assess whether you are honest, dependable and reliable by looking at your history and background, the main personnel named on your application and any people involved in the day to day running of your business.

UKVI will examine your current human resources and recruitment practices to make sure that you are able to fulfil your sponsor duties.

Under the genuineness test, UKVI will look at the role that you are seeking to recruit foreign nationals for, and the extent to which this role fits within your organisation.

Support services for Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS):

  • Advice on issuing the right type of license Types of licence - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
  • Guidance on the points-based visa requirements including Skilled Worker minimum salary levels 
  • Integrating the CoS requirement into existing recruitment and onboarding processes
  • Matching the role to the appropriate SOC code
  • Issuance CoS for visa extensions
  • Advice on issuing the right type of license Types of licence
  • Guidance on the points-based visa requirements including Skilled Worker minimum salary levels
  • Integrating the CoS requirement into existing recruitment and onboarding processes
  • Matching the role to the appropriate SOC code
  • Issuance CoS for visa extensions

Employer recruitment support services:

  • Marketing your required roles to international applicants.
  • Screening and shortlisting candidates for interviews.
  • Assisting your company in securing the sponsor licence to bring the international workers on board.
  • Processing the skilled worker visa for your new employee.
  • Marketing your required roles to international applicants.
  • Screening and shortlisting candidates for interviews.
  • Assisting your company in securing the sponsor licence to bring the international workers on board.
  • Processing the skilled worker visa for your new employee.

There is no requirement to advertise roles and you are not required to advertise the vacant positions. Nevertheless, you must still retain evidence of the recruitment activity you have commenced. If you did not advertise the role, you must be able to explain how you recruited the worker. This helps the home office establish, where necessary, that the role is a genuine vacancy.


Our team of immigration lawyers can work with you to support with compliant use of the Certificate of Sponsorship under your sponsor licence duties.

What we do for Skilled Workers looking to work in the UK with a UK sponsored employer:

As a candidate it is good to know that employers can recruit any foreign workers, immaterial of their location. A separate process applies for those who are overseas and seeking to enter the UK as opposed to those who are in the UK and already eligible to be sponsored.

Williams Allan will work with both you and your new employer to assist the full recruitment and onboarding process. Our immigration team will process your skilled worker visa. You should apply for the visa three months before your start date mentioned on your certificate of sponsorship that you will receive from your UK employer.

You will get the decision on your visa within three weeks of your application.

Your Skilled Worker visa will allow you to build a professional career in the UK. The duration for stay as per the U.K. Skilled Worker Visa is for a maximum period of 5 years. Thereafter you can apply for further leave to remain (FLR). The visa is a points-based visa and applicants must score a minimum of 70 points for their application to be considered.

Your Skilled Worker visa will allow you to build a professional career in the UK. The duration for stay as per the U.K. Skilled Worker Visa is for a maximum period of 5 years. Thereafter you can apply for further leave to remain (FLR). The visa is a points-based visa and applicants must score a minimum of 70 points for their application to be considered.

A young male scientist in a laboratory setting, using a microscope, people who hold skilled worker visas

The points are awarded based on:

  • Whether you have a Certificate of Sponsorship from an employer.
  • Evidence that you are receiving an appropriate market rate salary.
  • Your English communication skills. To be awarded points for English language skills, you must either pass an English test approved by the Border Agency, come from a majority
  • English-speaking country, or hold an undergraduate degree that was taught in English.
  • The maintenance funds you hold. You will have to show that you have £800 in personal savings (called ‘maintenance funds’) and that you have had these funds for a period of three months.
  • Whether you have a Certificate of Sponsorship from an employer.
  • Evidence that you are receiving an appropriate market rate salary.
  • Your English communication skills. To be awarded points for English language skills, you must either pass an English test approved by the Border Agency, come from a majority
  • English-speaking country, or hold an undergraduate degree that was taught in English.
  • The maintenance funds you hold. You will have to show that you have £800 in personal savings (called ‘maintenance funds’) and that you have had these funds for a period of three months.

When you successfully received your Skilled Worker visa you can, study in the UK, bring family members and travel to and from the UK.

USEFUL WEBSITES

Click this link to access official guidance and support from

UK visa sponsorship for employers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)



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