How do I sponsor a migrant worker?
Premium customer service
This page explains premium customer service for those who sponsor Tier 2 and Tier 5 migrant workers under the points-based system.
What is premium customer service?
Premium customer service is aimed at users of the sponsorship system who want to pay for a higher level of customer service and a package of benefits.
It is designed to:
- offer your business support in sponsoring overseas workers; and
- develop a relationship with you and a long-term understanding of your requirements.
The services include:
- guaranteed access to appointments at public enquiry offices and priority visa services overseas for your international workers;
- direct access to a personal contact within the UK Border Agency; and
- priority treatment on all changes to your sponsor licence.
There are two levels of premium customer service for sponsors:
- Premium sponsor
- SME+ sponsor
| Who can apply? | Fee | Benefits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium sponsor | Any A-rated Tier 2 or Tier 5 sponsor providing they meet the requirements (including small sponsors who wish to receive the full range of benefits). | £25,000 a year | Full package |
| SME+ sponsor | A-rated sponsors in Tier 2 and Tier 5 who paid the lower licence fee for their most recent sponsor licence application and meet the requirements. | £8,000 a year | Reduced package |
Eligibility
To apply for premium sponsor service or SME+ service you must meet all of the following requirements. You must:
- not have been issued with a civil penalty in the past 3 years, and must have paid in full any civil penalties issued before that;
- be A-rated in all tiers of your licence; and
- be able to fully satisfy a compliance check, either before or during the application process, to ensure you are continuing to meet A-rated standards.
If you do not meet the requirements, we will refuse your application and will not refund your fee.
How to apply
Before you apply for premium sponsor service or SME+ service you should check whether you are eligible to apply.
You can apply through your sponsorship management system (SMS) account. It is a simple online process and you do not need to send us any supporting documents. We will check your application by visiting your organisation.
If you also need to renew your sponsor licence, we can work on that at the same time as processing your application for the premium service. In this situation you must pay the fee for premium service and the fee for renewing your sponsor licence.
If you have any questions, email sponsorshipPBSenquiries@ukba.gsi.gov.uk or call 030 0123 4699.
Licence managers and senior account managers
Licence managers act as a single point of contact within the UK Border Agency for premium sponsors and SME+ sponsors. They have an in-depth knowledge of sponsorship, the points-based system and visa application processes within the UK and overseas.
Our current licence managers include staff from:
- sponsorship casework;
- Tier 2 and Tier 5 casework;
- sponsorship operational policy;
- operational policy for both the points-based system and other work;
- visas (Nigeria, Turkey, Egypt); and
- general and family casework.
They answer queries about sponsor licences and international workers and will mange all your interactions with us.
Your licence manager will support you on all aspects of sponsorship. They will:
- ensure we make changes to your licence within the agreed service standard of 5 working days for all requests except those for mergers, acquisitions and takeovers;
- be your first point of contact if you have a problem with an international worker's application; and
- help you to forecast the number of appointments your international workers will need at public enquiry offices;
- keep you up to date with changes to policy and process;
- ensure you renew your licence in time.
As a premium sponsor, you will also have a senior member of staff as your senior account manager. The senior account manager will meet you within 3 months of you becoming a premium sponsor, will be available for high-level discussions and, where possible, attend premium sponsor events.
Your senior account manager will provide quarterly feedback on the performance of the premium customer service team.
Senior account managers and licence managers cannot:
- fast track applications;
- have them considered outside the immigration rules; or
- arrange for you to be allocated restricted certificates of sponsorship outside of our published policy criteria.
Benefits of premium customer service
The table below shows the benefits of SME+ and premium services compared with our standard service.
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