Depending on the type of job you are looking for, you may need to provide a certificate to indicate that you are suitable for the role. This is commonly the case when it comes to providing that you have qualifications for a certain task. However, there are also people coming to the United Kingdom for work who find that a certificate is essential but as is so often the case, things aren’t quite so straightforward.
With a term like “certificate of sponsorship”, you would forgive people for waiting to receive an actual paper certificate but those that do will have a long wait with nothing to show for it at the end of the process. This is because the “certificate of sponsorship” actually refers to a wholly unique reference number that creates a link between the applicant, the job that they are expected to do and the employer.
The employer, or sponsor, has a responsibility to provide the applicant with the reference number for the certificate and with all of the information that is associated with the reference number. This includes the declared wage for the job. The declared wage is vital because the income of an applicant can have a factor in a visa being granted.
Given that these visas are provided for people in specialist roles or for people who can provide services that are lacking in certain areas of the country, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the job should carry a sufficient level of income.
Whether the wage for the job is based on the skills of the applicant or in a scarcity of supply for the role, there is a clear link between the need to bring in people from outside of the UK to do certain roles and the need to provide them with suitable remuneration for the job.
What makes the “certificate of sponsorship” valid?
There are a number of elements that make the certificate valid and the first thing is that it must clearly belong to the person who is attempting to use it. This means the information relating to the certificate must match with the name, age and other details as presented on a person’s passport.
Given the demand to enter the United Kingdom, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that some people will obtain a certificate by underhand or illegal means and then try and pass it off as their own. It should be a simple enough process to determine whether an applicant is the rightful owner of the certificate or not but of course, when there is a high demand for something, it can be difficult to prove every wrongdoing or falsified entrant.
The certificate is only live for three months
It is also important for the applicant to make their application within three months of receiving their certificate. If a “certificate of sponsorship” has been “live” for longer than 3 months when a person applies for a Tier 2 visa, their application will be withdrawn and the application will have to obtain a new “certificate of sponsorship” from the company that is sponsoring their employment.
It is also important to ensure that the certificate hasn’t been cancelled or withdrawn by either the sponsor or the UK Border Agency. There are a multitude of reasons why a company may decide against providing sponsorship for an applicant after initially saying that they would provide the sponsorship. It would be hoped that they would provide this information to the applicant in good time but it is always of benefit to double check these matters.
With respect to the certificate becoming live, this happens at the point when a reference number is allocated by the UK Border Agency. It will remain live until the applicant uses it to apply for a Tier 2 visa or in three months’ time, when the visa expires if it has not been used. It should also be noted that one person is not permitted to have more than one live certificate at any one point in time.
Given the amount of rules and regulations associated with applying for a visa, it is best to hire an experienced solicitor who deals with immigration cases. The peace of mind that comes from hiring a professional in this field can make the process run more smoothly while increasing the likelihood of everything running to plan.
Andrew Reilly is a freelance writer with a focus on news stories and consumer interest articles. He has been writing professionally for 9 years but has been writing for as long as he can care to remember. When Andrew isn’t sat behind a laptop or researching a story, he will be found watching a gig or a game of football.