A Skilled Worker visa can only be issued to a dentist who has a Certificate of Sponsorship from a Home Office approved sponsor. To assign that certificate, the practice must hold a sponsor licence.
For many practices this is the first barrier to recruiting an overseas dentist, and it carries ongoing responsibilities once granted.
A sponsor licence is Home Office approval that allows an organisation to sponsor workers from outside the UK. The employer name and sponsor licence number appear on every Certificate of Sponsorship the practice assigns.
With a licence in place, the practice can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship, an electronic record with a reference number, to a dentist so they can apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Without the licence, no sponsorship and therefore no Skilled Worker visa is possible.
Sponsorship is not a one off step. A licensed sponsor must meet ongoing record keeping and reporting duties, including keeping documents and reporting relevant changes to the Home Office. Failing these duties puts the licence at risk.
Dentello assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship each dentist needs and manages the reporting and record duties tied to sponsoring a visa holder on the practice behalf, so a practice can take on an overseas dentist without building a compliance function of its own.
Sourced from official bodies. Always check the source for the current position.
Without a valid sponsor licence your practice cannot employ an overseas dentist at all. Handled properly it protects:
Remains the licensed sponsor and holds ultimate Home Office responsibility, and approves the candidate.
Supports the licence application and document collation, sponsor-management administration and compliance tracking, and coordinates with authorised advisers where regulated immigration advice is required.
To employ an overseas dentist on a Skilled Worker visa, yes. The Certificate of Sponsorship can only be assigned by a Home Office approved sponsor.
It is an electronic record, with a reference number, that a licensed sponsor assigns to a worker. The worker needs it to apply for a Skilled Worker visa within three months.
Record keeping and reporting duties to the Home Office. These are ongoing, and failing them puts the licence at risk.
Dentello assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship each dentist needs and manages the reporting and record duties tied to sponsorship, removing that burden from the practice.
Explore how Dentello manages sponsorship and visas for practices, or talk to the team.
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