United Kingdom-Points Based System Registration Requirement  

A Sponsorship License is now required for all companies that seek to sponsor foreign nationals for employment under the new Points-Based System (PBS) in the United Kingdom.  Currently, the processing time to obtain the Sponsorship License is 4-6 weeks.  This time may increase closer to October 2008, which is the time frame for the PBS Tiers 2 and 5 activation.  Therefore, any prospective sponsoring companies should prepare and submit the Sponsorship License applications as soon as possible. 

If a company’s application date is in the pending status as of the activation date the company will not be able to sponsor non-EEA (European Economic Area) nationals for work authorization under Tiers 2 and 5 until the application is adjudicated and the Sponsorship License is issued.  Employers without the Sponsorship License as of the activation date will not be able to file work authorization applications under legacy schemes.