Umbrella Company Tier 2 Sponsorship

This is a new thread to explore an old issue.

My objective here is to help people avoid fraudsters and to allow you to sort the good companies from the bad. On a technicality, you should note that a 'pure' umbrella company can not sponsor anyone; they must act as a consultancy to comply with a sponsor's obligations.

1. Don't pay an up front fee to anyone to sponsor you.

2. Be very suspicious of any company that offers to sponsor you before at least your first assignment is identified. (Sometimes this can be legitimate for example if they are assembling a team to bid for work).

3. Be very alert to the deal offered. Remember that any employing company faces a 13.8% payroll tax (employer's National Insurance) on what they pay you. Several companies will work to a margin of c25%, from which they meet the 13.8% employer's NI cost. A few companies quote superficially attractuive rates (eg 18% or less) but then try to charge-back the employer's NI to you.

4. Sponsoring you involves the company taking on a raft on onging obligations, including a duty to notify UKBA within 10 working days if you are AWOL, or change work address, or gain a new status. For this reason you will have to have a much closer relationship with your sponsor than a UK national might have with an 'umbrella company'. It may seem like annoying form-filling, but if they are not making you jump through the hoops, then they are probably neglecting their duties and thereby endangering your visa. (letting you drive without a seatbelt is not necessarily doing you a favour...)

workpermit.com can help suitable people find sponsorship. If you are interested, send your CV to Tier2jobs@workpermit.com If you have been offered an assigment already, do mention the day rate in your mail as it will be to your advantage.

If you are currently on a Tier 1 post study work visa, you could use the Tier1psw@workpermit.com for your mail. Again, remember to attach your CV and mention anyything you have alreday been offered.

Happy job hunting

James Dunlop

Hi

Can you confirm which fields this applies to? I understood the following could work

- IT
- Engineering
- Finance / actuarial
- Healthcare delivered by Doctors and some high level specialists such as Radiographers / Sonographers

Can you confirm if this is correct and add any others of relevance?