Read more about our business immigration service

We cover all aspects of business immigration in this section. Select a card below to read more about that topic.

 

The UK's points-based immigration system

The Tier 2 (General) category was replaced by the Skilled Worker route. Employees must obtain a total of 70 points to be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa. Requirements include, but are not limited to:

  • Meeting the minimum skills threshold
  • Meeting the minimum salary level of £26,200 or the going rate for the job (as per the applicable Standard Occupational Classification), whichever is higher
  • Passing the English language requirement

Read more more about points-based immigration.

 

Apply for a sponsor licence

To employ a worker from outside of the UK, you must first obtain a sponsor licence. This includes workers from the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020.

You won’t need a licence to employ workers from Ireland and those with indefinite leave to remain, settled status or pre-settled status.

The licence you will need to apply for will depend on whether you are hiring temporary or long-term employees. A Worker licence is for long-term or permanent job offers and a Temporary licence is for temporary job offers. You can apply for a licence that covers either or both of these tiers.

How to register as a licenced UK visa sponsor

You must apply online, submit all the necessary documents and pay a fee. There are various requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration that must be met in order to gain your sponsor license– we can help ensure that your business satisfies all the criteria.

Read more about UK sponsor licences.

Employ workers on short-term work visas

We can assist and advise on the process of hiring short-term international employees for all your seasonal job roles or temporary contracts. The process is much the same as hiring a long-term employee.

Read more about hiring temporary foreign workers.

 

The Global Business Mobility route

The Global Mobility route is a collection of visas designed for businesses wishing to establish a presence in the UK, or transfer employees from an overseas branch for specific purposes.

You can employ experienced workers or graduate trainees.

Read more about the Global Business Mobility route.

Immigration skills charge

You need to pay an additional fee for each non-UK employee you hire. This is called the immigration skills charge, which was introduced in 2016.

You must pay the immigration skills charge if you have workers who are applying from:

  • Overseas, to work in the UK for six months or more
  • Inside the UK for any length of time

How much it costs

The fee depends on:

  • The size of your organisation
  • How long the worker will be employed by you

Read more about the immigration skills charge.

 

Immigration compliance audits

The Home Office can, at any point, conduct an inspection of your company to make sure you are complying with your immigration duties. This inspection will ensure that the information you provided as part of your sponsor licence application is accurate and that you are able and continue to comply with the duties and responsibilities of a licensed sponsor. You may also receive a visit before a decision on your sponsor licence is made. These visits can be announced or unplanned, so it’s important to always be prepared.

Our knowledge and understanding of the Home Office’s auditing procedures and standards will ensure your company remains compliant. We’ll conduct all the necessary checks and offer advice on where improvements can be made. The Home Office also make a commitment to visit each licenced sponsor at least once during the life cycle of the licence, which is normally four years

Read more about immigration audits.

 

Meet your business immigration team

Talk to our experienced consultants, OISC-registered advisers to see how we can help with your business immigration needs.

  • Darren Faife - Director of Work permits
    Darren Faife
    Managing Director: Business immigration
  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director
  • Samantha Beukes
    UK Consultant Support
  • Sihle Vusani
    UK Consultant Support
  • Jodi Adams
    UK Consultant Support
  • Jodie Che’ Clayton
    UK Consultant Support
  • Erne Brummer
    Admin Assistant
  • Cèlene Bredeveldt
    UK Consultant Support
  • Tobias Strom
    Tobias Strom
    Business Immigration Consultant
  • Maxine Furlong
    Maxine Furlong
    Business Immigration Consultant
  • Nicola Digby
    Nicola Digby
    Senior Consultant
  • Julian Dearson
    Head of Immigration Compliance
  • Coco Chen
    Education Corporate Service Consultant
  • Steve Paxton
    Managing Director: UK Education Corporate Services
  • Darren Faife
    Managing Director: Business immigration

    Darren has over 25 years’ experience heading award-winning organisations as well as providing immigration and compliance services to large-scale, multinational businesses.

    Having run his own successful immigration practice for over 20 years, Darren possesses a strong commercial mindset and provides an efficient delivery of strategic solutions, while consistently driving value contributing to core business objectives.

    Darren joined Sable International in 2020 to bring his wealth of expertise to our business immigration services. He is registered with the OISC at level 2 in UK Immigration.

    Outside of work, Darren is a “car man”, who makes his annual trip to Le Mans every year.

  • Saskia Johnston
    Service Delivery Director

    Saskia has over 10 years of experience within the Sable International Team. Saskia graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B. Sc. (Masters) in finance and a sub-major in economics. She has a keen interest in financial services and immigration which made her the perfect candidate to help drive our Business Immigration team forward. Saskia has a passion for exceptional customer service and is now responsible for the Business Immigration team’s service delivery.

    A confident, enthusiastic individual with a great attitude and a keen motivation to learn. Saskia has spent the last decade growing a very strong and powerful professional business development network in London. Her growth and strategic approach to relationship-led new business has produced some fantastic results and she has enjoyed implementing these successful sales strategies with her team in London. She has extensive experience in all aspects of foreign exchange and business immigration and can apply her high-level, target-driven sales and account management approach to the success of her role.

    Outside of work, Saskia loves experiencing new cultures and travel is at the top of her “spare time” list.”

  • Samantha Beukes
    UK Consultant Support

    Samantha was born and bred in Cape Town, South Africa. After spending the last nine years in various customer service and a team lead role, Samantha has decided to make a career change and applied for the role of UK Consultant Support at Sable International, where she will assist the Business Immigration team.

    Samantha is dedicated to always provide excellent customer service. She is ambitious and goal driven.

    In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends.

  • Sihle Vusani
    UK Consultant Support

    Sihle was born and bred in East London in the Eastern Cape. She came to Cape Town to study at the University of Cape Town, and fell in love with the beautiful city. She worked in customer service while studying and hopes to grow her career at Sable International where she works as a Junior UK Consultant Support.

    In her free time she enjoys trying out new restaurants, going to watch the sunset at the beach and just being around her loved ones.

  • Jodi Adams
    UK Consultant Support

    Jodi is a goal orientated and dedicated individual with an honours finance educational background and shares a passion for people with over five years of experience within the customer service industry. After Jodi completed her studies she decided to embark on a new experience and applied to Sable International, where she will assist the Business Immigration team.

    In Jodi’s spare time she enjoys taking scenic pictures and adventuring outside Cape Town admiring the beautiful views nature has to offer.

  • Jodie Che’ Clayton
    UK Consultant Support

    Jodie Che’ born and raised in Cape Town. Before joining Sable International, she worked in the public sector as a secretary. She has a passion for kids, she pursued a diploma in Early Childhood Development and hopes to complete her degree in Education in the future.

    She works in Sable International's Education Corporate Services division as a Junior UK Consultant Support.

    Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with family and friends.

  • Erne Brummer
    Admin Assistant

    Erne was born and raised in Cape Town. She has a great love for the Mother City, but would love to travel more.

    She matriculated from Cravenby Secondary School in 2016 and completed her diploma in Criminal Justice through Lyceum College.

    Her first job was at Ster-Kinekor as a multi skilled employee. She was then employed at WNS Global as a customer service agent. She then moved to CT International Financiers as a Collections Specialist, and was given the opportunity to broaden her knowledge and skills into various administrative roles before starting employment at Sable International.

    She is an administrative assistant at Sable International where she works with our Business Immigration and UK Education Corporate Services teams.

    Outside of work she enjoys hanging out with friend and family, exploring new places and loves watching series and movies.

  • Cèlene Bredeveldt
    UK Consultant Support

    Cèlene matriculated from Wynberg Girls’ High School in 2014 and went straight to work to support her family. She worked in the hospitality industry before moving to the beauty industry at Sorbet, then switched gears moving into the debt review industry.

    She believes her customer service relations experience has made her into someone who strives for the best for each client interaction. She is now a Junior UK Consultant Support, assisting those who want to send their children to study at top UK primary and high schools.

    Cèlene's number one passion is dancing. She has been dancing since the age of four and has starred in several music videos as well as being a DHL Stormers Cheerleader.

    In her free time, she loves cooking, trying new restaurants for new experiences, hanging out with loved ones and going for drives around the Mother City.

  • Tobias Strom
    Business Immigration Consultant

    Tobias was born and raised in London to American and German parents. After completing his law degree from Nottingham Trent University he has worked across both the UK and USA before finding his passion in immigration. 

    He joined Sable as a registered adviser with the OISC at level 1 and has extensive knowledge in both immigration and nationality, assisting private and corporate clients with their UK immigration matters.  

    He loves playing football amongst other sports and is an avid Tottenham Hotspurs fan. 

  • Maxine Furlong
    Business Immigration Consultant

    Maxine grew up in Cape Town, South Africa and has completed her BComm degree.

    She joined our Immigration team in our Cape Town office where she gained valuable experience in UK immigration and citizenship casework.

    Maxine has since moved to our London office and has completed her OISC level 1 exam; and continues to broaden her knowledge and experience in UK immigration.

    In her spare time Maxine will take any opportunity to travel, explore new cities and cultures.

  • Nicola Digby
    Senior Consultant

    Nicola has over 14 years of immigration experience in private and corporate immigration, with a focus on large-scale, multinational business immigration. She graduated from the University of Wolverhampton with a Bachelor of Law and has worked in the immigration sector since this time. 

    She joined Sable International as a Senior Consultant and is registered with the OSIC as a level 2 UK immigration adviser.

    Outside of work, she enjoys seeing as much of the world as possible, spending time with friends, family and her two cats. She also plays netball for her local club.

  • Julian Dearson
    Head of Immigration Compliance

    Julian joined the Home Office, Immigration Department in 1983 where he processed and managed multiple immigration and nationality applications. In 1991 he established Dearson Winyard, a company that went on to be one of the largest and most successful independent immigration advisory firms in the UK. After 26 years of success, the company was sold and Julian has spent the last five years pursuing his own personal ambitions.

    Julian is responsible for establishing and managing an immigration compliance offering for business immigration clients. This includes undertaking compliance audits to evaluate our clients' compliance with the UKVI sponsor licence requirements. Julian has a broad and varied immigration experience, covering both corporate and private client work, including sponsor licence applications.

    Outside of work, Julian spends much of his free time either dog walking or away in his RV with his family.

  • Coco Chen
    Education Corporate Service Consultant

    Coco was born in Taiwan and raised in Hong Kong. She completed her bachelor law degree in the United Kingdom.

    Before joining Sable International she worked in a London city law firm as an immigration paralegal.

    Outside of work she enjoys oil painting and spending time with family and friends.

  • Steve Paxton
    Managing Director: UK Education Corporate Services

    Steve is the Managing Director of the UK Education Corporate Services division. He is an experienced international investment business owner, UK independent school boarding expert, UK Child/Student sponsor licence specialist, including overseeing many UKVI compliance inspections and has been the Commercial Director of a UK immigration firm.

    As a student global mobility specialist, he intends to make Sable International a trusted supplier of advice and support to UK independent schools and their worldwide agents, in the complex sector of Home Office compliance and visa acquisition for UK-bound international students.

    Outside of work, Steve loves travelling, spending time with his family and new grandchild, a quadruple World Cup hockey coach and player, and is currently an England hockey masters player. 

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Authorised to practise immigration law by the OISC under Registration No F200100004.