Genuine vacancy evidence for a sponsored role

Genuine vacancy evidence should describe the work the business actually needs and how the role fits its operations. A job description should not be invented or distorted solely to resemble an eligible occupation for sponsorship.

Describe the vacancy as it exists in the business Begin with the work that needs doing, not the immigration category you hope to use. Ask the hiring manager to explain the role's regular tasks, expected outputs and decision-making responsibility. Identify how the vacancy arose and what would happen if it remained unfilled. This provides a factual foundation for assessing whether the proposed sponsorship reflects a genuine recruitment requirement.

Use examples from ordinary operations. A technical role might involve designing a particular system, reviewing specifications or resolving defined faults. A management role should explain what is managed and what authority the employee will exercise. Broad phrases such as supporting growth are less informative than a description of the work, the team and the reporting relationship.

Match occupation classification to actual duties The Skilled Worker guidance requires an eligible job and directs applicants to identify its occupation code. Similar titles can describe different work, so the duties must support the chosen classification. [1] Record why the proposed code fits, including any alternative considered where the role crosses several functions. Do not copy an occupation description and then treat that copy as evidence of the business's needs.

Ask whether the job description would still make sense to the manager if immigration were removed from the discussion. If the answer is no, revisit the underlying recruitment plan. A defensible description should help a candidate understand the job and help the employer assess performance after appointment, as well as providing information for the immigration assessment.

Connect the role to the organisation's structure Prepare an organisational chart or written account showing where the person will sit. Identify their manager, any direct reports and the colleagues with whom they will work. Explain how the role relates to current activities and any planned expansion. Keep established business operations separate from forecasts that depend on contracts or investment not yet secured.

Where the business is small, explain how responsibilities are divided rather than creating an inflated hierarchy. If the role replaces someone, preserve the relevant recruitment history and explain material changes in duties. If it is new, set out the operational need in a way that can be compared with the organisation's actual resources and plans.

Check the salary and working arrangement together Salary assessment depends on the applicable route rules, occupation and circumstances; a headline annual figure alone may not answer the question. The official Skilled Worker page distinguishes the general threshold, occupational going rates and circumstances with different requirements. [1] Check the current provisions rather than assuming that a figure remembered from an earlier application still applies.

Record proposed hours, work locations and the components of the remuneration package accurately. Ask finance and the hiring manager to confirm that they are describing the same arrangement. Where an offer includes variable amounts or deductions, make those visible for assessment instead of presenting the total package as if every element automatically counts towards the immigration requirement.

Preserve a truthful recruitment account Keep the genuine material produced while filling the vacancy: the approved job description, relevant advertising, selection records and the reason for choosing the successful candidate. Check the current route-specific evidence obligations separately. Do not invent an advertising exercise or recreate interview notes as though they were made contemporaneously. If a later explanation is needed, date it accurately and identify its basis.

The recruitment account should allow another person to understand the decision. If the candidate was known to the business already, explain the actual circumstances rather than disguising the relationship. If the job changed during recruitment, retain the earlier version and explain the change. An honest chronology is more useful than a polished pack that conceals how the appointment developed.

Examine client-site and group arrangements closely Where the work involves a client or related business, describe who supervises the employee and controls their duties. Identify the employing entity and the locations at which work is expected. Commercial labels such as consultant or group resource can cover different arrangements, so they should not substitute for a clear explanation of what the worker will actually do.

Bring these details to the assessment before finalising sponsorship. Does your business need a sponsor licence helps establish which organisation and route the recruitment plan requires. If the intended arrangement changes while the licence or worker application is being prepared, reassess the evidence rather than continuing to use a job description that no longer reflects the proposed employment.

Prepare a focused evidence note Summarise the business need, duties, reporting line, salary and recruitment history in a concise note with references to supporting records. Mark any unresolved classification or route question clearly. The note should connect the evidence, not make unsupported claims that the vacancy must qualify because the employer urgently needs staff.

An enquiry through Sponsor licence application coordination can include this note and the draft employment terms for a targeted assessment. Request a clear explanation of any gap between the proposed role and the applicable requirements. Resolving that gap before commitments are made helps the business avoid recruiting on the basis of a description that neither the candidate nor the operations team intends to follow.

Illustrative example

A business proposes a specialist role with unclear duties. The adviser requests an accurate operational description before reviewing occupation and salary eligibility.

Preparation checklist

• Describe real duties
• Explain the business need
• Confirm pay and reporting lines
• Reconcile recruitment documents