Sponsorship in the UK
So, you’ve had a look into teaching in the UK, but you’re not sure which visa option is for you. Outside of having a British Passport or Ancestry visa, the visa which a lot of people get to live and work freely for 2 years in the UK is the Youth Mobility Scheme Visa, one of the prerequisites is that you are under 31. Suzi from our Visa Support Team goes into more detail on this visa here.
But, what if you’re over 31, or don’t have one of the other requirements for the YMS visa?
Or maybe you’ve completed your 2-year YMS visa already and you’ve fallen in love with the UK, all its charm and eccentricity, and you don’t want to leave. Perhaps you’ve tried to snag yourself a Brit to prolong your stay through a partnership visa but haven’t quite managed it.
Basically, you’ve tried all alternative visa options and know for sure that the only possibility way to stay in the UK is via Sponsorship. Many educators are in the same situation and want to know how is works.
Here’s some information about the process and likelihood of obtaining Sponsorship in the UK:
anzuk’s sponsorship license doesn’t extend to educators and you will need to be sponsored directly by a school. This is called the Employer Sponsorship for the Skilled Worker Visa and here’s how it works:
Firstly, the visa needs to be applied for by a school that holds a sponsorship license (or a CoS – Certificate of Sponsorship as it’s known).
For a school to obtain a sponsorship license, there is a significant amount of time and paperwork involved.
The school /employer must follow a strict process whereby they advertise the job in the UK and process all applications in order to prove that there are no applicants that are already settled in the UK (or are able to obtain a visa separately) that could take the role over an overseas migrant requiring sponsorship. Hence, you can see this is a big commitment for both the school and teacher.
So, does this mean this option is out of the window completely?
If you are already in the UK on a YMS visa that will be expiring soon AND in a contract with a school; then it is worth speaking to your school about the option of them sponsoring, you. Because you have an established relationship with the school and the sponsorship process can take place whilst you are still teaching and have a current visa, the school maybe willing to do this.
If you are an experienced STEM teacher: Secondary Science, Physics, Biology, Chemistry Technology, Engineering, Maths (or Computer Science) teacher then sponsorship is a viable option as this position is on the skills shortage list. The UK is currently running a programme called the “International Teacher Framework” whereby teachers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Jamaica and South Africa can obtain positions in state funded secondary schools and academies if they are a STEM teacher.
It helps if you are open minded to the location and type of school you will be working in. Commonly school in regional areas that have difficulty attracting teachers are more open to sponsoring teachers. You will need approximately 2000 pounds for this visa and be willing to commit to a 2-3-year contract.
You will need to be able to obtain QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) in the UK. In order to get mutual recognition for your overseas teaching qualification, you will need to have full registration in your country/state (not graduate/provisional registration).
If you are an SEN specialist teacher and have the correct qualification, experience, and salary band, again sponsorship is a viable option.
At anzuk, we regularly inform our teachers about the schools that have the ability to sponsor you and what roles are available.
Next steps…
If you’re interested to find out more, please speak directly with our team & we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
If you haven’t yet registered with anzuk please click on the following link & we can chat further about your work preferences.
Or, if you have any friends/peers who may be interested, we offer a $150 referral bonus following 10 days worked in the UK:
We look forward to speaking with you soon.
