Immigration Compliance & Sponsorship Officer

JOB TITLE: Immigration Compliance & Sponsorship Officer JOB TYPE: Permanent JOB LOCATION: Colchester JOB SALARY: up to £35000 + good benefits JOB WORKING: office-based

Your new company Hays is delighted to be working exclusively with a well-established, multi-award winning organisation that provides specialist support services to people with complex needs, with a strong focus on quality, care and compliance. We are recruiting a brand-new role in the HR team, an Immigration Compliance & Sponsorship Officer. This is a specialist role offering the opportunity to take real ownership of immigration and sponsorship compliance across the organisation, acting as the internal subject matter expert and helping to protect its ability to recruit and retain international colleagues.

Your new role Reporting to senior people leadership, you will take the lead on the day-to-day management of the organisation's Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence, ensuring all Home Office reporting, sponsorship obligations and Right to Work requirements are managed accurately and within the required timescales.

You will maintain records within the Sponsor Management System, monitor visa expiries and Certificates of Sponsorship, complete Home Office reporting and ensure the organisation remains prepared for UKVI compliance visits. You'll also oversee Right to Work processes, conduct regular compliance audits and identify and escalate potential compliance risks.

Importantly, this isn't simply a records-based compliance role. You'll be the go-to person for immigration and sponsorship matters, providing practical advice to managers, recruitment and people teams as well as supporting sponsored colleagues with visa conditions, reporting responsibilities and renewal timelines. You'll also deliver training and guidance, maintain policies and procedures and produce clear compliance reporting for senior leadership.

What you'll need to succeed You'll need previous experience managing Skilled Worker sponsorship compliance together with a strong working knowledge of UK Right to Work requirements and sponsor licence obligations. Experience conducting compliance audits, maintaining accurate employee records and advising managers or colleagues on compliance requirements is essential. You'll be highly organised with excellent attention to detail and the confidence to interpret immigration guidance and turn it into straightforward, practical advice. You'll also need strong communication, audit and reporting skills and be comfortable handling sensitive and confidential information. Experience within education, social care or healthcare would be particularly useful, as would experience of the Sponsor Management System and supporting or preparing for Home Office compliance visits.

What you'll get in return This is an excellent opportunity to become the in-house specialist and trusted adviser for an organisation where immigration compliance is genuinely important. You'll have scope to strengthen processes, improve controls and influence how sponsorship and Right to Work compliance are managed across the organisation, while working collaboratively with senior People colleagues, managers and recruitment teams. You'll also get 25+ 8 days holiday & opportunity to buy up to 3 more per annum Life Assurance Salary sacrifice benefits A superb employee assistance programme including exceptional mental health support Pension Blue Light Card scheme access for free for loads of great discounts Early finish on Friday

What you need to do now If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV that details your experience of dealing with immigration compliance and employee sponsorship.

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