Changes to the Resident Labour Market Test have been announced and all Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsors should take note.
Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsors that have carried out a Resident Labour Market Test will be aware of the requirement to advertise the role on Universal Jobmatch, and may have an account with the service.
However, as of 14 May 2018 it will no longer be possible to post job adverts on the site. Instead, those carrying out a Resident Labour Market Test will be required to use the new Find a Job service.
If a sponsor has an active job advert to fulfil the Resident Labour Market Test, the advert will still be visible to potential applicants until 17 June 2018. After the 17 June 2018, all Universal Jobmatch accounts will be closed and sponsors should therefore ensure that any relevant information has been downloaded from the account prior to this date. This will include information such as relevant CV’s, cover letters and application forms.
Prospective employers will not be able to set up an account on Universal Jobmatch from 10 May 2018. As the Find a Job service does not go active until 14 May 2018, there will be a short period of time when sponsors will be unable to place job adverts in order to carry out a Resident Labour Market Test. Sponsors should therefore take this into account if looking to place an advert during this time.
Further information regarding the new system can be found on the government website here.
Running a fully compliant Resident Labour Market Test is an important part of the sponsorship process and if this is carried out incorrectly, it can have serious consequences for the sponsor licence.
Should you wish to discuss the changes to the Resident Labour Market Test, or any other area of sponsorship with our team, please contact us.
