Everything a work permit application needs to clear, in one place.
Every jurisdiction structures its rules differently, but almost every corporate work permit turns on the same seven questions. We manage each one — from sponsorship to final residence registration — so nothing stalls your assignee's start date.
Sponsorship by the employing company
Most work permit routes require the hiring entity itself — not the applicant — to hold or obtain sponsor status with the relevant government authority before a role can be filed against it.
- Filing the employer's initial sponsor licence application with the destination's immigration authority
- Renewing the licence ahead of expiry so no gap opens between filing windows
- Advising on the correct licence tier and rating for the company's size and hiring volume
- Preparing the supporting evidence bundle — company registration, financial standing, and premises checks
- Nominating and training the key personnel the licence requires the employer to name
- Right-to-work checks recorded and retained to the standard the sponsor licence requires
- Reporting duties met — absences, role changes, and departures reported within the required window
- HR record-keeping structured to match what an auditor will expect to see
- Annual duty refresher briefings for the HR team members named on the licence
- A rolling compliance calendar tracking every reporting deadline across all sponsored employees
- Matching the role's actual duties to the correct occupation code
- Confirming the category carries the sponsorship route the role needs
- Flagging roles that sit close to a category boundary before filing, not after
- Reviewing job descriptions so they accurately reflect the seniority and skill level claimed
- Re-checking category assignment whenever a role's responsibilities change materially
- Mock compliance visits run against the same checklist government auditors use
- Gaps in HR files closed before they're ever tested by a real inspection
- A standing remediation plan kept on file for any issue identified
- Document retention schedules checked against the specific years each authority requires
- A single point of contact briefed and ready if an unannounced visit is ever scheduled
- Coordinating separate sponsor licences across group entities in the same destination
- Advising which legal entity should hold sponsorship for a given hire
- Keeping licence records aligned when roles move between group companies
- Mapping out sponsorship coverage across every entity as the group expands into new markets
- Centralised reporting so leadership can see licence status across the whole group at a glance
Potential labour market test
A number of jurisdictions require the employer to first demonstrate that no suitably qualified local or resident candidate is available before a foreign hire can proceed.
Illustrative examples only — we confirm the exact requirement for your specific role and destination before filing.
Typical Requirement
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
 United StatesQuota | Required |
 Canada | Required |
 Mexico | Case-by-Case |
 Colombia | Required |
 Brazil | Required |
 Argentina | Case-by-Case |
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Exempt |
 Germany | Exempt |
 Ireland | Exempt |
 Netherlands | Exempt |
 France | Required |
 SwitzerlandQuota | Required |
 Spain | Required |
 ItalyQuota | Required |
 Sweden | Exempt |
 Poland | Case-by-Case |
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
 UAE | Exempt |
 Saudi ArabiaQuota | Case-by-Case |
 Qatar | Exempt |
 Egypt | Case-by-Case |
 Kenya | Case-by-Case |
 South Africa | Required |
| Destination | Status |
|---|---|
 Singapore | Case-by-Case |
 AustraliaQuota | Required |
 India | Exempt |
 China | Required |
 Hong Kong | Exempt |
 Japan | Exempt |
 South Korea | Case-by-Case |
 Malaysia | Required |
 Thailand | Case-by-Case |
 New Zealand | Required |
Some destinations cap places with quotas or pools
Beyond the labour market test itself, a handful of routes limit the total number of places available each year — meaning even a fully compliant application can miss out if the annual pool or lottery has already closed. We track these calendars so filings go in at the right moment, not after the window has shut.
- United States (H-1B) Capped by an annual lottery — registration opens on a fixed spring window regardless of when the role is ready.
- Australia (Skills in Demand) Certain occupations sit under a yearly ceiling set by the relevant state or territory program.
- Switzerland (Non-EU permits) A fixed cantonal quota is released annually and can be exhausted mid-year.
- Italy (Decreto Flussi) Work permits are only issued within a national quota released under an annual government decree.
- Saudi Arabia (Nitaqat) Foreign hiring is governed by Saudization quotas tied to each employer's workforce nationalisation band.
Salary thresholds
Almost every skilled worker route sets a minimum salary the role must meet, benchmarked either to a fixed government figure or to the going rate for that occupation — and both figures are typically reviewed and updated on a set annual cycle, so a package that cleared the bar last year isn't guaranteed to clear it again.
A role offered at this level clears the going-rate requirement with meaningful headroom, reducing the risk of a salary-based refusal.
Medical reports
Many destinations require a medical examination or specific health certifications before a permit can be issued, particularly for longer-stay categories. Click any stage below for detail.
Identify requirements
Confirm required exams and certificates.
Book panel physician
Schedule with an approved provider.
Track results validity
Monitor expiry against the filing date.
Submit with application
Package results into the main filing.
Minimum qualifications
The applicant's education and professional experience typically need to meet a defined standard for the role's skill category, and often need formal recognition in the destination country before a case officer will accept it as valid evidence. Select a framework below to see how we approach it.
Document attestation / legalisation
Degree certificates, marriage certificates, and other civil documents frequently need to be authenticated before a destination government will accept them. The sequence below is the order these steps typically run in.
Notarisation
A notary public certifies the document is a true copy of the original.
Apostille
The document is authenticated for use in any Hague Convention country.
Embassy legalisation
For non-Hague destinations, the relevant embassy legalises the document directly.
Certified translation
The document is translated into the destination's official language.
Turnaround varies by document and destination — apostilles are often same-week, while embassy legalisation for non-Hague destinations can take several weeks. We sequence every document so the slowest step starts first.
Entry visas and in-country residence permits
Once the work permit itself is approved, many destinations still require a separate entry visa to travel, followed by an in-country application to convert that entry into a residence permit.
Before Travel
Entry Visa
After Arrival
In-Country Residence Permit
Common questions about work permits
Answers to what we're asked most often by HR teams starting a new corporate work permit case.
How long does a typical work permit application take?
Do we need our own sponsor licence, or can Sutira Global sponsor on our behalf?
What happens if the offered salary falls short of the threshold?
Can the same document be used for multiple applications?
Does the assignee need to stay in their home country while the permit is processed?
What's the difference between an entry visa and a residence permit?
Can dependants (spouse, children) be included on the same application?
What happens if a work permit is refused?
Not sure which of these apply to your case?
Tell us the role and destination — we'll map out exactly which of these seven steps you need, and which you can skip.
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OUR LOCATIONS
London, UK
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GV Immigration Ltd
15 Stratton Street
London
W1J 8LQ
United Kingdom
- infous@gvimmigration.com
- 9.30am to 6.00pm (Mon-Fri)
New York, USA
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GV Immigration Ltd
15 Stratton Street
London
W1J 8LQ
United Kingdom
- infous@gvimmigration.com
- 9.30am to 6.00pm (Mon-Fri)
Sydney, AUS
-
GV Immigration Ltd
15 Stratton Street
London
W1J 8LQ
United Kingdom
- infous@gvimmigration.com
- 9.30am to 6.00pm (Mon-Fri)