Hiring and Sponsoring Chartered surveyors (SOC Code 2454)

Chartered Surveyors, classified under SOC Code 2454, are specialized professionals who play a vital role in the property and construction sectors. Their responsibilities encompass:

• Surveying: Conduct detailed surveys to measure and describe land surfaces, ensuring accurate property boundaries.
• Construction Assistance: Aid in construction and cartographic work by providing critical measurements and data.
• Mining Surveys: Prepare drawings of mining surfaces, identifying hazards and features to control mining operations effectively.
• Building Assessments: Survey buildings to assess necessary alterations and repairs, ensuring safety and compliance with regulations.
• Coastal and Underwater Surveys: Measure shorelines, elevations, and underwater contours, establishing critical high and low water marks.
• Navigational Plotting: Plot shore features and define navigable channels, contributing to safe maritime operations.

With increasing demand for land development, real estate, and construction projects, the need for qualified chartered surveyors continues to rise. This guide aims to assist HR professionals in understanding the process of hiring and sponsoring chartered surveyors under the UK’s immigration system.

What is SOC Code 3411 for Chartered surveyors?

SOC Code 2454 refers to chartered surveyors who survey, measure, and describe land surfaces for various purposes. Their responsibilities can include:

• Establishing property boundaries: Conducting surveys to accurately define land boundaries for ownership and legal purposes.
• Assisting with construction: Providing measurements and drawings to facilitate construction projects and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Surveying mines: Preparing detailed drawings of mine surfaces and hazards to manage mining operations effectively.
• Assessing buildings: Surveying structures to evaluate necessary alterations, repairs, or renovations.
• Measuring shorelines: Calculating elevations, underwater contours, and establishing high and low water marks to aid in coastal management.
• Defining navigable channels: Plotting shore features and navigable waterways to ensure safe passage for vessels.

Chartered surveyors play a vital role in land management, contributing to urban planning, construction, and environmental conservation.

Eligibility to Hire Chartered surveyors (SOC Code 3411)

1. Job Requirements

Chartered surveyors must possess specialized skills and qualifications that enable them to perform their duties effectively. The key requirements for this role include:

• Educational Qualifications: A degree in surveying, civil engineering, or a related field; possession of a chartered status recognized by a professional body such as RICS can be essential.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in using surveying instruments and technology such as Total Stations, GPS equipment, and surveying software for data collection and analysis.
• Experience: Relevant experience in land surveying, construction surveying, or mining surveying, demonstrating the ability to execute complex surveying projects.
• Professional Certification: Certification or membership in a relevant professional organization, ensuring compliance with industry standards and regulations.
• Attention to Detail: Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and prepare accurate reports and drawings reflecting the findings from surveys.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective interaction with clients, engineers, and stakeholders.

Ensure that all candidates meet the expectations for the role by aligning their experience and qualifications with SOC Code 2454.

1. Salary Thresholds
2. Use the Minimum Salary Calculator to ensure your salary offer meets immigration requirements.

Sponsoring Chartered surveyors: A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Professionals

Once you’ve confirmed that the role and candidate meet the eligibility requirements, follow this step-by-step guide to sponsoring Chartered surveyors under SOC Code 2454.

Step 1: Obtain a Sponsor Licence

Before hiring non-UK Chartered surveyors, your company or institution must obtain a sponsor licence. This licence enables you to legally sponsor overseas Chartered surveyors under the Skilled Worker Visa program.

• Sponsor Licence Application: Submit documentation proving that your business is legitimate and has a genuine vacancy. Visit the sponsor licence application guide for more information. 
• Sponsor Licence Fees: Small businesses typically pay £574, while larger institutions pay £1,579. For more information, visit the sponsor licence fees guide. 
• Processing Time: Applications typically take up to 8 weeks, but using the Sponsor Licence Priority Service can reduce the processing time to 10 working days.

Once your sponsor licence is approved, you will receive a sponsor licence number, which allows you to assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS).

Step 2: Assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

Once you have your sponsor licence, the next step is to assign a CoS to the Chartered surveyors. This document provides key details about the job and the individual being sponsored.

• Defined vs Undefined CoS: Use a Defined CoS for Chartered surveyors applying from outside the UK, and an Undefined CoS for those already in the UK. Learn more in the Defined & Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship guide. 
• Required Documents: Provide details such as the Chartered surveyors’s portfolio, passport and job offer. Refer to Documents Required for Certificate of Sponsorshipfor a full list of necessary documents.

Step 3: Apply for the Skilled Worker Visa

Once the CoS is issued, the Chartered surveyors can apply for the Skilled Worker Visa.

• Visa Fees: Fees vary depending on the role and visa length—use the visa fees calculator to estimate the costs. 
• Immigration Skills Charge: Employers are required to pay this charge as part of sponsoring non-UK workers. This is separate from visa fees.

Conducting a Right to Work Check for Chartered surveyors

Before the Chartered surveyors begins working, you must conduct a right to work check to ensure they are legally allowed to work in the UK.

• Manual Right to Work Check: Verify original documents such as the Chartered surveyors’s passport and visa. 
• Online Right to Work Check: If the Chartered surveyors holds an eVisa, you can use the UK government’s online system to verify their right-to-work status.

For more details on how to perform these checks, see the right to work check guide.

Post-Hiring Responsibilities and Compliance

1. Record-Keeping and Reporting  
2. • Record-Keeping: Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of the Chartered surveyors’s employment details, salary and contact information. 
   • Reporting Changes: Report any significant changes to the Chartered surveyors’s role—such as promotions or salary increases—via the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
3. Sponsor Licence Duties and Compliance
4. Failure to comply with your sponsor licence duties can result in penalties or sponsor licence revocation, impacting your ability to sponsor future Chartered surveyorss.

How Borderless Can Help with Sponsoring Chartered surveyors

Sponsoring Chartered surveyors under SOC Code 2454 can be a complex process, but Borderless can simplify it for you. We offer comprehensive support to help you manage the entire sponsorship process.

End-to-End Sponsorship Support

At Borderless, we assist with:

• Sponsor Licence Application: Guiding you through the application process and ensuring all required documents are submitted correctly. 
• Certificate of Sponsorship Assignment: Streamlining the CoS process to make hiring easier. 
• Compliance Management: Helping you stay compliant with immigration laws to avoid penalties.

If you need assistance with hiring or sponsoring Chartered surveyors, get in touch for personalised support.

Conclusion

Hiring and sponsoring Chartered surveyors under SOC Code 2454 can be a rewarding way to enrich the cultural landscape of your organisation. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can successfully navigate the sponsorship process while ensuring compliance with UK immigration laws.

For further guidance, Borderless is ready to assist you with all your sponsorship needs. Contact us for expert advice.