Hiring and Sponsoring Garage managers and proprietors (SOC Code 1252)

Garage Managers and Proprietors - SOC Code 1252

• Role Overview: Garage managers and proprietors are essential figures in the automotive service industry, responsible for managing day-to-day operations and ensuring optimal functionality within garages. 
• Key Responsibilities:
• • Staffing: Determines staffing needs to effectively meet operational demands while fostering a skilled workforce.
  • Financial Management: Oversees financial requirements, ensuring the business remains profitable and adheres to budgetary guidelines.
  • Inventory Control: Ensures that necessary spare parts, materials, and equipment are readily available or can be procured quickly.
  • Maintenance Coordination: Arranges for maintenance staff to execute necessary maintenance and repair work on vehicles or motorcycles, guaranteeing swift service to clients.
  • Compliance Checking: Reviews completed work for adherence to safety standards and statutory regulations, ensuring a safe workspace.
  • Record Keeping: Maintains accurate records of repair work to identify and address recurrent faults effectively.
  • Customer Service: Provides detailed information about garage merchandise to both staff and customers, enhancing the overall client experience.
  • Accounts Management: Oversees the maintenance of business accounts, ensuring financial transparency and compliance.

The role of garage managers and proprietors is critical in meeting the increasing demand for automotive services within the UK, as the industry continues to evolve and expand. This guide aims to assist HR professionals in the recruitment and sponsorship process for garage managers and proprietors under the UK’s immigration system.

What is SOC Code 3411 for Garage managers and proprietors?

SOC Code 1252 refers to garage managers and proprietors who oversee the operations of automotive repair shops and service centers. Their responsibilities can include:

• Determining staffing needs: Assessing the workforce requirements to ensure adequate personnel for operations.
• Managing financial resources: Overseeing budgets, expenses, and revenue to maintain financial health.
• Ensuring material availability: Guaranteeing that necessary spare parts, materials, and equipment are consistently on hand or readily obtainable.
• Arranging maintenance and repair work: Scheduling maintenance staff to conduct vehicle or motorcycle repairs efficiently.
• Compliance checks: Inspecting completed work to ensure adherence to safety standards and statutory regulations.
• Maintaining records: Documenting repair work to identify and monitor recurrent faults for continuous improvement.
• Providing merchandise information: Offering guidance and information about garage products and services to both staff and customers.
• Account management: Ensuring that the business's financial accounts are accurately maintained and reported.

Garage managers and proprietors play a pivotal role in the automotive service industry, contributing to operational efficiency, safety standards, and customer satisfaction.

Eligibility to Hire Garage managers and proprietors (SOC Code 3411)

1. Job Requirements

Garage managers and proprietors must possess a blend of managerial skills, automotive knowledge, and business acumen. The following qualifications and criteria are essential:

• Experience in Management: Demonstrated experience in managing garage operations, including supervision of staff and overall management of business functions.
• Automotive Expertise: Proficient knowledge of vehicle maintenance and repair, capable of troubleshooting various automotive issues.
• Financial Acumen: Ability to manage business accounts, including budgeting, financial reporting, and maintaining profitability.
• Regulatory Compliance: Familiarity with safety and statutory regulations applicable to vehicle maintenance and repair, ensuring compliance in all operations.
• Inventory Management: Skills in managing inventory levels, sourcing spare parts, and ensuring the availability of necessary materials and equipment.
• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills to convey information about garage services and merchandise to both staff and customers.
• Record Keeping: Experience in maintaining comprehensive records of repair work to analyze recurrent faults and enhance operational efficiency.

Ensure the job description aligns with SOC Code 1252 and that the garage manager’s experience and capabilities meet the expectations for the role.

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

Sponsoring Garage managers and proprietors: 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 Garage managers and proprietors under SOC Code 1252.

Step 1: Obtain a Sponsor Licence

Before hiring non-UK Garage managers and proprietors, your company or institution must obtain a sponsor licence. This licence enables you to legally sponsor overseas Garage managers and proprietors 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 Garage managers and proprietors. This document provides key details about the job and the individual being sponsored.

• Defined vs Undefined CoS: Use a Defined CoS for Garage managers and proprietors 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 Garage managers and proprietors’s portfolio, passport and job offer. Refer to Documents Required for Certificate of Sponsorship for a full list of necessary documents.

Step 3: Apply for the Skilled Worker Visa

Once the CoS is issued, the Garage managers and proprietors 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 Garage managers and proprietors

Before the Garage managers and proprietors 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 Garage managers and proprietors’s passport and visa. 
• Online Right to Work Check: If the Garage managers and proprietors 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 Garage managers and proprietors’s employment details, salary and contact information. 
   • Reporting Changes: Report any significant changes to the Garage managers and proprietors’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 Garage managers and proprietorss.

How Borderless Can Help with Sponsoring Garage managers and proprietors

Sponsoring Garage managers and proprietors under SOC Code 1252 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 Garage managers and proprietors, get in touch for personalised support.

Conclusion

Hiring and sponsoring Garage managers and proprietors under SOC Code 1252 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.