SIA introducing changes to licencing at the end of 2015

July 16, 2015

Towards the end of 2015, the SIA will be launching new online services that will improve the information available to you, speed up the application process, and improve the service that they provide.

Licence Applicants and Licence Holders

If You Work for an SIA Approved Contractor

The SIA will be making new tools available that will allow your employer to apply for a licence on your behalf. These tools are called Licence Assist and Licence Management. Please talk to your employer about what this means for you.

If You Don’t Work for an SIA Approved Contractor

You will apply for or renew your licence through the new self-service website. You will be able to:

•see where your application is in the licensing process.
•sign up for text alerts that will keep you up to date on what is happening with your application.
•use your personal online account to tell the SIA about changes to your personal details directly, without having to write to them.
•submit an appeal to the SIA online if they are intending to refuse your application or revoke a licence you already hold.
•renew or apply for an additional licence online. If you are applying for your first SIA licence, you will still need to go to a post office to pay, have your photograph taken and have your identity documents checked.

The new site will support all of the major browsers, so paper applications will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.

SIA Approved Contractors

Approved contractors will benefit from two new services: Licence Assist and Licence Management.

Licence Assist will:

•allow you to complete and pay for applications on behalf of your staff.
•keep you informed when the SIA grant a licence to one of your staff.
•enable you to check the licensable status of licence holders.

Licence Management will:

•enjoy all of the benefits of Licence Assist.
•reduce the time taken to apply for a licence by allowing you to carry out and endorse identity checks for new applicants without the need to for them to visit a post office.
•provide the ability to update your employee’s details on their behalf.

Your company will need to meet set criteria over and above those required by the Approved Contractor Scheme in order to benefit from this service. You will also need to sign a legal agreement with the SIA.

A small number of approved contractors will be trialling Licence Management in 2015, prior to it becoming more widely available in 2016.

Other Organisations

You will be able to:

•pay the licence fee on behalf of a licence applicant once they have submitted their application online.
•check the licensable status of licence holders.

Bulk paper applications will no longer be available and the SIA will provide more information to those that use bulk applications at a later date.