As has become painfully clear, we are on a slow, sluggish slog to the Brexit date of March 2019. Sure there are whispers of a second referendum filtering their way into hopeful ears, but those are quickly quashed by economists who claim it’s impossible to turn back now. And we are already facing what some are calling an ‘employment emergency’.

The consultancy firm Deloitte found that almost 50% of highly skilled EU City workers are considering leaving the UK in the next 5 years. Twenty-six percent said that they were leaving in the next three years. And in the face of the economic turmoil that Brexit might bring, 36% of non-British workers said they were thinking about leaving in the next few years too – a total of 1.2million workers.

With the current political rhetoric showing no signs of certainty, the security of other European countries seems far more appealing to talented recruits, causing a massive brain drain in the UK recruitment market.

This is especially chilling for SMEs, who can’t compete with the larger corporations’ salaries and perks. And with a skills deficit becoming worse and worse, these businesses are eventually going to find it impossible to compete with their competitors in Europe.

However, sponsorships may be a way for some businesses to remain in competition. Liam Gallagher of the Immigration Advice Service has offered the following advice, “sponsor licences are easy to come by and are a lot more straightforward than people expect.

“The UK visa system can often feel mystifying with many companies not realising that applying for a licence to sponsor foreign workers can be completed in a matter of weeks.”

“British companies need to innovate in order to keep up with the rest of the world, not hiring internationally is curbing your own potential.”

Additionally, specialist lawyers can help businesses navigate the red tape around dealing with the Home Office, making finding the right candidate – regardless of their passport – exponentially quicker.

With over 6 million science, tech, engineering and maths graduates emerging from China and India, becoming a business with a sponsorship license could provide you with a genuine edge in the face of Brexit’s brain drain.