How to Speed Up Your SIA Licence Approval

You’ve paid for all your training, spent days intensively studying to get your qualification, promising you the means to a new career. Yet there’s still that chance the SIA could reject your application for a licence.

This could be for a variety of reasons, the most common one being that you may hold a criminal record. Having a criminal conviction shouldn’t necessarily prevent you from ever finding work again. The nature of some offences can be very light or in some cases false. So, if you fall into either of these categories and feel concerned about your prospects, here are some pointers to consider:

Refusal

When applying for a licence you will have to wait for the SIA to grant you one. If they are considering the refusal of your application, they will write to you in advance to inform you – before making their final decision. This means you will have an opportunity to appeal prior to the decision being made.

What will the SIA say if they are thinking of refusing your application?

Rather than come out with a final decision, they will inform you of what it is likely to be. They will then site their reason for potentially refusing your application. Finally, they will advise you on what steps to take to enable them granting your application.

What can I do to increase my chances of being granted a licence?

If the SIA inform you that they are intending to refuse your application, it will mostly likely be due to having a criminal record and can only ‘re-consider’ their decision. They cannot ignore or re-assess your record. However, this process doesn’t take away your right to appeal through the courts. It may be that you were unfairly charged or given a harsh sentence for what was considered a light offence.

While the SIA do not have the legal powers to change their decision once they have made it, they can change their decision if instructed to do so by the courts, based on a legal appeal. Another factor would be if the information that led to your conviction was factually incorrect.

So, if the above applies to you, remember, there are options.

How to work in the security sector

If you are interested in working in the security sector, whether it be as a Door Supervisor, Security Guard or CCTV Operative, you will need to obtain a SIA Licence.

To obtain a SIA Licence, you will need to complete a course. Once you have completed the course, will you then be able to apply for an SIA Licence and work in the security sector.