Sponsor Licence Applications

What a sponsor licence is and who can get one

To employ someone who needs a work visa, a UK business must hold a sponsor licence from UK Visas and Immigration. Once licensed, you can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to a worker, who then applies for a Skilled Worker or other sponsored visa. The licence sits on the Home Office's register of licensed sponsors and comes with legal duties that continue for as long as you hold it.

There is no minimum company size, turnover or trading history. Start-ups, sole directors, care providers, restaurants, tech companies and international groups all obtain licences every week. What the Home Office tests is whether you are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK, whether the roles you want to fill are genuine and meet the skill and salary rules, and whether you have the people and systems to meet your sponsor duties.

The Home Office will want to see

• Proof the business exists and trades lawfully: usually four documents from Appendix A, such as a business bank statement, employer's liability insurance, HMRC PAYE registration and a lease.
• A named Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User who meet the suitability rules (no unspent convictions, no history of non-compliance).
• Evidence of the roles you plan to sponsor and that they are genuine vacancies at the right skill level and salary.
• HR systems that can monitor right to work, attendance, contact details and reporting duties.

Common reasons licences are refused

• Documents that do not match Appendix A exactly, or are older than allowed.
• A Level 1 User or Authorising Officer who is not an employee or office holder, or who has an adverse history.
• Roles that do not meet RQF 6 and are not on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List.
• Failing a pre-licence compliance visit because HR files, right-to-work checks or contracts are not in order.
• Signs that the role was created for a specific person rather than a genuine business need.

A refusal usually brings a 6-month cooling-off period before you can apply again, so it pays to get it right first time.

How we prepare your sponsor licence application

1. Free assessment

   We confirm you are eligible, identify the right licence type and roles, and give you a fixed-fee quote.

2. Documents and key personnel

   We select and check your Appendix A documents, advise on who should hold each role and prepare the supporting evidence.

3. Compliance set-up

   We put in place the HR policies, right-to-work procedures and record-keeping the Home Office expects, and rehearse a compliance visit with you.

4. Submission and follow-up

   We complete the online application, draft the covering letter explaining your business and roles, submit the evidence within the 5-working-day window and deal with any Home Office questions or visit.

5. First Certificate of Sponsorship

   Once granted, we help you set up the Sponsorship Management System and assign your first CoS correctly.

Fees and costs

A small sponsor is one that meets at least two of: turnover of £15 million or less, balance sheet of £7.5 million or less, 50 employees or fewer. Charities count as small. Figures checked September 2026. The sponsor must pay the licence, CoS and skills charge itself and must not pass them to the worker.

Self-sponsorship for business owners

Owners and directors who set up a UK company can, in the right circumstances, have that company obtain a licence and sponsor them in a genuine skilled role. It is not a separate visa but a careful combination of company formation, sponsor licence and Skilled Worker rules. The Home Office scrutinises these applications closely, so the business plan, funding, role and salary must stand up. We advise on whether your situation is suitable before you commit, and we can handle the company set-up alongside the licence.

28 occupations could join the Temporary Shortage List

Watch

28 occupations could join the Temporary Shortage List

82 occupations were reviewed. What it means for employers sponsoring medium-skilled roles.

More on this topic:

• Sponsoring overseas workers? Watch out for the tax bill
• Small businesses and UK immigration

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