Employers
Sponsor Licence (for employers)
Get Home Office approval to recruit and sponsor overseas workers.
- 1,000+ applications handled, and none refused to date
- Fixed quote, agreed in writing
A sponsor licence lets your organisation employ people from overseas on routes such as the Skilled Worker visa. You apply online, show the Home Office that you are a genuine UK organisation with suitable roles and HR systems, and pay a fee based on your size. Once licensed, you must meet ongoing compliance duties or risk a downgrade, suspension or revocation.
- Home Office fee from
- £611
- Typical decision
- Most decided in less than 8 weeks
- Leads to settlement
- For the workers you sponsor
- Rules last checked
- September 2026
Why applications
get refused.
The Home Office doesn't refund fees for refused applications. These are among the most common reasons Sponsor Licence (for employers) applications fail, and exactly what our former-judge review is designed to catch.
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Missing or late documents
If mandatory documents are not received within 5 working days the application is invalid. If UKVI asks for further documents and you miss the 5-working-day deadline, the application is refused and the fee is not refunded.
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No genuine eligible vacancy
UKVI refuses where it is not satisfied you can offer roles that meet the skill and salary rules. Vague job descriptions, inflated job titles and salaries that do not fit the role are common triggers.
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Unsuitable key personnel
Nominating someone with an unspent relevant conviction, a link to a revoked sponsor, or who is not UK-based or on your payroll leads to refusal. A Level 1 User who is not a settled worker is a frequent mistake.
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Weak HR systems at a compliance visit
A pre-licence visit may test your right to work checks, record keeping and absence monitoring. If you cannot show how you would notice a worker not turning up, UKVI can refuse.
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No real UK trading presence
Virtual offices, newly formed companies with little trading evidence, or organisations that appear to exist mainly to bring in a particular worker are refused.
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Application submitted by an adviser
Your organisation must submit the online application itself. An adviser can help you prepare it, but if they submit it on your behalf it will be refused.
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Illegal working penalties
An unpaid civil penalty for employing illegal workers, or one paid less than 12 months ago, means automatic refusal, and 2 or more penalties in 5 years normally leads to refusal. Penalties can be up to £60,000 per illegal worker.
- Treating the licence as a form to fill inUKVI can visit before deciding, and officers test your right-to-work checks, record-keeping and absence monitoring. If you can't show how you'd notice a sponsored worker not turning up, the application can be refused. An AI tool can't audit your HR systems; we do, before you apply.
- Nominating the wrong key personnelYou need an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and at least one Level 1 User, all based in the UK. At least one Level 1 User must be an employee, partner or director who is a settled worker. Anyone with an unspent relevant conviction, or a link to a revoked sponsor, leads to refusal. Chatbots rarely know these rules.
- Missing the 5-working-day deadlineYour supporting documents, usually at least 4 from Appendix A of the sponsor guidance, must reach UKVI within 5 working days or the application is invalid. Miss the deadline for any further documents UKVI asks for and it's refused, and the fee isn't refunded. AI doesn't tell you which documents fit your business.
- Offering roles that don't meet the rulesNew Skilled Worker roles usually need to be at graduate level (RQF 6 or above) and pay at least £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher. Vague job descriptions and inflated titles trigger refusals, and care worker roles can no longer be filled from overseas. Generic AI answers are often a rule change behind.
- Out-of-date guidance on your dutiesOnce licensed, you must report changes to a worker within 10 working days and changes to your organisation within 20. You must never recover sponsorship costs from a worker. Multi-factor authentication on the sponsorship system became mandatory on 3 September 2026, and new Level 2 Users can't be appointed from 9 September 2026. Chatbots trained on older material miss these.
- Underestimating what's at stakeIllegal-working penalties can reach £60,000 per worker, and an unpaid penalty, or one paid within the last 12 months, means automatic refusal. After approval, a downgrade to a B-rating stops new certificates and costs £1,579 for an action plan. A chatbot answer is no substitute for a compliance plan.
Refused before? Or simply can't afford to be?
A former UK immigration judge reviews every Complete and Priority application we prepare before it's submitted.
Who it's for
Your organisation can apply if it meets everything in groups 1 and 2, and one of the situations in group 3 applies.
- Operating or trading lawfully in the UK, with the documents to prove it
- Holding any registration your sector needs, such as the Care Quality Commission for care providers
- No unspent convictions for immigration offences, fraud or money laundering, and no licence revoked in the last 12 months
- A UK-based Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User (one person can hold all three)
- HR systems for right-to-work checks, record-keeping and reporting to the Home Office
- To recruit skilled staff from overseas
- To keep staff who are currently on Student or Graduate visas
- To transfer staff from an overseas branch, or to sponsor temporary workers
Eligibility requirements
You'll need to meet every one of these. Each has its own evidence rules, and that's where applications most often go wrong.
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01
A genuine UK organisation
You must be operating or trading lawfully in the UK and prove it with supporting documents – most organisations send at least 4 from Appendix A of the sponsor guidance, such as HMRC registration, accounts and bank statements. source
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02
Suitable key personnel
You must appoint an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and at least one Level 1 User (one person can hold all roles). They must be based in the UK most of the time, and at least one Level 1 User must be an employee, partner or director who is a settled worker. source
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03
No disqualifying history
You cannot have unspent convictions for immigration offences or crimes such as fraud or money laundering. You will not get a licence if one was revoked in the last 12 months (24 months if revoked more than once). source
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04
Genuine, eligible roles
You must be able to offer jobs that meet the route's rules. For new Skilled Workers that usually means an occupation at RQF 6 or above, paid at least £41,700 a year or the going rate, whichever is higher. source
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05
Minimum wage and working time compliance
Every sponsored job must comply with UK minimum wage and working time regulations. If it does not, the worker's visa may be refused and you may lose your licence. source
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06
HR systems to meet your duties
You need systems to monitor workers' immigration status, keep copies of documents including right to work checks, track attendance, keep contact details up to date and report problems to UKVI. source
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07
Required registrations
If you must be registered with or licensed by a regulator to operate lawfully – for example the Care Quality Commission for care providers in England – you must hold that registration, or your application will be refused. source
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08
No recent refusal
You will not usually get a licence if you applied unsuccessfully in the last 6 months, unless the refusal was for certain limited reasons outside your control. source
Sponsor size and fees
There is no minimum turnover, but the size of your organisation decides which licence fee and Immigration Skills Charge rate you pay – and you must pay all sponsorship fees yourself. source
- You are usually a small sponsor if at least 2 of these apply: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, 50 employees or fewer
- Registered and exempt charities pay the small or charitable rate
- The licence fee, certificate of sponsorship fee and Immigration Skills Charge must not be passed on to the worker – your licence may be revoked if you ask them to pay
- The Immigration Skills Charge is paid in one go for the full period on the certificate when you assign it
Documents checklist
Tick documents off as you gather them: your progress is saved in this browser. Before anything is submitted, we check every one against the exact requirement it has to prove.
How to apply, step by step
- 1
Check your eligibility and roles
Confirm your organisation qualifies and that the jobs you want to fill meet the occupation code, skill level and salary rules.
- 2
Appoint key personnel and set up systems
Choose your Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User, and put right to work, record-keeping and reporting processes in place.
- 3
Gather your supporting documents
Assemble the mandatory and supporting documents from Appendix A, plus the extra information about your organisation and jobs needed for Skilled Worker licences.
- 4
Apply online and pay the fee
Complete the online application yourself (a representative can help but must not submit it) and pay the licence fee.
- 5
Send your documents within 5 working days
Email the signed submission sheet and supporting documents to the address on the submission sheet within 5 working days.
- 6
Compliance check and decision
UKVI may visit your premises, sometimes unannounced. If approved you receive an A-rating and appear on the register of sponsors.
- 7
Assign certificates and stay compliant
Request and assign certificates of sponsorship for eligible roles, pay the Immigration Skills Charge where due, and meet your reporting duties.
Processing times
Costs
| Home Office fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Worker licence – small or charitable sponsor source | £611 |
| Worker licence – medium or large sponsor source | £1,682 |
| Temporary Worker licence – any size source | £611 |
| Add a Worker licence to an existing Temporary Worker licence – medium or large sponsor (no fee for small sponsors) source | £1,071 |
| Priority licence decision (optional) source | £750 |
| Certificate of sponsorship – Skilled Worker and other Worker routes (per certificate) source | £525 |
| Certificate of sponsorship – Temporary Worker routes (per certificate) source | £55 |
| Immigration Skills Charge – small or charitable sponsor, first 12 months (per worker) source | £480 |
| Immigration Skills Charge – small or charitable sponsor, each additional 6 months (per worker) source | £240 |
| Immigration Skills Charge – medium or large sponsor, first 12 months (per worker) source | £1,320 |
| Immigration Skills Charge – medium or large sponsor, each additional 6 months (per worker) source | £660 |
| Priority processing of a sponsorship management request (optional) (per request) source | £350 |
| Action plan fee if your licence is downgraded to a B-rating (per action plan) source | £1,579 |
Home Office fees only, paid directly to the Home Office. Our own fee is a fixed quote, agreed in writing after your free consultation.
Fixed-fee representation
Every organisation is different, so we agree one fixed fee for the work you need, in writing, before we start. No hourly billing and never paid all up front. Home Office fees are paid separately.
A fixed quote for your organisation
Sponsor licence work depends on your size, your sector and how many workers you plan to sponsor. After a free call and a look at your HR set-up, we'll quote one fixed fee for exactly the work you need.
- HR systems and right-to-work audit, with a written fix list
- Your licence application prepared and submitted
- Key personnel briefing on your sponsor duties
- Optional ongoing compliance support, certificates and reporting reminders
How long the licence lasts
Your licence has no fixed expiry date and stays valid for as long as you continue to meet the requirements (licences for Scale-up and UK Expansion Workers last 4 years).
A sponsor licence does not itself lead to settlement, but workers you sponsor on the Skilled Worker route can usually apply for indefinite leave to remain after 5 years if you still sponsor them at the required salary.
Frequently asked questions
Does a sponsor licence need renewing?
No. Most licences now stay valid for as long as you meet the requirements, but UKVI can downgrade, suspend or revoke a licence at any time if you breach your duties.
Can we recover sponsorship costs from the worker?
No. You must not recoup the sponsor licence fee, the certificate of sponsorship fee, the Immigration Skills Charge or associated administrative costs from a sponsored worker. Doing so will normally lead to revocation.
What compliance mistakes most often cost employers their licence?
Missing the 10-working-day deadline to report absences, salary cuts or a worker leaving; not reporting changes to your organisation within 20 working days; paying less than the required salary in any pay period; incomplete right to work records; and letting sponsorship management system accounts go inactive.
What happens if we are downgraded to a B-rating?
You cannot assign certificates to new workers until you regain an A-rating. You must accept an action plan and pay the £1,579 fee within 10 working days or your licence will be revoked, and a further downgrade after two action plans in a rolling 4-year period leads to revocation.
Can we recruit care workers from overseas?
No. Applications for care worker (6135) and senior care worker (6136) roles must now be made from inside the UK. Existing Skilled Worker care staff can continue, while workers switching in must usually have worked for you legally in the role for at least 3 months and apply before 22 July 2028.
How much is the Immigration Skills Charge?
For each Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker, small or charitable sponsors pay £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each further 6 months; medium and large sponsors pay £1,320 and £660. Sponsoring for the maximum 5 years costs up to £2,400 or £6,600. Certain science, research and higher education teaching occupations are exempt, and no charge is due for dependants.
What sponsorship management system changes do we need to know about?
Multi-factor authentication became mandatory on 3 September 2026. New Level 2 Users cannot be appointed from 9 September 2026 and the role will be abolished after 8 March 2027. Accounts unused for 12 months will be deactivated unless you act within 3 months of UKVI contacting you – losing all Level 1 Users can lead to suspension.
Will UKVI visit us?
It may, before deciding your application or at any time afterwards, and visits can be unannounced. Officers check that your HR systems, records and sponsored roles match what you told UKVI.
How we help with your Sponsor Licence application
- 01
Audit your roles against occupation codes, skill levels and salary thresholds before you apply
- 02
Prepare the full Appendix A document bundle, covering letter, hierarchy chart and job details so the application is complete first time
- 03
Advise on choosing and training your Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 Users
- 04
Run a mock compliance visit and help set up right to work, record-keeping and reporting processes
- 05
Assign certificates of sponsorship correctly and manage ongoing reporting and changes of circumstances
- 06
Respond to proposed downgrade and suspension letters within the 20-working-day deadline, and advise on reapplying after revocation
Talk it through with a specialist.
No obligation, and a clear quote before any work starts. Every Complete and Priority application we prepare is reviewed by a former UK immigration judge before it's submitted.
or call 0203 468 4741Why not just ask a chatbot?
- ✕Out-of-date thresholds, fees and English levels
- ✕Confident answers that are simply wrong
- ✕No view of your actual evidence
- ✕No accountability when it goes wrong
- ✕Your sensitive data pasted into a public tool
- ✓Current rules, checked against official guidance and the Immigration Rules
- ✓Every document reviewed against the evidence requirements
- ✓One named solicitor who is accountable for your case
Sources
- UK visa sponsorship for employers
- UK visa sponsorship: apply for your licence
- UK visa sponsorship: certificates of sponsorship
- UK visa sponsorship: immigration skills charge
- UK visa sponsorship: your responsibilities
- Workers and Temporary Workers guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence
- Workers and Temporary Workers guidance for sponsors part 2: sponsor a worker
- Workers and Temporary Workers guidance for sponsors part 3: sponsor duties and compliance
- Sponsor guidance appendix A: supporting documents
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
- Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026
- Penalties for employing illegal workers