Worker sponsor licence

On this page

Overview of a worker sponsor licence

With a worker sponsor licence, you can sponsor people who have:

• Skilled Worker visas
• Senior or Specialist Workers (Global Business Mobility workers) visas
• Ministers of Religion visas
• International Sportsperson visas

How to apply for a licence

You can apply online for a worker sponsor licence (gov.uk)

You’ll need to:

• Fill in an online form
• Pay the application fee
• Upload the documents listed in Appendix A (gov.uk)

On the form, you’ll need to:

• Choose the immigration routes you want the licence for
• Estimate the number of workers you want to sponsor
• Add the contact details for the main point of contact
• Name the key people managing the licence

To sponsor a Skilled Worker or T2 Minister of Religion, you’ll need to explain:

• Why you’re applying
• The types of jobs you want to recruit for

You need to choose staff to:

• Manage hiring and make sure sponsor duties are followed. This needs to be someone senior.
• Act as the main point of contact with the Home Office
• Manage the licence on the UK visa sponsorship management system (SMS). They must be:
  • British or settled
  • Either an employee, director or partner
  • Unrelated to the worker being sponsored

You can get help with the form, but it must be submitted by your organisation. This means no one can send the application to the Home Office for your organisation.

The Home Office will refuse an application you didn’t submit yourself. They will not refund the fee.

Who can get a licence

The Home Office will decide whether you’re eligible for the sponsor licence you have applied for.

You’ll need to send documents in Appendix A (gov.uk) that show you:

• Are a genuine employer
• Work and trade in the UK
• Follow UK law

You’ll need to provide company documents. This will vary depending on the nature of your business.

For example:

• Proof of registration with HMRC as an employer shows that you’re a genuine employer
• Your company’s filed accounts show that your organisation is working and trading in the UK

You’ll need to check Appendix A (gov.uk). This will tell you the exact documents you need to provide.

Who is suitable for a licence

The Home Office will decide whether you’re ‘suitable’ for the sponsor licence you’ve have applied for.

You’ll need to show that you:

• Behave with integrity and respect 
• Follow the law
• Have human resource (HR) and recruitment systems in place to meet your sponsor duties
• Meet the specific requirements for the visas you’re applying to sponsor

You’ll need to show that you can offer employment that:

• Is genuine
• Meets the skill-level and salary requirements

The Home Office defines a genuine vacancy as one which:

• Requires the worker to perform the specific duties and responsibilities for the job
• Meets the requirements of the relevant visa
• Doesn’t include dissimilar and/or mainly lower-skilled duties
• Is appropriate for the business in light of the business model, business plan and scale

The Home Office will also look at whether you:

• Have any criminal convictions or fines
• Have failed to carry out your duties in the past

Supporting documents

You must send documents from Appendix A (gov.uk). You’ll have five working days after applying to send your documents.

This includes:

• A submission sheet signed and dated by the Authorising Officer
• Four mandatory documents from Appendix A
• Other documents for specific routes in Appendix A

An Authorising Officer is responsible for the sponsorship licence. This person must be the most senior in the company and responsible for hiring international workers.

You’ll get an email address to send your supporting documents to. They should be PDF, JPEG or PNG files.

The documents you need to send can include:

• Audited accounts
• Recent business bank statement
• VAT certificate
• Employer’s liability insurance certificate
• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) registration confirmation
• Evidence of ownership or a lease for the business premises

There may be other documents. It depends on the type of worker you want to sponsor.

You should include a short letter explaining the business need for the workers you require.

How much it costs to apply

The fee you’ll pay depends on:

• The licence you’re applying for
• The size of your organisation

For small organisations and charities, the fee is £536.

For medium or large organisations, the fee is £1476.

Read about the application fees for a sponsor licence (gov.uk)

There may be other fees for things like:

• Adding immigration routes to a sponsor licence
• Giving certificates of sponsorship
• Immigration skills charge for most skilled workers

How long it takes to apply

Decisions can take eight weeks or more.

There’s a priority service to get a decision in 10 working days. It costs £500. It’s not available for every application. The Home Office will let you know if you can apply.

If your application is successful, you’ll be given:

• An A-rated sponsor licence
• Access to the Sponsor Management System
• A sponsor licence number
• The total number of certificates of sponsorship you can issue

A sponsor licence is usually valid for 10 years. It will automatically renew.

If your application is not successful, you may be able to ask for a review or reapply. Read about your options if your application is not successful.

Sponsorship duties

If you get a sponsor licence, it is very important you follow your duties. You could lose your licence if you don’t follow your duties.

You must:

• Tell the Home Office about any changes affecting sponsored workers or your organisation
• Tell the Home Office if a worker isn’t following their visa conditions
• Follow UK immigration, employment and other laws
• Keep up to date records about the workers you’ve sponsored. This includes: 
  • Contact details
  • Proof of right to work
  • Contract
  • Travel information
  • National Insurance number
  • Identity and immigration documents

Read about sponsorship duties (gov.uk)

Skilled Worker visa

The Skilled Worker visa allows someone to work in a specific job for a specific employer. This means they need a job offer before applying for a Skilled Worker visa.

The job offer must:

• Be on the list of eligible occupations (gov.uk)
• Be with a UK employer that the Home Office has approved (licensed)
• Meet the minimum salary requirements

Every job is listed with a standard occupation classification (SOC) code. There is also a minimum salary and a ‘going rate’.

Since 4 April 2024, the minimum salary increased to £38,700 a year.

Skilled workers also need to show they are proficient in English to level B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (coe.int)

Read about the English language requirements for a Skilled Worker visa (gov.uk)

There’s a fee which ranges from £551 to £1636. There’s also an Immigration Health Surcharge to use the NHS of £1035 per year of the visa.

Visas can be granted for up to five years at a time.

Partners and children can apply to join skilled workers. Partners and children can’t apply to join care workers.

Skilled workers can apply to extend their visa. They also will be able to apply for settlement after living in the UK for five years. They must meet the requirements at the time of their application.

Sponsoring a skilled worker

You need to give a certificate of sponsorship to a skilled worker. You will need to pay a fee to give a certificate.

A certificate of sponsorship must include:

• A worker’s job role
• The occupation code
• The salary for the role

Read about the requirements for a Skilled Worker visa (gov.uk)

Other visa holders who need sponsorship

Other workers that need sponsorship include those on:

• Health and Care Worker visas
• Temporary Worker visas
• Global Business Mobility visas
• Scale up Worker visas and others

Photo credit: Scottish Enterprise