Apply for Visa Sponsorship Licence

To hire non-UK skilled workers from overseas, organizations would typically require a sponsor license under UK immigration restrictions. To apply for a sponsor license, you must demonstrate that your firm has HR processes in place that comply with sponsorship compliance standards, as well as that the roles you are recruiting for and the employees you wish to sponsor meet the relevant requirements.

Employers must go through a large amount of material to understand what sponsor licensing enables, how to apply, and what sponsors are legally expected to do to comply with sponsor license requirements.

This guide provides extensive, practical assistance on how to apply for visa sponsorship license for employers making an application for the first time.

What Is UK Sponsorship Licence?

A UK sponsorship license allows a British company to hire non-UK residents. To obtain a sponsorship license, apply to the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), a branch of the Home Office. A corporation, a sole trader, or a person can all become sponsors.

With a sponsorship license, you can issue certificates of sponsorship to invite foreign workers for the following visas:

UK Skilled Worker visa;
One of the UK Global Business Mobility visas;
UK Health and Care Worker visa;
UK International Agreement visa.

How to Apply for Visa Sponsorship Licence

Step 1: Prepare Your Business for the Application

Before you begin the application procedure, make sure your business fits the Home Office’s qualifying requirements. This includes establishing the relevant HR procedures, confirming that your company is lawfully operating in the UK, and appointing key staff to oversee the sponsorship process. Make sure your company fits the eligibility requirements, which include the ability to manage sponsorship tasks and the jobs you wish to sponsor.

Assign positions such as Authorizing Officer, Key Contact, and Level 1 User to your company. These persons will be in charge of the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) and ensuring that sponsorship obligations are met.

Step 2: Collect Required Documents

Collect all relevant documentation that demonstrates your company’s validity, financial soundness, and ability to meet sponsorship responsibilities. These documents include your company’s Certificate of Incorporation, financial accounts, proof of business location, and documentation of HR systems.

Make sure all documents are up-to-date and properly formatted. This involves ensuring that all necessary professional accreditations, insurance certificates, and DBS checks for key staff are in place.

Step 3: Fill out the online application form.

The Sponsor Licence application is submitted online via the UK Home Office website. To use the application form, you must first create an account on the Sponsorship Management System. This asks you to give information about your business, the positions you plan to sponsor, and the key persons in charge of the license.

While reasonably simple, the Sponsorship Management System is an old system, and applicants should save their work on a frequent basis to avoid losing any important information.

The form will request the following:

To apply for a license, please specify the type, provide contact information, identify important persons, and list any supporting papers.
While the form can be completed with the assistance of a legal representative, the rules clearly state that a responsible person from the organization must eventually “press the button” and send the application to the Home Office.

Step 4: Pay the Application Fee

You will be required to pay an application fee based on the size of your firm. The current sponsor licence charge is £536 for small businesses and charities, and £1,476 for medium and large businesses. Once the fee has been paid, a submission sheet will be created.

Step 5: Submit your application.

The online sponsor license application form should only be submitted if the authorizing officer is satisfied that the organization has the required processes in place to meet its sponsor duties and obligations, and that all supporting documents are in order and ready to be submitted.

Once completed, only the authorizing officer can submit the online sponsor license application form. Legal representatives may assist the authorizing officer in filling up the draft online application form but must not submit it.

The authorizing officer should keep a copy of the submission sheet generated once the application is filed, as it is impossible to obtain another copy once it has been closed. A copy of the completed and filed online sponsor licensing application should be kept for the UK organization’s sponsorship records.

Step 6: Submit the supporting documents.

Sponsor license applicants should send their supporting documentation to the Home Office in pdf format.

The paperwork must be delivered to the Home Office within five days of the application being made via SMS, though this has been temporarily eased under emergency pandemic measures.

This is a limited time frame in which to review Appendix A, identify which tables are important and which documents are required, and compile all necessary information.

As a result, employers should prepare their supporting documents pack before to completing the form and beginning the clock on the 5-day deadline.

It can take several weeks for organizations to gather the appropriate documents, which delays the time required to secure the sponsor license while avoiding potential complications and reasons for rejection if there are errors in the supporting material.

It is recommended that the accompanying paperwork be sent by special or recorded delivery so that it may be tracked. After you submit your application and documentation, the Home Office will send you a confirmation notice. Keep this notification for your records.

Step 7: Await the Home Office’s Decision

The Home Office will assess your application once it has been submitted with all necessary documentation. This process can take up to 8 weeks, during which time the Home Office may undertake extra checks or request more information.

Step 8: Compliance Visit (if applicable).

In rare situations, the Home Office may visit your business to confirm the facts you supplied in your application. They will audit your HR systems, conduct interviews with key individuals, and evaluate your ability to manage sponsored workers.

Step 9: Home Office Decision

After examining your application, the Home Office will notify you of its decision. If you are successful, you will be granted a Sponsor License, and your company will be included on the Register of Licensed Sponsors.

Sponsorship license requirements UK

To obtain a UK sponsorship license, you must meet the following requirements:

You must be properly registered to trade legally in the United Kingdom. For example, a limited liability company must be registered with Companies House. There are no requirements for how long you must be in business. However, at least one employee must be a UK resident and interact with the Home Office about all aspects of the sponsoring license.
You must operate in the United Kingdom. Otherwise, your application will be rejected immediately. You can still apply for a sponsorship license if you don’t have a physical office in the UK but operate a virtual firm. However, you must give sufficient evidence that you operate in the UK and can lawfully perform your sponsor’s duties.
You must show the Home Office that you have a job as a foreign specialist with relevant qualifications. The Home Office may request more information about the role to explain the worker’s tasks and obligations.
You must have an HR management and recruitment system in place so that you can fulfill your responsibilities as a sponsor. To verify that this condition is followed, Home Office inspectors can visit you before and after the sponsorship license is given.
The company, its owners, directors, and key individuals must have clean immigration and criminal records, particularly those involving fraud and money laundering convictions.
You cannot obtain a sponsorship license if you have already had it canceled due to systematic violations of immigration rules.
You must give proof that you have all the necessary permits to operate in the United Kingdom.

Documents required for Certificate of Sponsorship UK

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) application form.
Foreign employee’s personal and ID details.
Copy of National Insurance Number.
Copy of employee’s CV.
Copies of employee’s professional accreditation/essential qualifications.

Sponsor license application fee

The sponsor license application price varies depending on the type of organization and the type of license 12345.

Small or charitable sponsors: £536
Medium or large sponsors: £1,476
Temporary worker sponsor licence: £536
Full license (worker and temporary worker combined): £1,476

Conclusion

A Sponsor Licence is required for UK firms that want to hire non-UK resident employees. The Home Office license allows businesses to sponsor skilled individuals, who can then apply for a work visa.

Employers must demonstrate that their business is legal, that they have the requisite HR processes in place to manage sponsored personnel, and that they meet specified eligibility requirements throughout the sponsor license application process.

Employers must also evaluate the financial and administrative responsibilities involved, as the license entails continuous compliance tasks such as keeping accurate records and reporting changes in workers’ situations to the Home Office.

Noncompliance can result in serious consequences, such as licensing suspension or revocation, penalties, and reputational damage.