Sponsor Licence for UK Employers
UK employers will usually need a Home Office sponsor licence if they want to employ an overseas national who does not already have immigration permission allowing them to work in the UK without sponsorship.
This includes most nationals recruited from outside the UK and many EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020. A sponsor licence may also be required for certain types of unpaid work, including workers sponsored through the Charity Worker route.
A sponsor licence is not required for every overseas national. For example, Irish citizens, people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and those with Indefinite Leave to Remain generally do not require sponsorship.
Obtaining a UK sponsor licence involves more than completing an online application. The Home Office must be satisfied that the organisation is genuine, operating lawfully and capable of complying with its sponsor duties.
Lexvisa, the specialist immigration division of DJF Solicitors, advises businesses throughout London and across the UK on sponsor licence applications, compliance and the sponsorship of overseas workers.
Contact Lexvisa for specialist advice on applying for a UK sponsor licence.
Who Is Eligible for a UK Sponsor Licence?
To obtain a sponsor licence, an organisation must satisfy Home Office eligibility and suitability requirements.
Generally, the organisation must:
- Be a genuine organisation operating or trading lawfully in the UK
- Have appropriate HR and compliance systems in place
- Be capable of monitoring sponsored workers
- Offer genuine roles that qualify under the relevant immigration route
- Comply with UK employment law, including minimum wage and working time requirements
- Appoint suitable individuals to manage the sponsor licence
- Have no relevant history of serious immigration non-compliance or certain criminal convictions
The Home Office can investigate the organisation, its key personnel and its previous immigration history when deciding whether to grant a licence.
A previous sponsor licence refusal or revocation can also affect whether and when a business is eligible to apply again.
Choosing the Correct Type of Sponsor Licence
The old Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsor licence terminology is no longer used.
There are now two principal types of employer sponsor licence: Worker and Temporary Worker. An organisation can apply for one or both depending on the workers it intends to sponsor.
Worker Sponsor Licence
A Worker licence can cover routes including:
- Skilled Worker
- Global Business Mobility – Senior or Specialist Worker
- Minister of Religion
- International Sportsperson
For Skilled Worker sponsorship in particular, significant changes apply in 2026. Most newly sponsored Skilled Worker roles must now be at RQF Level 6 or above, subject to limited exceptions for eligible medium-skilled occupations.
The standard Skilled Worker salary threshold is also now £41,700 per year or the relevant going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher, although different salary rules and transitional provisions can apply.
Most first-time Skilled Worker applicants from 8 January 2026 must also meet an English language requirement at CEFR Level B2.
Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence
A Temporary Worker licence can cover routes including:
- Charity Worker
- Creative Worker
- Religious Worker
- Government Authorised Exchange
- International Agreement
- Seasonal Worker
- Scale-up Worker
- Global Business Mobility – Graduate Trainee
- Global Business Mobility – UK Expansion Worker
- Global Business Mobility – Service Supplier
- Global Business Mobility – Secondment Worker
The correct route will depend on the nature of the proposed work, the organisation and the individual being sponsored.
Contact Lexvisa if you are unsure which sponsor licence or immigration route your organisation requires.
Sponsorship Management System (SMS)
Every sponsor must appoint key personnel to manage its sponsor licence.
The mandatory roles are:
- Authorising Officer – a senior and competent individual with overall responsibility for sponsorship activity
- Key Contact – the organisation’s main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration
- Level 1 User – responsible for the day-to-day management of the licence through the Sponsorship Management System
The same individual can perform more than one role, provided they meet the Home Office requirements.
Additional Level 1 Users can be appointed where appropriate. Level 2 Users can also be added after the licence is granted, although their access to the SMS is more restricted.
At least one Level 1 User must normally be an employee, partner or director of the organisation and a settled worker, subject to limited exceptions.
Key personnel are subject to Home Office suitability checks. Failure to maintain suitable key personnel throughout the life of the licence can lead to compliance action.
How to Apply for a Sponsor Licence
Step 1: Check Your Organisation’s Eligibility
Before applying, the organisation should establish that it satisfies the Home Office’s eligibility and suitability requirements and has appropriate systems to manage sponsored workers.
UKVI may examine the organisation’s trading history, recruitment arrangements and HR processes.
Step 2: Select the Correct Sponsorship Routes
The organisation must decide which Worker and/or Temporary Worker routes it needs to be licensed under.
Applying under the wrong route can prevent the business from sponsoring the workers it intends to recruit.
Step 3: Appoint Key Personnel
An Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User must be nominated as part of the application.
It is important to confirm that the proposed individuals satisfy the Home Office requirements before the application is submitted.
Step 4: Submit the Online Sponsor Licence Application
The application is made online to UK Visas and Immigration.
The organisation must provide accurate information about its structure, activities and proposed sponsorship arrangements.
It must also provide the supporting evidence required for its particular organisation and sponsorship route. The documents required vary considerably depending on the nature and structure of the business.
Lexvisa can advise on the specific evidence required for your organisation and prepare the sponsor licence application on your behalf.
Step 5: Pay the Sponsor Licence Fee
As of September 2026, the Home Office Worker sponsor licence application fee is:
- £611 for a small or charitable sponsor
- £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor
A Temporary Worker sponsor licence costs £611 for both small and large sponsors.
An organisation is usually considered a small sponsor if at least two of the following apply:
- Annual turnover is £15 million or less
- Total assets are £7.5 million or less
- It has 50 employees or fewer
Specific rules apply when determining whether an organisation qualifies as a small or charitable sponsor.
The sponsor must pay its own sponsor licence application fee. Home Office rules restrict employers from passing sponsor licence application fees and related costs to sponsored workers.
Step 6: Home Office Consideration and Compliance Checks
Most sponsor licence applications are dealt with in less than eight weeks.
The Home Office can carry out a compliance visit before reaching a decision. This may involve examining the organisation’s HR systems, recruitment arrangements, proposed roles and understanding of its sponsor duties.
An eligible organisation may be able to use the pre-licence priority service for an additional £750. Where accepted, the application will normally be considered within 10 working days, although this does not guarantee that the licence will be approved.
Sponsor Licence and Sponsorship Fees in 2026
Employers should budget for more than the initial sponsor licence application fee.
Current Home Office sponsorship charges include:
- Worker sponsor licence – £611 for small or charitable sponsors
- Worker sponsor licence – £1,682 for medium or large sponsors
- Temporary Worker sponsor licence – £611
- Pre-licence priority service – £750
- Skilled Worker and certain other Worker Certificates of Sponsorship – £525
- Temporary Worker Certificates of Sponsorship – £55
- Priority processing of certain sponsor management requests – £350
- Sponsor action plan following a B-rating – £1,579
Employers sponsoring a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker may also need to pay the Immigration Skills Charge.
The current Immigration Skills Charge is generally:
Small or charitable sponsors:
- £480 for the first 12 months
- £240 for each additional six months
Medium or large sponsors:
- £1,320 for the first 12 months
- £660 for each additional six months
Exemptions apply in certain circumstances.
The employer must pay the Immigration Skills Charge and applicable Certificate of Sponsorship fee. Attempting to pass prohibited sponsorship costs to a sponsored worker can place the sponsor licence at risk.
How Long Is a UK Sponsor Licence Valid?
Most Worker and Temporary Worker sponsor licences no longer expire after four years.
A standard sponsor licence will generally remain valid indefinitely provided the organisation continues to meet the Home Office’s requirements and the licence is not surrendered or revoked.
This is an important change from the previous sponsor licence system, under which businesses were required to renew their licences every four years.
Different rules apply to UK Expansion Worker and Scale-up sponsor licences, which are normally limited to a maximum period of four years.
Although most licences no longer require renewal, sponsors remain subject to ongoing Home Office compliance requirements.
Sponsor Licence Compliance Duties
Holding a sponsor licence gives an organisation continuing legal and administrative responsibilities.
Sponsors must have appropriate systems in place to:
- Conduct and retain evidence of right to work checks
- Monitor the immigration status of sponsored workers
- Maintain required sponsorship records
- Monitor attendance
- Keep workers’ contact details up to date
- Report relevant changes and events to the Home Office
- Ensure sponsored roles continue to meet the requirements of the relevant immigration route
- Comply with UK employment law
- Report significant changes to the organisation
Certain significant changes to the business must normally be reported to UKVI within 20 working days.
Failure to comply with sponsor duties can result in the licence being downgraded, suspended or revoked.
Sponsor Licence Rating System
A successful sponsor licence application will normally result in an A-rated licence.
An A-rating allows the organisation to sponsor eligible new workers and assign Certificates of Sponsorship.
If the Home Office identifies compliance failures, an A-rated licence can be downgraded to a B-rating.
A B-rated sponsor is generally prevented from sponsoring new workers but may, in certain circumstances, continue to assign Certificates of Sponsorship to existing sponsored workers who need to extend their permission.
To regain an A-rating, the sponsor must follow a Home Office action plan.
The current action plan fee is £1,579 and must be paid within 10 working days of the Home Office notifying the sponsor of the downgrade.
A sponsor can normally receive no more than two B-ratings during the life of its licence. If further improvements are still required after a second action plan, the licence may be revoked.
What Happens if a Sponsor Licence Application Is Refused?
There is no general right of appeal against the refusal of a sponsor licence application.
If the refusal appears to have resulted from a case working error or because evidence submitted with the application was not considered, it may be possible to submit a pre-licence error correction request.
An error correction request must normally be made within 14 calendar days of the refusal decision.
Where an application has been refused for other reasons, a cooling-off period may apply. For many refusals, this is six months before a further application can successfully be made.
Longer restrictions can apply following sponsor licence revocation. A first revocation will normally result in a 12-month cooling-off period, while repeated revocations can result in a 24-month period.
Receiving specialist advice before submitting the original application can therefore be particularly important.
Sponsor Licences After Brexit
Since the end of EU free movement, most EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who do not already hold an eligible UK immigration status are subject to the UK’s immigration system in the same way as other overseas nationals.
A sponsor licence may therefore be required to employ an EU national who does not already have permission to work in the UK without sponsorship.
Irish citizens do not require sponsorship, and sponsorship is generally unnecessary for individuals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
The UK’s sponsorship system now forms a central part of international recruitment for employers across London and the wider UK.
Why Choose Lexvisa for Your Sponsor Licence Application?
Sponsor licence applications are subject to detailed Home Office requirements and ongoing compliance obligations.
Lexvisa, the specialist immigration division of DJF Solicitors, advises UK employers on every stage of the sponsorship process, including:
- Sponsor licence applications
- Skilled Worker sponsorship
- Certificates of Sponsorship
- Sponsor compliance
- Home Office compliance visits
- Sponsor licence suspensions and revocations
- Changes to existing sponsor licences
- Business immigration strategy
Our London immigration solicitors work with businesses of different sizes and sectors to identify the appropriate sponsorship route and minimise the risk of delays, refusal or subsequent compliance action.
Contact Lexvisa to discuss your UK sponsor licence requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a UK sponsor licence cost in 2026?
As of September 2026, a Worker sponsor licence costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor. A Temporary Worker licence costs £611.
How long does it take to get a sponsor licence?
Most applications are dealt with in less than eight weeks. Eligible applicants may be able to pay an additional £750 for the pre-licence priority service, under which the application is normally considered within 10 working days.
Does a sponsor licence still last four years?
Most sponsor licences no longer expire after four years. Standard Worker and Temporary Worker licences generally remain valid indefinitely, provided the sponsor continues to comply with its duties. UK Expansion Worker and Scale-up licences are exceptions and are normally limited to four years.
What is a Certificate of Sponsorship?
A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic record assigned by a licensed employer to an eligible overseas worker. It is not a paper certificate and does not itself guarantee that the worker’s visa application will be successful.
How much does a Certificate of Sponsorship cost?
A Certificate of Sponsorship for a Skilled Worker and certain other Worker routes currently costs £525. A Certificate of Sponsorship for most Temporary Worker routes costs £55.
What is the Immigration Skills Charge?
The Immigration Skills Charge is an additional employer charge that applies when sponsoring certain workers, including many Skilled Workers. It is currently £480 for the first year for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,320 for a medium or large sponsor, with additional charges for longer periods of sponsorship.
Can an employer make the sponsored worker pay sponsor licence fees?
No. Home Office rules require employers to pay specified sponsorship costs themselves. Attempting to recover prohibited sponsor licence, Certificate of Sponsorship or Immigration Skills Charge costs from sponsored workers can result in compliance action, including revocation of the sponsor licence.
What happens if my sponsor licence is downgraded?
A sponsor may be downgraded from an A-rating to a B-rating following compliance failures. The organisation will normally be required to follow a Home Office action plan before it can return to an A-rating. The current action plan fee is £1,579.
Can I appeal if my sponsor licence application is refused?
There is no standard right of appeal. A limited error correction procedure may be available where the Home Office made a caseworking error or failed to consider evidence submitted with the application.
Can a business apply for a sponsor licence if it has never sponsored anyone before?
Yes. There is no requirement to have sponsored workers previously. However, the organisation must demonstrate that it meets the Home Office’s eligibility and suitability requirements and has the systems and personnel necessary to fulfil its sponsor duties.
Do EU citizens need sponsorship after Brexit?
Many EU, EEA and Swiss nationals who do not already hold immigration permission allowing them to work in the UK will require sponsorship. Irish citizens and individuals with settled or pre-settled status generally do not.
Can Lexvisa help with a sponsor licence application?
Yes. Lexvisa, the immigration division of DJF Solicitors, advises businesses throughout London and across the UK on sponsor licence applications, Skilled Worker sponsorship and Home Office compliance.
Contact Lexvisa to discuss your application.
Contact Lexvisa
Obtaining a sponsor licence can provide UK businesses with access to international talent, but it also brings significant Home Office compliance responsibilities.
Our immigration lawyers can assess your organisation’s eligibility, advise on the appropriate licence and sponsorship route and guide your business through the application process.
Contact Lexvisa for specialist advice on obtaining and maintaining a UK sponsor licence.
To read more about sponsoring overseas workers, read our dedicated article here.
UK Business Sponsor Licence Solicitors
Our immigration lawyers have extensive experience in preparing Sponsor Licence applications for businesses/employers regardless of whether the employer is a start up or large enterprise. Our immigration team can offer the following services:
- Consultation with an experienced business immigration solicitor who can advise on the eligibility criteria of a Sponsor Licence application;
- Provide the business/company with a bespoke supporting documents list which will assist in collating documents required for the Sponsor Licence application;
- Prepare the relevant application form and detailed legal representations to accompany the application; and
- If necessary liaise with the Home Office to track the progress of the application.
We are an Immigration law firm based in Middle Temple, London and our solicitors are fully authorised by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Contact our specialist immigration team today and we can offer you a consultation in person or via telephone or Skype so we can explore your options. You can leave us a message on our Contact Form or give us a call on 02030110276.