SPONSOR LICENCE
APPLICATION

If you’re a UK employer planning to hire workers from overseas, you must hold a valid Sponsor Licence. At Cromwell Wilkes, we guide businesses through the licence application, compliance process, and ongoing duties, ensuring you meet all Home Office requirements.

You need a sponsor licence if your organisation intends to:

• Employ non-UK or non-settled workers
• Sponsor Skilled Worker, Scale-up, or Senior/Specialist Workers
• Hire international employees for temporary or permanent roles
• Recruit international students (for educational institutions)
• Employers without a valid licence cannot legally hire overseas workers.

•  From 6 April 2024, sponsor licences are automatically extended to 10 years.
• From 1 January 2025, sponsors must not attempt to recover any sponsorship-related fees (e.g. CoS, Immigration Skills Charge) from workers. Doing so may result in licence revocation.

To apply for a sponsor licence, your business must:

• Be genuine and lawfully operating in the UK
• Have a UK presence (registered with Companies House)
• Have honest and dependable key personnel
• Have adequate HR systems to carry out sponsor duties
• Not a threat to immigration control

New start-ups can apply, but must provide extra documents such as a current corporate bank account with an FCA and PRA-registered UK bank.

There are two core licence categories:

1. WORKER LICENCE

For long-term skilled employment across visa routes, including:

• Skilled Worker Visa 
• Scale-up Worker Visa 
• Senior or Specialist Worker Visa 
• Minister of Religion 
• International Sportsperson

2. TEMPORARY WORKER LICENCE
For short-term roles, including seasonal workers, interns, and religious or charity-based employment.

You can apply for both licences depending on your hiring needs.

To apply for a sponsor licence:

1. Choose the type of licence (Worker and/or Temporary) 
2. Assess your eligibility and HR readiness 
3. Appoint key personnel:
   – Authorising Officer
   – Key Contact
   – Level 1 and Level 2 users for the SMS
4. Gather required supporting documents (usually four, as per Appendix A)
5. Complete the online application 
6. Submit supporting documents to the Home Office 
7. Prepare for a potential compliance visit

You’ll typically need to submit at least four documents, such as:

• Companies House registration
• Corporate bank statements
• VAT registration certificate
• HMRC tax returns or PAYE documents
• Contracts for services or trading proof
• Employer’s liability insurance (min. £5m cover)

We assist you in identifying and preparing all documents specific to your business category.

Small sponsors must meet two out of three criteria:

• Annual turnover less than or equal to £10.2 million
• Total assets less than or equal to £5.1 million
• 50 employees or fewer

Once approved, your business is issued a unique Sponsor Licence Number. You can then issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to qualifying overseas workers:

Defined CoS: For workers applying from outside the UK
Undefined CoS: For candidates applying from within the UK

Each CoS costs £25 to £239, depending on the visa type.

All sponsor licence holders must nominate:

• Authorising Officer – senior manager responsible for the licence
• Key Contact – main Home Office liaison
• Level 1 User – manages the Sponsorship Management System
• Level 2 User – secondary system access (optional)

Personnel must be based in the UK, on payroll, unrelated to the sponsored worker, and free of unspent criminal convictions.

Sponsor licence holders must:

• Maintain accurate records and monitor employee absences
• Conduct right-to-work checks
• Update the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) 
• Report any material changes (e.g. job role, address, or salary)
• Cooperate with UKVI compliance officers during audits
• Failure to meet these obligations can lead to a downgrade, suspension, or licence revocation

Home Office officers can conduct announced or unannounced visits to assess:

• Your HR and reporting systems
• Your adherence to sponsor duties
• Whether your sponsored roles are genuine
• If you’re actively trading and lawfully operating

A sponsor licence allows hiring overseas workers under various work visa routes. For example, to sponsor a Skilled Worker, your job offer must:

• Be for an eligible occupation
• Pay at least the minimum salary threshold (usually £38,700 or the job’s going rate)
• Meet the UK’s points-based immigration system requirements

Applications can be refused due to:

• Incomplete or inaccurate documentation
• Past immigration or tax offences
• Unreliable HR systems
• Failing to meet the genuineness test

If your application is refused, you may face a 6-month cooling-off period. We can help challenge refusals, reapply, or assist with urgent compliance improvements.

The UK sponsorship system is strict, and non-compliance risks are high. At Cromwell Wilkes, we help you apply with confidence and stay compliant for the long term. Whether you’re applying for the first time, adding new visa routes, or facing a compliance audit, our immigration lawyers will ensure your sponsor licence is handled expertly.
If you plan to launch, grow, or invest in the UK, expert legal support for your UK business visa application can make all the difference.

Contact us today for personalised legal advice and take the first step toward starting your Sponsor Licence in the UK.