Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
A sponsor licence is what lets your business issue Certificates of Sponsorship and hire Skilled Workers from overseas. Since July 2025 the route is narrower, so role eligibility and evidence now decide the outcome.
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What a Skilled Worker sponsor licence is
A Sponsor Licence (formerly the Tier 2 Sponsor Licence) lets UK employers sponsor non-UK nationals for work lawfully.
Once approved, your business can issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) for eligible employees, enabling them to apply for work visas like the Skilled Worker Visa. Sponsor licences are now valid for 10 years from April 2024, removing the previous 4-year renewal requirement.
Who needs a sponsor licence
You need a sponsor licence if your organisation intends to:
Employers without a valid licence cannot legally hire overseas workers.
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)
The July 2025 Skilled Worker changes
The UK Skilled Worker regime has tightened significantly in 2025. The Home Office has narrowed sponsorship to higher-skilled, graduate-level roles, closing the door on many positions that were eligible only a year ago.
In July 2025, the Home Office introduced major changes to the Skilled Worker route:
The minimum skill level increased back to RQF Level 6 (degree level)
100+ occupation codes were removed from sponsorship eligibility
Many previously eligible roles no longer qualify for new Skilled Worker visas
Roles now generally excluded
Roles that are now generally excluded include:
The direction of policy is clear: UK sponsorship is being restricted to higher-skilled roles only.
Chefs and catering managers
Bar and restaurant managers
Dental nurses
Teaching assistants
Most RQF Level 3-5 roles
Parts of the care sector
What still works in 2025
To sponsor a Skilled Worker today:
Do not rely on last year's lists, many roles have been removed.
The role must be graduate-level (RQF 6)
The salary must usually meet 41,700 or the higher going rate (exemptions apply to New Entrants and Shortage Occupation list)
The role must appear on the current eligible occupation list
Why applications are refused
Sponsor Licence applications can be refused due to:
A refusal usually triggers a 6-month cooling-off period. Early review and corrective action are critical.
Missing trading evidence
Ineligible roles
Salary misalignment
Weak HR systems
Failure to meet the genuineness test
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to what clients ask us most. Still unsure? Book a free consultation and we will talk it through.
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