Sponsor licence: UK visa sponsorship for employers

An employer usually needs a sponsor licence to employ someone from outside the UK. The licence lets you give workers certificates of sponsorship. GOV.UK sets out the steps, from the eligibility rules and the application fee to ratings, duties and the register. This page has a short guide to each step and links to a page on each.

Who needs a sponsor licence?

You will usually need a sponsor licence to employ someone from outside the UK. This includes citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020. It also includes unpaid work, such as running a charity.

You do not need a licence to sponsor some groups. For example:

• Irish citizens
• people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
• people with indefinite leave to remain in the UK

Sponsoring someone does not guarantee that they will get a visa to work for you in the UK.

How do you get a sponsor licence?

GOV.UK lists five steps:

1. Check your business is eligible.
2. Check your job is suitable for sponsorship.
3. Choose the type of licence you want to apply for. This depends on the type of worker you want to sponsor.
4. Decide who will manage sponsorship in your business.
5. Apply for your licence online and pay the fee.

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may visit your business to check it is suitable.

What are the eligibility rules?

The rules cover:

• unspent criminal convictions
• earlier licence applications
• whether you have the systems and people to manage sponsorship

UKVI looks at your application form and supporting documents. Read the full rules on sponsor licence eligibility.

What types of sponsor licence are there?

The licence you need depends on the type of worker you want to employ. They are either:

• “Workers”, for skilled or long-term jobs
• “Temporary workers”, for certain types of short-term jobs

You can apply for a licence that covers one or both types of worker.

Licence	Routes GOV.UK lists
Worker	Skilled Worker; Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility); Minister of Religion; International Sportsperson
Temporary Worker	Scale-up Worker; Creative Worker; Charity Worker; Religious Worker; Government Authorised Exchange; International Agreement; Graduate Trainee, Service Supplier, UK Expansion Worker and Secondment Worker (all Global Business Mobility); Seasonal Worker

A Skilled Worker job must meet the job suitability rules. The rules for the worker are on the Skilled Worker visa page. Salary thresholds and SOC codes have their own pages.

Who manages sponsorship in your business?

When you apply for a licence, you need to appoint people to manage sponsorship. GOV.UK calls them “key personnel”. The main tool they use is the sponsorship management system (SMS). The roles are:

• authorising officer: a senior and competent person who is responsible for the actions of staff and representatives who use the SMS
• key contact: your main contact with UKVI
• level 1 user: responsible for all day-to-day management of your licence on the SMS

One person can fill all these roles, or you can use different people.

You can no longer appoint level 2 users. If you have level 2 users, you must change them to level 1 users or deactivate their accounts before 9 March 2027. Level 2 user accounts will be deactivated automatically after 8 March 2027.

When you apply, you can appoint a UK-based legal representative as a key contact. They must be qualified to give immigration advice or services.

Which jobs can you sponsor?

You can sponsor a worker if the job:

• follows UK minimum wage and working time rules
• meets the other rules for their visa

If the job does not follow these rules, the worker’s visa may be refused and you may lose your sponsor licence.

Each visa route has its own guidance on job suitability. GOV.UK adds extra rules for religious workers, creative workers and International Sportsperson visa workers.

You can sponsor under-18s on only some visas. GOV.UK gives the minimum ages:

• International Sportsperson: 16 or over
• Creative Worker: no minimum age
• Government Authorised Exchange: no minimum age

You cannot sponsor a foreign worker under 18 on any other visa.

What happens after you apply?

The application has a fee. It depends on the licence type and the size of your organisation. GOV.UK also gives a decision time. See how to apply for a sponsor licence for the fee table and how long it takes.

If your application succeeds, you get a licence rating. An A-rating lets you assign certificates of sponsorship, and your business is listed on the register of sponsors. See sponsor licence ratings and the register of licensed sponsors.

What is a certificate of sponsorship?

A certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record. You must assign one to each foreign worker you employ. Each certificate has a cost. You might also have to pay the immigration skills charge for Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker certificates.

See certificate of sponsorship and the immigration skills charge.

What are your duties as a sponsor?

You may lose your licence if you do not meet your responsibilities. They include:

• monitoring your workers
• keeping records
• reporting changes within set time limits

See sponsor duties.

How long does a licence last?

Your licence usually stays valid for as long as you keep meeting the eligibility rules. A licence to sponsor Scale-up Workers or UK Expansion Workers is valid for 4 years. You will not be able to apply for another licence to sponsor these types of workers.

For a scale-up worker, your sponsorship responsibilities end 6 months after they get permission to come to or stay in the UK. After that, a scale-up worker can carry on working for you until their visa expires. They do not need a new certificate of sponsorship. They can also change jobs without getting a new sponsor.