Certificate of sponsorship (CoS): types, cost and rules

A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is an electronic record. A licensed sponsor must assign one to each foreign worker it employs. GOV.UK says each certificate has its own number, which the worker uses to apply for a visa. It costs £525 for a Worker licence and £55 for a Temporary Worker licence.

What is a certificate of sponsorship?

You must assign a certificate of sponsorship to each foreign worker you employ. It is an electronic record, not a paper document.

Part 2 of the sponsor guidance (version 10/26, valid from 8 October 2026) says a CoS is a database record. It confirms details of the worker and the job they will do. You assign one through your sponsorship management system (SMS) account.

When you assign a CoS, you confirm that you:

• want to sponsor the worker
• are satisfied the worker can meet the immigration requirements
• are eligible to sponsor the worker on that route
• agree to follow the terms and conditions on the SMS

Assigning a CoS does not guarantee that the worker will get entry clearance or permission. (Part 2)

A person can assign a CoS if they have access to the SMS as a level 1 user. Until 8 March 2027, a level 2 user can also do it.

How long does a worker have to use the certificate?

Once you assign the certificate, the worker must use it to apply for their visa within 3 months.

They must not apply for their visa more than 3 months before the job start date on the certificate.

What is a defined CoS?

Defined certificates are for people applying for a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK.

You apply for defined certificates through the SMS. You get access to the SMS when you get your licence.

Applications are usually approved within one working day. It may take longer if UKVI needs to carry out more checks. Approved defined certificates appear in your SMS account. You can then assign them to a worker.

You cannot have a yearly allocation of defined certificates. Each time you need one, you must apply for it through a separate process. (Part 2)

What is an undefined CoS?

Undefined certificates are for Skilled Workers applying from inside the UK, and for people on all other visas.

When you apply for your licence, you estimate how many undefined certificates you will need in the first year, for Workers and Temporary Workers.

You must assign undefined certificates from your yearly allocation. UKVI sets the allocation when it grants the licence. It can reduce the allocation or set it to zero. (Part 2)

You must know the difference and assign the right type. UKVI will normally revoke your licence if you assign:

• a defined CoS for a job other than the one described in the application for that CoS
• an undefined CoS where a defined one is required

How do you get extra undefined certificates?

You can apply for extra undefined certificates through the sponsorship management system. You will usually get a decision within 12 weeks. It may take longer if UKVI needs to carry out more checks. You can also pay to get a decision within 5 working days.

Your CoS year runs for up to 12 months. Unused certificates are removed at the end of the year. You cannot carry them over. (Part 2)

At the end of the year, you either:

• get an automatic allocation equal to the number you assigned in the previous year
• make a manual request

Part 2 lists the conditions for automatic renewal. One of them is that your licence is A-rated.

What changes for a UK Expansion Worker licence?

If your licence has a provisional rating, you can only assign one certificate of sponsorship. It must go to your authorising officer so that they can enter the UK.

Once they have their visa, you can upgrade your licence to an A-rating. You can then ask for up to 9 more certificates of sponsorship through the SMS. See sponsor licence ratings.

How much does a certificate of sponsorship cost?

You pay a fee when you assign a certificate to a worker. The cost depends on the type of sponsor licence you have.

Type of licence	Cost per certificate
Worker (except workers on the International Sportsperson visa)	£525
Temporary Worker	£55
International Sportsperson, where the certificate is assigned for more than 12 months	£525
International Sportsperson, where the certificate is assigned for 12 months or less	£55

You must pay the fee yourself if you are sponsoring a:

• Skilled Worker
• person on any of the Global Business Mobility routes
• Minister of Religion
• International Sportsperson
• Scale-up Worker
• Seasonal Worker

Your licence may be revoked if you ask the sponsored worker to pay the fee, or any costs linked to your application. This applies from these dates (Part 2):

• Skilled Worker: a certificate assigned on or after 31 December 2024
• the other routes listed above: a certificate assigned on or after 9 April 2025

You might also have to pay the immigration skills charge. This applies if you assign a certificate to a worker on a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa.

Who can you assign a certificate to?

If you sponsor a Scale-up Worker or Seasonal Worker, you need an A-rating to assign a CoS. For all other routes, you must be an A-rated sponsor unless an exception applies. (Part 2)

One exception covers a B-rated sponsor. All of these must be true:

• the worker is applying for permission to stay from inside the UK, on the same route as their last grant of permission
• you assigned the CoS that led to the worker’s last grant of permission
• you are still sponsoring the worker

You cannot assign a CoS if your licence is suspended, made dormant or revoked. (Part 2)

Once a certificate is assigned, the sponsor duties apply to that worker. If your licence is B-rated, you can still issue certificates to workers you already employ who want to extend their permission to stay.

Do you need to check for an ATAS certificate?

An ATAS certificate is an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate. Before you assign a certificate of sponsorship, you may need to check whether the worker needs one.

You need to check if you sponsor a worker on any of these visas:

• Skilled Worker
• Senior or Specialist Worker, Graduate Trainee, UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier or Secondment Worker (all Global Business Mobility)
• Scale-up Worker
• Government Authorised Exchange
• International Agreement

If you sponsor a worker on any other visa, you do not need to do anything.

The steps are:

1. Check whether the worker needs a certificate.
2. Answer the question on the CoS.
3. Tell the worker to get a certificate, if they need one.

The worker needs an ATAS certificate if all of these are true:

• you have a Student sponsor licence
• you are sponsoring the worker in a relevant occupation code listed in annex S1 of the sponsor guidance
• the worker will do research at PhD level or above, in a relevant subject area listed in annex S1
• the worker’s nationality is not on the exempt list in annex S1

If the worker needs one:

• you must tell them to apply for it and include it in their visa application
• you must keep a copy of the certificate, or of the electronic approval notice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

If the worker does not include the certificate, their visa application will be refused and you may lose your sponsor licences. ATAS certificate applications can take at least 2 weeks to process, or 3 weeks between April and September.

If all the other points apply but the worker will not do PhD-level research in a relevant subject, you need to add an explanation note. Put it either in the “job description” field on the CoS, or as a sponsor note after you assign it.