Sponsor licence eligibility: who can apply

To get a sponsor licence, you must meet some conditions. You cannot have unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes. You need systems to monitor your sponsored workers, and people to manage sponsorship. A recent revocation or refusal can also block an application. GOV.UK sets out these rules.

What does an employer need to get a licence?

To get a licence, GOV.UK says:

• you cannot have any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering
• you need suitable systems to monitor your sponsored workers
• you need people to manage sponsorship in your business

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) looks at your application form and supporting documents. It may visit your business to check that you are trustworthy and able to carry out your duties.

Annex L4 of part 1 of the sponsor guidance lists the crimes that count.

What must UKVI be sure of before it grants a licence?

Part 1 of the sponsor guidance (version 08/26, valid from 28 August 2026) says UKVI must establish that you:

• are a genuine organisation, operating or trading lawfully in the UK
• are registered or licensed as required, if you must be registered with, inspected by or licensed by a regulator to operate or trade legally in the UK
• are honest, dependable and reliable, and are not engaging in (and have not engaged in) behaviour that is not conducive to the public good
• can carry out your sponsor duties
• meet any requirements for the route you are applying for
• can offer work that meets the definition of “eligible role”, and intend to do so

If you have no operating or trading presence in the UK, UKVI will refuse your application. If it finds this out after granting a licence, it will revoke the licence.

Can you apply if you applied or held a licence before?

GOV.UK sets these limits.

What happened before	What the rule says
Licence revoked	You will not get a licence if it was revoked in the last 12 months
Licence revoked more than once	You will not get a licence if it was revoked in the last 24 months
Application refused	You will not usually get a licence if you applied unsuccessfully in the last 6 months

You might still get a licence after a refused application if it was refused for one of these reasons:

• a representative sent your application
• you did not give documents or information by a deadline, for reasons outside your control
• you applied for a licence to sponsor Scale-up Workers but you do not meet the definition of a “qualifying Scale-up sponsor”

Part 1 of the sponsor guidance calls these waiting periods “cooling-off periods”. It lists other cases too:

• a civil penalty for employing illegal workers: 12 months from the date the penalty is paid in full
• an unspent conviction for a relevant offence: until the conviction is spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

If you apply during a cooling-off period, UKVI will automatically refuse the application. A cooling-off period that has ended does not mean UKVI will grant you a licence.

What checks apply to your key personnel?

Key personnel are the people who manage sponsorship in your business. UKVI checks that you and your staff are suitable for the roles of authorising officer, key contact and level 1 user. See sponsor licence overview for the three roles.

You may not get your licence if anyone involved in sponsorship has:

• an unspent criminal conviction for an offence listed in annex L4 of part 1 of the sponsor guidance
• been fined by UKVI in the past 12 months
• been reported to UKVI
• broken the law
• been “key personnel” at a sponsor that had its licence refused in the last 6 months
• failed to pay VAT or other excise duty

You may also not get your licence if anyone involved has been key personnel at a sponsor when it had its licence revoked:

• in the last 12 months, or
• in the last 24 months, if they have been key personnel for more than one revoked licence

At least one level 1 user must be an employee, a partner or a director in the sponsor organisation. They must also be a “settled worker”.

You and your allocated staff must also:

• be based in the UK most of the time
• not be a contractor or consultant hired for a specific project
• not be subject to a bankruptcy restriction order or undertaking, or a debt relief restriction order or undertaking
• not have a history of not following sponsor requirements

Allocated staff must usually be paid members of staff, or office holders.

For a UK Expansion Worker licence, you can appoint an overseas worker as authorising officer if you do not have suitable staff based in the UK.

What is the “eligible role” test?

UKVI must be satisfied that you can offer work that meets the definition of “eligible role”, and that you intend to. This includes work that meets any salary or skill-level rules for the route you plan to sponsor the worker on. (Part 1)

The guidance gives three examples of when UKVI may not be satisfied that you can offer Skilled Worker employment. They are not a full list:

• you do not employ anyone, or have never employed anyone, in a role that meets the Skilled Worker requirements
• you say you need, or have already sponsored, a person in a role that does not seem necessary for your business
• you say you will sponsor workers for roles with an annual salary that does not seem to match your turnover or finances, and you cannot explain well how you will fund those salaries in a lasting way

For the salary side, see salary thresholds and going rates.

How does UKVI check a business?

UKVI uses risk assessments to decide on its checks. (Part 1)

A compliance check can include:

• a visit to your main office
• a visit to any other address where sponsored workers work, including a home address if a worker normally works from home
• a digital check by video call

If you run a virtual business with little or no physical office space, UKVI is highly likely to do a compliance check with your authorising officer before it decides.

After a compliance check, UKVI rates you “met” or “not met” against a set of criteria. They include human resources systems, convictions and civil penalties, migrant compliance and employment.

The next step is the application. See how to apply for a sponsor licence for fees and decision times.