A1.52 Employer Sponsorship License

UK Visa Sponsorship for Employers (September 2025)

Official application link: https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers

UK employers generally need to apply for a sponsor licence if they wish to hire employees from outside the UK (including citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland who arrived in the UK after 31 December 2020). Exceptions include Irish citizens and individuals with settled or pre-settled status.

Note: Sponsoring an employee does not guarantee that they will successfully obtain a visa to work in the UK.

Employer Eligibility and Application Process

1. Employer Eligibility

• No Adverse Records: Must not have outstanding criminal convictions related to immigration offences, fraud, money laundering, etc.

• No Recent Licence Revocation: Must not have had a sponsor licence revoked within the past 12 months.

• Monitoring Systems: Must have appropriate systems in place to monitor sponsored employees.

• Trustworthiness and Reliability: UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) will review applications and may conduct on-site inspections to ensure employers are trustworthy and capable of fulfilling their responsibilities.

2. Application Process (5-Step Approach)

1. Check the business’s eligibility.

2. Confirm that the role meets sponsorship requirements.

3. Choose the licence type (either “Worker”, “Temporary Worker”, or both).

4. Appoint members of the management team to oversee sponsorship matters.

5. Submit an online application and pay the relevant fee.

3. Licence Types

Licence Type	Covered Visa Categories (Examples)
Worker	Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson
Temporary Worker	Scale-up Worker, Creative Worker, Charity Worker, Government Authorised Exchange, Seasonal Worker, etc.

Employers can apply for a licence covering one or both types.

Licences for sponsoring Scale-up Workers are valid for 4 years and cannot be reapplied for.

4. Sponsorship Management Roles

Employers must appoint the following roles to manage the sponsorship process:

• Authorising Officer: A senior responsible person who takes accountability for all actions within the sponsorship management system.

• Key Contact: The primary point of communication with UKVI.

• Level 1 User: Responsible for handling day-to-day tasks via the sponsorship management system.

These roles can be held by the same individual or different people. All appointees must pass a suitability check and are generally required to be salaried employees resident in the UK.

5. Application and Fees

• Application Method: Submit an application online, followed by supporting documents via email.

• Licence Fees:

Licence Type	Small or Charity Organisation	Medium or Large Organisation
Worker	£574	£1,579
Temporary Worker	£574	£574
Both	£574	£1,579

• Decision Time: Usually within 8 weeks. A priority service is available for an additional £500, with a decision issued within 10 working days.

Special Requirements for Roles and Employees

1. General Requirements

• The role must comply with UK minimum wage and working time regulations.

• All other eligibility criteria for the sponsored visa category must be met.

2. Role-Specific Requirements

• Religious Workers: Generally required to advertise the role first (exceptions apply to non-essential roles or internal members of religious organisations).

• Creative Workers: Must comply with the Code of Practice for Creative Workers or demonstrate that the worker will make a “unique contribution” to the UK’s creative life.

• International Sportspersons: Require an endorsement letter from the relevant governing body.

• Care Workers (in England): Must prioritise recruiting “displaced” care workers.

• Minor Workers: Only eligible to sponsor international sportspersons (aged 16 or over), creative workers, and applicants under the Government Authorised Exchange visa route.

Licence Rating and Management

1. Licence Ratings

• Tier A: Awarded upon successful application, allowing employers to start assigning certificates of sponsorship.

• Tier B: A Tier A licence will be downgraded to Tier B if the employer fails to meet sponsorship duties. No new certificates of sponsorship can be issued while the licence is at Tier B.

• Reinstating Tier A: Employers must follow UKVI’s action plan and pay a fee of £1,579. Failure to complete the plan or a second downgrade to Tier B will result in licence revocation.

2. Certificates of Sponsorship

This is an electronic record assigned to each employee, who uses the reference number to apply for a visa.

Employees must submit their visa application within 3 months of receiving the certificate of sponsorship.

Fees per Certificate of Sponsorship:

• Worker licence: £525 each (fees for International Sportsperson visas are based on duration of stay).

• Temporary Worker licence: £55 each.

3. Immigration Skills Charge

Applicability: Payable when assigning a certificate of sponsorship to employees applying for Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visas.

Fee Rates:

• Small or charity organisations: £364 for the first year, and £182 for each subsequent 6-month period.

• Medium or large organisations: £1,000 for the first year, and £500 for each subsequent 6-month period.

Exemptions: Mainly apply to scientists, researchers, and higher education teachers in specific disciplines.

ATAS Certificate Checks

When Required: Before assigning a certificate of sponsorship to employees under certain visa routes (e.g., Skilled Worker, Scale-up Worker) who will be undertaking research in sensitive subjects at PhD level or above, employers must verify if the employee needs an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate.

Employer Duties:

1. Conduct the ATAS check.

2. Confirm the result on the certificate of sponsorship.

3. If an ATAS certificate is required, inform the employee and ensure it is included in their visa application. Failure to do so will result in visa refusal and potential licence revocation for the employer.

4. Retain a copy of the ATAS certificate.

Core Employer Duties and Compliance Requirements

Employers must fulfil the following duties; failure to do so may lead to licence downgrading, suspension, or revocation:

• Verify Qualifications: Check that employees hold the necessary skills, qualifications, or professional accreditations, and retain supporting documentation.

• Compliant Sponsorship: Only assign certificates of sponsorship to roles that meet sponsorship criteria.

• Timely Reporting: Use the sponsorship management system to notify UKVI of any changes, such as:

• Employees failing to start work on time, being absent without reason, or leaving their role.

• Changes to employees’ contact details.

• Significant changes to the company’s business status (e.g., ceasing trading, insolvency, mergers and acquisitions).

• Changes to the company’s own details (e.g., address, changes to sponsorship management roles).

• Adhere to UK Law: Ensure full compliance with all UK employment laws.

• Support for Vulnerable Groups:

• Minor Employees: Arrange appropriate care for their travel to, arrival in, and living arrangements within the UK, and obtain parental consent.

• Scale-up Workers: Sponsorship duties begin when the certificate of sponsorship is assigned and end at the end of the 6th month after the employee obtains their visa.

• Overseas Workers: Report the dates of their arrival in and departure from UK waters