The Home Office aims to decide sponsor licence applications within 8 weeks of submission. However, processing times vary significantly depending on several factors. Applications submitted during busy periods (typically summer and autumn) may take longer. If your application is incomplete or the Home Office requires additional information, this extends the timeline further.

In some cases, the Home Office schedules a compliance visit before making a decision - they'll want to physically inspect your business premises, meet key personnel, and review your HR systems. If a compliance visit is required, the overall process can take 12-16 weeks or more.

There is no "priority" or "premium" processing service for sponsor licence applications - all applications are processed in order of receipt. This makes it crucial to apply well in advance of when you need to sponsor workers. If you're trying to recruit someone from overseas, factor in the 8-week sponsor licence processing time PLUS the additional 3-8 weeks for the worker's visa application.

Before you submit, preparation time is also important. We typically need 2-4 weeks to properly prepare a comprehensive sponsor licence application, including drafting policies, compiling evidence, and completing the supporting letter. Rushed applications have higher refusal rates, so proper preparation time is a worthwhile investment.

Sponsor licence costs have multiple components. The Home Office application fee is £536 for small businesses and charities, or £1,476 for medium and large organizations. "Small" means fewer than 50 employees and either annual turnover under £10.2m or balance sheet under £5.1m. This fee covers a 4-year licence period.

Beyond the application fee, you'll also pay the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) for each worker you sponsor - £364 per year for small businesses, £1,000 per year for larger organizations. This is paid when you assign a Certificate of Sponsorship and is charged for the duration of the visa being granted (up to 5 years, so potentially £5,000 per worker for large businesses).

Our legal fees for sponsor licence applications are typically £2,500-£4,500 + VAT depending on complexity. This includes full eligibility assessment, application preparation, supporting letter drafting, document compilation, SMS procedure templates, online application completion, and handling any Home Office queries. We offer fixed fees agreed in advance, so no surprise bills.

For ongoing compliance support, we offer retainer agreements starting from £500+VAT per month, which includes unlimited email/phone queries, SMS reviews, compliance visit preparation, and priority response to urgent matters. Many clients find this provides valuable peace of mind and prevents costly compliance failures.

Overall, expect to budget £3,000-£6,000 for the initial licence application (Home Office fees + legal fees), then ongoing costs for the ISC each time you sponsor someone. While this seems expensive, the ability to recruit skilled workers from overseas is often business-critical and quickly pays for itself.

A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is an electronic record (not a physical certificate) that you assign to a worker you want to sponsor. The worker needs the CoS reference number to apply for their visa. Think of it as a "permission slip" from you to the Home Office saying "we want to sponsor this person for this job."

There are two types of CoS: "Defined" (for workers already in the UK switching from another visa route) and "Undefined" (for workers applying from overseas or in limited circumstances within the UK). Defined CoS are usually available immediately and can be assigned without requesting allocation from the Home Office. Undefined CoS must be requested from your annual allocation.

When you're granted a sponsor licence, you receive an initial allocation of CoS - A-rated sponsors typically get unlimited defined and a substantial number of undefined certificates. B-rated sponsors have restricted allocations. You can request additional undefined CoS if you run out, but there's no guarantee the Home Office will grant them.

Assigning a CoS involves entering detailed information about the job, the worker, and the salary on the Sponsorship Management System. Errors can lead to visa refusals, so accuracy is critical. The CoS must show that the job meets skill and salary requirements, and you must pay the Immigration Skills Charge when assigning it.

We advise on CoS assignment strategy, help with complex or urgent allocations, and can take over CoS management if your business needs additional support. Many compliance failures arise from incorrectly assigned CoS, so getting expert help avoids costly mistakes.

Holding a sponsor licence creates continuous compliance obligations. The most important is the reporting duty - you must report specified changes to the Home Office within 10 working days. Reportable events include: sponsored workers not turning up to start work, workers going absent without permission for 10 consecutive days, significant changes to job role or salary, workers being suspended or dismissed, and any criminal convictions.

You must maintain a Sponsorship Management System (SMS) - detailed records for all sponsored workers including copies of their passport, right to work documents, proof of qualifications, evidence of English language ability, and ongoing monitoring records. These must be kept for at least 6 years after sponsorship ends and be available immediately if the Home Office requests them.

Right to work checks are critical - you must conduct proper checks before employment starts and create a statutory excuse against illegal working penalties. For sponsored workers, this means checking their visa vignette or BRP card, verifying it's valid for the work they'll be doing, and keeping clear copies. You should also conduct follow-up checks when visas are due to expire.

Your Key Contact must be available to respond to Home Office communications within 5 working days. Failure to respond can lead to downgrade or revocation. You must also notify the Home Office of changes to your business (name, address, key personnel, significant restructuring) and keep your sponsor licence details up to date on the sponsorship system.

The Home Office can conduct compliance visits at any time without advance notice. During visits, they'll inspect your premises, interview staff, and review your SMS records. Poor compliance can result in downgrade (from A to B rating), revocation, or civil penalties up to £20,000 per illegal worker found. We provide compliance training, SMS reviews, and visit preparation to help sponsors meet their obligations and avoid these consequences.

Home Office compliance visits can occur at any time, usually without advance warning. Immigration Enforcement officers will arrive at your business premises and request access to inspect your records and premises. While technically "voluntary," refusing entry creates a very negative impression and may lead to immediate downgrade or revocation of your licence.

During the visit, officers will want to meet with your Authorising Officer and Key Contact (though they can proceed without them if unavailable). They'll inspect your Sponsorship Management System records for all sponsored workers - checking you have complete files with all required documents (passport copies, right to work checks, qualifications, English language evidence, etc.). They'll verify you're conducting proper right to work checks for all employees, not just sponsored workers.

Officers will tour your premises to verify sponsored workers are actually present and working in the roles you've described to the Home Office. They may conduct brief interviews with sponsored workers to confirm details about their role, salary, and working conditions. They're also checking that your business is genuine and trading as described in your application.

The officers will produce a report after the visit identifying any areas of non-compliance. Minor issues may result in a warning and "action plan" requiring you to fix problems within a set timeframe (often 28 days). Serious compliance failures can lead to immediate downgrade (loss of A-rating and restricted CoS allocation) or revocation (complete loss of licence). In the worst cases, they may discover illegal working, which carries civil penalties up to £20,000 per illegal worker.

If you receive notice of a compliance visit (sometimes they do give a few days' warning) or if officers arrive unannounced, contact us immediately. We can attend visits with you, help present your records professionally, and respond effectively to any adverse findings to minimize consequences. We've helped many sponsors navigate compliance visits successfully and defend against threatened downgrades or revocations.

No - there are strict rules about which jobs can be sponsored. For the main Skilled Worker route, the role must be on the Home Office's list of eligible occupations (based on SOC codes) and meet minimum skill level of RQF Level 3 or above (roughly A-level equivalent). Lower-skilled roles like retail assistants, warehouse workers, or general laborers typically cannot be sponsored under this route.

The job must also meet minimum salary thresholds. The general threshold is £38,700 per year or the "going rate" for the specific occupation, whichever is higher. There are lower thresholds available in some circumstances: new entrants (under 26, recent graduates, or studying for professional qualification) can be sponsored at £30,960, shortage occupation roles have lower rates, and there are special provisions for health and education workers.

The role must be genuine and necessary for your business. You cannot create a fake job just to help someone get a visa - this is sponsor licence fraud and can result in revocation and potential criminal prosecution. The Home Office expects the role to be full-time (unless there's a good reason for part-time), permanent or fixed-term contract of at least 12 months, and paid the stated salary consistently.

Some roles face additional scrutiny. Jobs that are "shortage occupations" are easier to sponsor (lower salary thresholds, no Resident Labour Market Test historically required). Conversely, jobs in industries with high levels of immigration abuse (care workers, some hospitality roles) face enhanced scrutiny and may be harder to justify.

There are also alternative sponsorship routes with different requirements: Senior or Specialist Worker for high earners in multinational companies, various Temporary Worker categories for short-term assignments, and specific schemes for ministers of religion, sports persons, creative workers, and charity workers. Each has its own eligibility criteria and restrictions. We advise on which route is most appropriate for your specific recruitment needs.

If you receive a downgrade or revocation notice, act immediately - you typically have only 10 working days to respond, and these deadlines are strictly enforced. Contact an immigration solicitor as soon as possible, ideally on the same day you receive the notice. The Home Office decision is not yet final, and with proper representations, many downgrades and revocations can be overturned or reduced in severity.

For downgrades (loss of A-rating), you can make representations explaining the circumstances and providing evidence that compliance issues have been or will be rectified. We prepare detailed action plans demonstrating how you'll prevent future issues, provide evidence of remedial steps already taken, and argue that the level of non-compliance doesn't warrant the downgrade. In many cases, the Home Office will maintain the A-rating if satisfied with the action plan.

For revocations, the stakes are much higher. Losing your licence means you can no longer sponsor workers, your existing sponsored employees may have their visas curtailed to 60 days, and you face a mandatory 12-month "cooling off period" before you can reapply. Revocation representations must be comprehensive - we typically submit 30-50 page documents with extensive supporting evidence addressing every compliance failure identified and demonstrating why revocation is disproportionate.

If your initial representations are rejected, you have the right to request administrative review within 28 days. This is your final opportunity to challenge the decision without going to court. Administrative review can only correct errors of law or fact - it's not a complete rehearing. If administrative review also fails, judicial review in the High Court may be possible in cases of serious procedural unfairness, but this is expensive and time-consuming.

Prevention is better than cure. If you receive an "action plan" following a compliance visit or notice of concerns, take it extremely seriously. We help sponsors respond to action plans comprehensively, implement required improvements, and provide evidence of compliance to avoid further escalation. Don't wait until revocation proceedings begin - early intervention when issues first arise gives the best chance of preserving your licence.