The “Sponsorship license” allows UK-based companies to employ foreign skilled workers willing to work in the UK. Anyone applying for a UK work visa needs a certificate of sponsorship to enter or remain.
From 2024 onwards, the UK government plans to raise the income of foreign workers' salaries to the threshold by 50%, i.e., shifting it from the current £26,200 to £38,700.
This encourages businesses to prioritize British Talent, Invest in their workforce, and discourage excessive reliance on migration.
This adjustment will also align the salaries with the average full-time earnings for these job categories. Additionally, there will be an increase in the minimum income requirement for British citizens and settled individuals in the UK who wish to bring their family members.
This overall strategy emphasizes the need for individuals residing and working in the UK to be self-sufficient, contribute to the economy, and avoid burdening the state.
There are two types of UK Employer Sponsor licenses such as:
“Workers” - for skilled or long-term employment
A worker license will let a sponsor people in different types of skilled employment. Skilled employment can be for a short time, long-term, or permanent, depending on the worker’s visa.
The licenses are divided into four categories:
Temporary Worker licence
This is for temporary workers applicable for the following types of visas:
Eligibility Criteria for businesses\organisation
UK sponsor Licence validity
An individual can issue a sponsorship certificate if they have jobs that are suitable for sponsorship. The license will be valid for four years and can be renewed. However, license suspension or revocation is possible if the Home Office suspects non-compliance with sponsorship duties.
A Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) is an electronic document produced on the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) post-licence approval. To further sponsor a migrant worker, a company initiates a COS request from the Home Office through SMS. After approval, The Company assigns it to the intended worker, generating a unique reference number crucial for the candidate’s visa application. There are two types of COS, which includes:
Type of licence |
Cost per certificate |
Worker (except workers on the International Sportsperson visa) |
£239 |
Temporary Worker |
£25 |
International Sportsperson - where the certificate of sponsorship is assigned for more than 12 months |
£239 |
International Sportsperson - where the certificate of sponsorship is assigned for 12 months or less |
£25 |
Step 1: Check the eligibility criteria
Step 2: Choose the type of UK Sponsor licence (Long term or short-term) for foreign workers
Step 3: Arrange the checklist of documents required
Step 4: Apply online and pay the fee
Step 5: Get the sponsor licence
Type of licence |
Fee for small or charitable sponsors |
Fee for medium or large sponsors |
Worker |
£536 |
£1,476 |
Temporary Worker |
£536 |
£536 |
Worker and Temporary Worker |
£536 |
£ 1,476 |
Add a Worker licence to an existing Temporary Worker licence |
No fee |
£940 |
Add a Temporary Worker licence to an existing Worker licence |
No fee |
No fee |
The UK sponsor Licence application typically takes ‘2 months (8 weeks)’ for standard processing. Throughout this period, The Home office might conduct a compliance visit to verify your most vital matches to sponsorship duties at your office.
A UK Sponsor Licence will be rated “A” or “B”. The rating can be offered in two ways:
Talk to Y-Axis for further guidance
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