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Applying for a sponsor licence: steps and documents

An employer applies online, then must email a signed submission sheet and the required documents within 5 working days. The Home Office checks the business is genuine, trading and able to meet its duties. There is no right of appeal against a refusal, and a six-month cooling-off period usually follows.

A sponsor licence is the Home Office's authorisation for an employer to assign certificates of sponsorship to workers from outside the UK, and to some workers already in the UK. The process is online, but the application is judged on paper evidence and, sometimes, on a visit. This guide follows the order of Part 1 of the Home Office sponsor guidance (version 08/26, valid from 28 August 2026) and Appendix A on supporting documents (version 04/26): what to decide first, who must be named, what is sent and when, how the decision is made, and what follows a refusal.

It explains the published process. It does not say whether any particular business will qualify, and the guidance itself says a licence is granted at the discretion of the Home Office and creates no enforceable right.

Do you need a licence, and for which routes

The guidance says an employer needs a licence to employ or engage a person who is not a settled worker or who does not otherwise have immigration permission to work for them. Some people can be employed without sponsorship, and the guidance points to section S1 of Part 2 for the full list. GOV.UK's overview gives examples: Irish citizens, people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and people with indefinite leave to remain.

The application form asks which routes the employer wants to be licensed on, and these become the only routes it can sponsor on. The routes are grouped as Worker routes (Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson) and Temporary Worker routes (for example Scale-up, Creative Worker, Charity Worker, Government Authorised Exchange, Seasonal Worker and several Global Business Mobility routes). An employer can apply for one or both groups.

Individuals cannot hold a licence, with one exception: a sole trader sponsoring someone to work in their business. The guidance says a licence will not be granted if the employer intends to sponsor workers in a personal capacity, for example a domestic worker for the family home, and that an existing licence must not be used that way.

What to settle before you start

Paragraph L3.2 of the guidance lists what an employer should do before applying:

  • read Part 1, the route-specific guidance and the other parts;
  • decide which routes to be licensed on;
  • appoint an Authorising Officer and nominate a Level 1 User;
  • if there are several branches or sites, decide which will employ and sponsor workers and whether branches hold their own licences;
  • estimate how many certificates of sponsorship will be needed in the first year;
  • be sure that every supporting document can be emailed within 5 working days of submitting the application.

The certificate estimate matters. The guidance says the form asks for detailed reasons for the number requested, and that if the Home Office is not satisfied it may give a lower allocation or set it to zero. If the employer says it is unsure whether or when it will recruit overseas workers, the decision letter will say the maximum number of certificates is zero.

Key personnel: who must be named

The application must nominate three roles, which can be filled by the same person if they are eligible:

  • Authorising Officer: a senior person with overall responsibility for the employer's activity as a sponsor. There is only one at a time, and they must be a paid member of staff or an office holder. A representative or someone from another organisation cannot fill this role, except an insolvency practitioner if the business is in administration.
  • Key Contact: the main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The Home Office emails this person if it needs more documents, so they must be available while the application is considered.
  • Level 1 User: the person who manages day-to-day sponsorship in the sponsorship management system (SMS), such as assigning certificates and reporting changes.

Every person named must be based in the UK, hold a National Insurance number unless exempt, and not be a contractor or consultant engaged for a specific purpose. The guidance adds that from 9 September 2026 workers supplied by an employment business can no longer be appointed.

For a new application, at least one Level 1 User must be both an employee, director or partner of the organisation and a "settled worker" (with exceptions listed in the guidance, such as for the International Agreement route). GOV.UK's summary page lists the two points as bullets without saying both are required, so follow the guidance. Level 2 Users can no longer be appointed, and existing ones must be converted or removed by 8 March 2027.

The Home Office runs checks, including against the Police National Computer. The guidance says an application will be refused if anyone falling under the definition of "you or your" has an unspent conviction for a listed relevant offence.

Making the application yourself

The licence application is made on GOV.UK in two steps: register online, then complete the form. The guidance says that with the information gathered in advance it should take about 20 to 30 minutes, and that the Home Office cannot give a copy of the application afterwards, so the applicant should screenshot or note what they entered.

The most important procedural rule: "You must make the application yourself." A representative may help complete the form but must not submit it. The guidance says if this happens the application is refused and the fee is not refunded. A representative can be named as Key Contact at the application stage, but cannot be an Authorising Officer at any stage, or a Level 1 User at the application stage. They must be based in the UK and, if they give immigration advice or services, be qualified under section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999: IAA-regulated, a regulated solicitor, barrister or legal executive, or otherwise exempt.

Sponsor licence holders are exempt from the general ban on giving immigration advice to their own sponsored workers and eligible family members in connection with the sponsored route, but only under specified conditions, and not if they charge a fee.

The documents and the five-working-day deadline

When the online form is finished, a submission sheet is generated. The Authorising Officer must sign and date every page. The employer then emails the sheet and the supporting documents to the address on it, within 5 working days of completing the online application. The guidance says documents should be PDF, JPEG or PNG, with descriptive file names of 25 characters or fewer, and that a document not in English or Welsh needs a certified translation. Any affidavit or statutory declaration must be witnessed by a qualified, independent person.

Appendix A explains the minimum. Most organisations must send at least 4 documents (or combinations) made up of:

  • documents mandatory for the type of organisation: charities need proof of charitable status; franchisees need the signed franchise agreement; a business trading in the UK for less than 18 months needs a recent itemised statement from a business account at a bank or building society authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority; regulated organisations such as care providers need to show registration with their regulator;
  • documents mandatory for the route, for example a sports governing body endorsement for International Sportsperson or a Defra endorsement letter for Seasonal Worker;
  • other documents to reach four, chosen from a list including PAYE, Corporation Tax or VAT registration, recent accounts, bank statements or a bank letter, employer's liability insurance of at least £5 million, proof of premises, and evidence of recent business activity such as invoices or contracts.

For Skilled Worker and Minister of Religion, the employer must also supply information in a covering email or letter, in addition to the four documents: why it is applying, its sector, its normal operating hours, a hierarchy chart of owners, directors, partners and board members, and, if it has 50 employees or fewer, a list of all employees with job titles. It must also describe the jobs it intends to fill, including title, occupation code, main duties, weekly hours and pay.

A care provider that intends to sponsor care workers or senior care workers in England must also give working locations, the regulated activities it carries out, and its active Care Quality Commission registration number.

If something is missing or wrong

Missing or incorrect mandatory documents make the application invalid. The guidance says it is rejected without being considered and the fee is refunded, but a new application and fee are needed. Missing documents that are not mandatory, or a request for more information, lead to an email to the Key Contact with 5 working days to respond. If nothing arrives by the end of the deadline, the application is refused and the fee is not refunded.

The Home Office expects applicants to disclose in a covering message if anyone connected to the business has been suspended or removed from a sponsor register in the last 5 years, has a pending prosecution, or has been involved with an organisation that failed to pay VAT or excise duty. The guidance imposes a duty of honesty throughout: knowingly false information leads to refusal, or revocation of an existing licence.

How the decision is made

The Home Office says it must be satisfied that the organisation is genuine and operating or trading lawfully in the UK, is honest and dependable, is able to carry out sponsor duties, meets any route-specific requirements and can offer work that meets the definition of an "eligible role".

It lists examples where it is likely to conclude there is no real trading presence, and examples of a business that exists mainly to bring a person to the UK. It gives three examples of businesses that may not offer eligible roles: a small shop with only low-skilled staff, a small outlet claiming to need a business development manager with no credible need, and salaries that do not match the business's finances.

It may carry out a compliance check before deciding, by visit or by video interview. The guidance says a business with little or no physical office space is highly likely to receive one. If the checks find differences from what the employer told UKVI, it will say whether it needs more information.

GOV.UK says most applications are decided in under 8 weeks. An A-rated licence is granted when the employer is judged to have systems to meet its duties, and the business is added to the register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK. The decision letter goes to the Authorising Officer and states the maximum number of certificates and the sponsor licence number, which must be quoted in all communications.

After a refusal

The guidance is plain that "There is no right of appeal against the refusal of an application for a licence." Two options exist.

The first is an error correction request, which can be sent within 14 calendar days of the date of the refusal letter if the refusal resulted from a caseworker error or evidence sent with the application that was not considered. The Home Office aims to reply within 28 working days. It is not a full reconsideration and it will not consider evidence that was not available at the time of the application. If an error is found, the employer is invited to submit a new application and pay the fee again, which is refunded on receipt, but this is not a guarantee of a licence. A refusal will not be reviewed a second time.

The second is to apply again after the cooling-off period. Under paragraph L9.17 of the guidance:

  • a refusal for most reasons leads to a 6-month wait from the date of refusal;
  • no wait applies if the refusal was because a representative sent the application, because requested documents were not provided for reasons outside the employer's control, or solely because a Scale-up applicant was not a "qualifying Scale-up sponsor";
  • a first revocation or surrender under compliance action leads to 12 months, and more than one to 24 months;
  • civil penalties for illegal working or right-to-rent breaches can lead to periods of 12 months to 5 years, and an unpaid penalty means no licence while it remains unpaid.

The guidance adds that the end of a cooling-off period does not mean a licence will be granted: the reasons for the earlier refusal must no longer apply.

Finding a regulated adviser

Some employers handle the application alone. Others use a qualified adviser, who may be named as Key Contact. GOV.UK sets out how to find an immigration adviser and what regulated advisers can do.

The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work; it does not tell you what to do in your case.

Questions people ask

How long do I have to send documents after applying for a sponsor licence?

5 working days from completing the online application. The signed submission sheet and the mandatory documents must arrive by email in that time or the application is invalid. Documents requested later also carry a 5 working day deadline.

Can my solicitor submit the sponsor licence application for me?

No. The guidance says the employer must make the application itself. A representative may help complete the form, but if they send it the application is refused and the fee is not refunded. A UK-based qualified representative can be named as Key Contact.

What documents does a sponsor licence application need?

Usually at least four documents or combinations, including any mandatory for the type of organisation and route, plus extra information about the business and the jobs for Skilled Worker. Appendix A lists options such as PAYE, VAT or Corporation Tax registration, accounts, bank statements and insurance.

Can I appeal if my sponsor licence is refused?

No. There is no right of appeal. An error correction request can be sent within 14 calendar days if there was a caseworker error or evidence was not considered. Otherwise the employer can reapply after any cooling-off period, usually 6 months.

Who can be an Authorising Officer?

A senior, UK-based paid member of staff or office holder with overall responsibility for the employer's activity as a sponsor. A representative or someone from another organisation cannot be an Authorising Officer. There can only be one at a time.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-10.

Related guides

  • Sponsor licence cost for employers in 2026 — A UK sponsor licence for the Worker routes costs £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large one. Each Skilled Worker certificate of sponsorship then costs £525, plus the Immigration Skills Charge, which the employer must pay and may not recover from the worker.
  • Sponsor licence duties: what UKVI checks — A licensed sponsor must report worker changes within 10 working days and organisation changes within 20, keep records, and comply with wider UK law. The Home Office can visit unannounced, downgrade to a B-rating with a £1,579 action plan, suspend or revoke the licence, with no right of appeal.
  • Sponsor licence revoked: what it means for your visa — If your sponsor loses its licence, the Immigration Rules say your permission may be cancelled. Home Office guidance says that where you were not involved, cancellation normally leaves you 60 days to apply for permission with a new sponsor or to leave. There is no appeal or administrative review against cancellation. A temporary arrangement currently protects care workers.
  • Skilled Worker visa cost: worker and employer totals — A worker applying from outside the UK for up to 3 years pays £819 plus £1,035 a year in healthcare surcharge, and usually needs £1,270 held in savings. The employer separately pays a £525 certificate fee and the immigration skills charge, and its licence fee if it is new.
  • Who can represent you at an immigration appeal — At the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) you can be represented by anyone not prohibited by section 84 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999: in practice a Level 3 IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, a barrister or another authorised lawyer. You can also represent yourself. Judicial review in the Upper Tribunal needs a representative with rights of audience in the High Court.
  • How to check a UK immigration adviser is registered — In the UK only a "qualified person" may give immigration advice: an IAA-registered adviser, a solicitor, barrister or chartered legal executive, or someone working under their supervision. Ask for the regulator and registration number, then check it yourself on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA Solicitors Register.