Requesting a defined Certificate of Sponsorship for a worker outside the UK
Skilled Workers applying from outside the UK need a defined Certificate of Sponsorship, which you request from the Home Office through the Sponsorship Management System before it can be assigned. Requests that are vague about the role, the salary or the recruitment can be queried or refused — and that delays the hire.
- CoS fee (per certificate)
- £525
- Skilled Worker general threshold
- £41,700/yr
- Hourly rate floor
- £12.82
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured
Defined or undefined — which one do you need?
The route is the same; the process is not. A defined CoS is requested for a Skilled Worker applying for entry clearance from outside the UK. Undefined certificates come from your annual allocation and are used for applicants already in the UK who are switching or extending.
- Applicant outside the UK on a Skilled Worker application: defined CoS request
- Applicant in the UK switching or extending: undefined allocation
- Other sponsored routes have their own allocation rules — we confirm before you apply
What we prepare for the request
- The job title, SOC 2020 occupation code and going rate position
- Salary and hours stated consistently with the contract and offer letter
- A clear description of the duties and why the role sits at the required skill level
- The start date, work location and any hybrid or multi-site arrangement
- Responses to Home Office queries if the request is put on hold
Common reasons requests get held up
- Job description too generic to show the skill level of the occupation code
- Salary below the applicable threshold, the going rate or the hourly floor
- Occupation code that does not match the duties actually described
- Inconsistencies between the request, the contract and the advert
- No clear explanation of the business need for the role
Who this is for
- Sponsors making their first overseas Skilled Worker hire
- Employers whose defined CoS request has been queried or refused
- HR teams working to a fixed start date who cannot afford a re-request
- Sponsors hiring into new, hybrid or hard-to-classify roles
Home Office costs to budget for
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £525 |
|---|---|
| Immigration Skills Charge — small or charitable sponsor (per year sponsored) | £480 |
| Immigration Skills Charge — medium or large sponsor (per year sponsored) | £1,320 |
Home Office figures as published in our fee data (effective 8 April 2026). Visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are payable by or for the applicant separately. Our professional fees are quoted before we start.
Get a defined CoS request prepared properly
Tell us the role and the intended start date and a regulated adviser will confirm what the Home Office will want to see and prepare the request with you.
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured