Out of Certificates of Sponsorship? Request a bigger allocation properly
Your licence comes with an annual allocation of undefined Certificates of Sponsorship for workers already in the UK. When it runs out, hiring stops until the Home Office grants more. The request is made through the Sponsorship Management System and is assessed on whether the roles are genuine, whether you can afford them, and whether your compliance record supports growth. A thin request gets refused or delayed at exactly the moment you need the certificates.
- Certificate of Sponsorship fee
- £525
- Skills charge — small sponsor
- £480 per year
- Skills charge — large sponsor
- £1,320 per year
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured
When you need an allocation increase
- Your undefined CoS allocation for the year is used up or nearly used up
- Headcount plans have grown beyond what the original licence assumed
- You are switching a group of existing UK-based workers onto sponsorship
- A new site, contract or entity has created roles you did not forecast
- Your first-year allocation was set low because you were a new sponsor
What the Home Office looks at
- Whether each role is a genuine vacancy at an eligible skill level
- The SOC code chosen and the going rate that applies to it
- Salary evidence and your ability to pay the roles you are requesting
- How you used your previous allocation — unused certificates weaken the case
- Your compliance record, reporting history and licence rating
What we prepare for you
- The Sponsorship Management System request and supporting narrative
- A role-by-role justification with SOC codes and going rate checks
- Evidence of recruitment activity and business need
- Financial evidence supporting the salaries being requested
- Responses to any follow-up questions or evidence requests from the caseworker
Undefined versus defined certificates
Undefined certificates cover workers who are already in the UK and are switching or extending; those come from your annual allocation and are what an increase request tops up. Workers applying from outside the UK need a defined certificate, requested individually for the named role rather than drawn from the allocation.
Home Office costs per sponsored worker
| Allocation increase request | No Home Office fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £525 |
| Immigration Skills Charge — small or charitable sponsor | £480 per year of sponsorship |
| Immigration Skills Charge — medium or large sponsor | £1,320 per year of sponsorship |
Home Office charges as published in our fee data (effective 8 April 2026). There is no separate Home Office fee for requesting more certificates — you pay per certificate assigned. Figures below are Home Office charges, not our professional fees.
Get your allocation request right first time
Tell us how many certificates you need and the roles you are filling. We will confirm the SOC codes and going rates, then prepare the request and the supporting evidence.
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured