Responding to a suspension, downgrade or revocation of your licence
A suspension letter stops you assigning certificates immediately and gives you a short deadline to respond in writing. What you say in that response, and the evidence you attach, largely decides whether the licence is reinstated, downgraded to a B-rating with an action plan, or revoked. Revocation curtails the permission of the workers you sponsor, so the response is a business continuity issue as much as a legal one.
- Suspension effect
- No new certificates
- Response window
- Set by the Home Office letter
- Re-application fee — small sponsor
- £611
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured
Wesbridge Associates is regulated at IAA Level 1 and does not provide this service. We can help you find a suitably authorised adviser. For this type of matter that will usually be an IAA Level 3 adviser or a solicitor.
The three outcomes you are dealing with
- B-rating: the licence continues but you must complete a mandatory action plan, and you cannot assign new certificates while downgraded
- Suspension: certificate assignment stops while the Home Office investigates and considers revocation
- Revocation: the licence ends, sponsored workers' permission is curtailed, and a cooling-off period applies before you can re-apply
What a response usually involves
- Read the letter and diarise the exact response deadline
- Identify every allegation and separate the ones that are factually wrong from the ones that are correct
- Pull the underlying evidence: HR files, right to work checks, payroll, reporting history and SMS records
- Fix what can be fixed now, and document the fix with dates and owners
- Draft the written representations, addressing each allegation on its own terms
Why sponsors get suspended
- Right to work checks missing, late or carried out on the wrong documents
- Reportable changes not reported within the required timescale
- Sponsored workers doing a different role, or paid less, than the certificate stated
- Records that cannot be produced during a compliance visit
- Key personnel who have left, or who cannot explain the sponsor duties
- Concerns that a vacancy was not genuine
If the licence has already been revoked
- Workers you sponsor will normally have their permission curtailed, and need alternative options quickly
- A cooling-off period applies before a fresh licence application can be made
- Any re-application must show the failures have been addressed, not just repeated assurances
- Each affected worker's position needs to be considered alongside the employer's
Home Office fees relevant to a lost licence
| Responding to a suspension or action plan | No Home Office fee |
|---|---|
| Fresh licence application after revocation — small or charitable sponsor | £611 |
| Fresh licence application after revocation — medium or large sponsor | £1,682 |
Home Office charges as published in our fee data (effective 8 April 2026). There is no Home Office fee for responding to a suspension. Figures below are Home Office charges only.
Need a suitably authorised adviser?
Wesbridge Associates is regulated at IAA Level 1 and does not provide this service. We can help you find a suitably authorised adviser. Tell us the deadline on your Home Office letter and we will point you to suitably authorised help quickly.
- IAA regulated advisers
- ILPA member (9304)
- ICO registered (ZB830408)
- Professional indemnity insured