Skilled Worker visa service for employers
End-to-end sponsorship support for UK employers hiring international talent: occupation code and salary checks, Certificate of Sponsorship assignment, the worker's visa application, and the sponsor duties that follow.
- £41,700
- General salary threshold, or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher
- £525
- Certificate of Sponsorship, per worker
- £480 – £1,320
- Immigration Skills Charge per year, by sponsor size
- IAA-regulated
- Every case handled by a regulated immigration adviser
The short answer
What an employer should expect from a Skilled Worker service.
For a UK employer, the useful Skilled Worker service is the one that starts before the job offer. Confirming the occupation code, the going rate and the applicable threshold is what prevents an unsponsorable offer, a withdrawn certificate or a refused application. After that, the work is assignment, application and duties. Wesbridge Associates handles all four stages with an IAA-regulated adviser owning the file and a fixed fee agreed in writing before work starts. Home Office decision times are published by the Home Office; no adviser controls them.
Get the occupation code right first
What we handle, stage by stage
- 1Before the offer
Role scoping
Occupation code confirmation, going-rate check, threshold and discount analysis, and a written view on whether the role is sponsorable as described.
- 2At offer
Offer and contract
Compliant job description, salary and hours, and a recruitment file that will read correctly at a compliance visit.
- 3Assignment
Certificate of Sponsorship
Certificate assigned with the right code, salary, dates and duties, and your allocation monitored so you do not run out mid-hire.
- 4Application
The worker’s application
Visa application, supporting evidence, English language and financial requirements, plus dependants where applicable.
- 5After grant
Start date and reporting
Start date reported through the Sponsorship Management System within the deadline, with the file closed out and diarised.
- 6Continuing
Ongoing compliance
Visa expiry tracking, change reporting, right-to-work re-checks and extension planning ahead of each deadline.
- 1Before the offer
Role scoping
Occupation code confirmation, going-rate check, threshold and discount analysis, and a written view on whether the role is sponsorable as described.
- 2At offer
Offer and contract
Compliant job description, salary and hours, and a recruitment file that will read correctly at a compliance visit.
- 3Assignment
Certificate of Sponsorship
Certificate assigned with the right code, salary, dates and duties, and your allocation monitored so you do not run out mid-hire.
- 4Application
The worker’s application
Visa application, supporting evidence, English language and financial requirements, plus dependants where applicable.
- 5After grant
Start date and reporting
Start date reported through the Sponsorship Management System within the deadline, with the file closed out and diarised.
- 6Continuing
Ongoing compliance
Visa expiry tracking, change reporting, right-to-work re-checks and extension planning ahead of each deadline.
Per-worker Home Office costs
- Certificate of Sponsorship
- £525
- Immigration Skills Charge — small or charitable sponsor
- £480 / year
- Immigration Skills Charge — medium or large sponsor
- £1,320 / year
- General salary threshold
- £41,700 or the going rate, whichever is higher
- New entrant rate
- Broadly 70% of the going rate, floor £33,400
- Worker’s visa fee and health surcharge
- Normally paid by the worker
Who this suits
Employers hiring their first sponsored worker
Where nobody in the business has assigned a certificate before and the duties are unfamiliar.
Growing teams hiring at volume
Multiple roles a quarter, where allocation monitoring and a shared tracker matter more than one-off advice.
Care and health providers
Sectors under closer scrutiny, where sponsorship and CQC-style compliance interact.
Employers with a role that is borderline
Cases where the occupation code, skill level or salary needs a regulated adviser’s written view before an offer goes out.
What we will not do
- Promise a visa outcome or a decision date. Both belong to the Home Office.
- Quote a success rate we cannot evidence.
- Assign a certificate against an occupation code the duties do not support.
- Let a sponsored worker pay the licence fee or the Immigration Skills Charge.
- Take on a sponsorship where the role, as described, is not sponsorable.
Related
Other routes worth checking
Adviser or lawyer?
What each is regulated to do, and when a matter genuinely needs a solicitor.
Read moreSOC code lookup
Search all 412 SOC 2020 unit groups by job title and check the eligibility position.
Read moreSalary calculator
Check a role against the general threshold, the going rate and the available discounts.
Read moreSponsor Licence Application Service
Apply for a UK sponsor licence to hire workers from outside the UK.
Read moreReady when you are
Ready to move forward?
Book a consultation with an IAA-regulated adviser and get a clear, honest assessment of your options — including what we would not recommend.