Hire Skilled Workers From Overseas With Confidence

Step-by-step Skilled Worker sponsor licence guide for UK employers: eligibility, Appendix A documents, Key Personnel duties and mock-audit preparation.

Wesbridge Associates is an IAA-regulated UK immigration law firm. Our advisers support individuals, families and UK sponsors with skilled worker visas, sponsor licences, family routes, settlement (ILR), British citizenship, appeals and compliance — combining experienced legal advice with AI-powered self-service tools.

Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates' IAA-regulated immigration advisers. Last updated: July 2026.

A Skilled Worker sponsor licence is the Home Office authorisation a UK employer needs before it can hire non-UK workers under the Skilled Worker route. It is granted for four years and lets the sponsor assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to eligible roles at RQF Level 3 or above. Wesbridge Associates prepares the full application, sits the pre-licence compliance check with your team, and handles the Sponsor Management System (SMS) once the licence is live.

How it works

We start by confirming the sponsor is a genuine trading UK entity, then map at least one specific vacancy to a SOC 2020 occupation code at RQF 3+ paying the general threshold (currently £38,700, or the lower £30,960/£23,200 rates where the discount routes apply) and the SOC going rate. We nominate the four Key Personnel roles — Authorising Officer, Key Contact, Level 1 User and (optionally) Level 2 Users — and assemble the mandatory four-document evidence pack (typically employer's liability insurance, VAT registration, PAYE/Accounts Office reference, latest bank statement, plus proof of premises). The online application is submitted with the £574 (small/charity) or £1,579 (medium/large) licence fee. UKVI usually decides within 8 weeks; priority processing where slots are available reduces this to 10 working days for a £500 add-on. Pre-licence compliance visits, announced or unannounced, are common for first-time sponsors.

Ongoing sponsor duties

Once A-rated, the sponsor must monitor sponsored workers' attendance and absences of 10+ consecutive working days, keep right-to-work evidence and up-to-date contact details, report changes (start date, salary, work location, early termination, unauthorised absence) via SMS inside 10 or 20 working days depending on the event, and pay the Immigration Skills Charge (£1,000/year for medium/large sponsors; £364/year for small or charitable sponsors) at the point each CoS is assigned. Failure to comply can lead to downgrade to B-rated, suspension, civil penalties of up to £60,000 per illegal worker, or licence revocation with a 12-month cooling-off period.

Common pitfalls we prevent

Genuineness refusals where the role or vacancy cannot be evidenced, salary quoted below the SOC going rate once pro-rated for part-time hours, missing HR systems for absence and right-to-work tracking, Authorising Officers based outside the UK, and unresolved county court judgments or unpaid HMRC liabilities against the sponsoring entity or its directors.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a Skilled Worker sponsor licence last?

Four years from grant. There is no renewal fee — the licence rolls over automatically at the four-year mark provided the sponsor remains compliant. New Certificates of Sponsorship can be assigned throughout that period, subject to the annual CoS allocation set at grant.

Can a start-up apply for a sponsor licence?

Yes, provided it is a genuine trading UK entity with a UK bank account, HMRC PAYE registration and demonstrable operating activity. Very new companies are often asked to attend a pre-licence compliance visit and to provide a business plan, contracts or invoices showing real trading. Pre-revenue businesses should look at the Global Business Mobility UK Expansion Worker route instead.

What is the total cost of sponsoring one Skilled Worker for 3 years?

Roughly £5,000-£8,000 for a medium/large sponsor: £1,579 licence fee (one-off), £239 per Certificate of Sponsorship, £3,000 Immigration Skills Charge (£1,000 × 3 years), plus the worker's own visa fee (£769-£1,519), £1,035/year Immigration Health Surcharge and any legal fees. Small and charitable sponsors pay reduced ISC (£364/year) and licence fees (£574).

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