Certificate of Sponsorship UK
If you are planning on employing overseas workers, you will need to issue an electronic certificate of sponsorship to each potential employee. This will enable them to apply for the visa they need to live and work in the UK. Overseas students also need a certificate of sponsorship issued by their college or university.
To be able to issue a certificate of sponsorship, you need a sponsor licence. It is crucial to comply with recording and reporting rules when you hold a sponsor licence and to ensure that certificates of sponsorship are issued correctly.
At Halliday Reeves, we are immigration experts with a high level of expertise in dealing with sponsor licences and business immigration.
We work with businesses and education settings to secure sponsor licences and assist in the management of licences as well as the issuing of certificates of sponsorship.
We can put together a strong sponsor licence application where necessary, ensuring that the vacancy is an eligible one and that your application is accompanied by the right documentary evidence.
We also provide ongoing advice to assist in dealing with immigration matters and the issuing of certificates of sponsorship.
If you have had your sponsor licence downgraded, we can advise you on the work to be done to put your action plan into effect and regain your A-rating.
If you will be taking on employees and you need advice about issuing a certificate of sponsorship, please feel free to ring us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form and we will do all we can to help.
“All went well and I got all the special services you could expect from such a professional organisation. I will 100% advise anyone who is in need of the immigration services with pride.”
Issuing Certificates Of Sponsorship
If you wish to take on an overseas worker, you need to check that the job you have for them is eligible. This includes making sure the vacancy is an eligible occupation, that you are offering a high enough salary and that the vacancy is a genuine one.
Once you have offered the job to them, you can issue them with a certificate of sponsorship. This will either be a defined certificate or an undefined certificate.
Defined Certificate Of Sponsorship
If your worker will be applying for a skilled worker visa from outside of the UK, they will need a defined certificate of sponsorship.
You will need to submit an application to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) via the online sponsorship management system that you will be given access to once you are granted a sponsorship licence. You will usually receive a response within one working day unless UKVI requests more information from you.
You should assign the certificate to the worker within three months.
Undefined Certificate Of Sponsorship
If you are hoping to employ a skilled worker who is already in the UK or someone on another type of UK visa, you will need to issue an undefined certificate of sponsorship.
You can request a number of undefined certificates of sponsorship from UKVI, which will last until 5 April and then expire.
You can estimate the amount of new undefined certificates you would like to receive for the following year and notify UKVI of this before 5 April and these will then be allocated. You can also apply later on in the year if you wish, but you should be aware that processing could take four months or more.
Certificate Of Sponsorship Fees
When a certificate of sponsorship is assigned, you will need to pay the certificate fee to UKVI, as follows:
Type Of Licence Cost Per Certificate
Worker (except workers on the International Sportsperson visa) £199
Temporary Worker £21
International Sportsperson – where the certificate of sponsorship is assigned for more than 12 months £199
International Sportsperson – where the certificate of sponsorship is assigned for 12 months or less £21
You will also need to pay an immigration skills charge for some workers, including skilled workers and senior or specialist workers who are applying for a visa from outside of the UK for six months or more or who are applying from inside of the UK.
The annual immigration skills charge is:
| Period | Small or charitable sponsors | Medium or large sponsors |
| First 12 months | £364 | £1,000 |
| Each additional 6 months | £182 | £500 |
If two of the following apply, you will generally be considered to be a small sponsor:
- Your business’s annual turnover is £10.2 million or less
- Total assets are £5.1 million or less
- You have 50 employees or fewer
Refunds are available if the worker does not stay with you for the full time you have paid for.
If Your Worker Changes Jobs
If you provide an overseas worker with a certificate of sponsorship and they subsequently change jobs within your business to a job with a different occupation code, you need to issue them with a new certificate of sponsorship and they will also need to apply for a new visa.
You will need to pay for the new certificate of sponsorship and, if they will be staying for longer, any increase in the immigration skills charge.
Contact Our Certificate Of Sponsorship Solicitors
If you need to issue certificates of sponsorship to overseas workers, we will be happy to represent you in applying for a sponsorship licence or advising you on the issue of certificates.
We have offices in Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Wakefield and Nottingham. To speak to one of our expert immigration lawyers, ring us on0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form.
“Can we also take this opportunity to thank you for how you handled our enquiry. We were both feeling anxious about making contact with a solicitor to discuss our circumstances. You were so warm, friendly and understanding when we spoke.”
