UK Sponsor Licence Application: Eligibility, Process and Fees

A UK Sponsor Licence is a formal permission granted by the Home Office to UK employers who want to hire workers from outside the UK. Without a valid sponsor licence, a business cannot legally employ a non-UK national who needs permission to work in the UK, including most non-EEA nationals and those without an existing right to work.

Sponsor licences are divided into two categories. A Worker licence covers long-term sponsored employment on routes such as the Skilled Worker Visa, Health and Care Worker, Minister of Religion, Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker), and International Sportsperson. A Temporary Worker licence covers time-limited roles including Charity Worker, Religious Worker, Creative Worker, Scale-up, and Global Business Mobility (Graduate Trainee). An organisation can hold both types simultaneously.

A note on terminology: you may still see references to 'Tier 2' and 'Tier 5' sponsor licences in older guidance. These were the predecessor route names, officially retired in December 2020 when the current points-based system was introduced. Tier 2 became the Skilled Worker and other Worker routes, Tier 5 became the Temporary Worker routes. These names should not be used in new applications or compliance processes.

Worker Licence, for long-term employment

Covers the Skilled Worker Visa, Health and Care Worker, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson (over 12 months), and Global Business Mobility (Senior or Specialist Worker and UK Expansion Worker) routes.

Temporary Worker Licence, for time-limited roles

Covers Scale-up, Charity Worker, Religious Worker (non-pastoral), Creative Worker, Global Business Mobility (Graduate Trainee), Government Authorised Exchange, International Agreement, and Seasonal Worker routes.

Note: Scale-up and UK Expansion Worker licences have a 4-year maximum, the April 2024 renewal abolition does not apply to these routes. See our Sponsor Licence Renewal page for full detail.

To apply, your organisation must:

• Be a genuine, lawfully operating business in the UK, verified by the Home Office through HMRC records, Companies House, and your supporting documents.
• Have a genuine need for overseas workers in roles at the required skill level and salary threshold.
• Have adequate HR systems and compliance processes to meet sponsor duties from day one, including Appendix D record-keeping, right-to-work checks, and SMS reporting.
• Appoint the required key personnel: an Authorising Officer, at least one Level 1 User, and a Key Contact, all currently employed by (or a director or partner of) the organisation.

New from 31 December 2024: Level 1 Users must be a British citizen, Irish citizen, holder of Indefinite Leave to Remain, or an EU/EEA national with EU Settled or Pre-Settled Status under the EUSS. Any additional Level 1 User beyond the first must be a paid employee or office holder. Immigration advisers and representatives cannot act as Level 1 Users at the application stage.

Small Sponsor Status

Your organisation qualifies as a small or charitable sponsor, with reduced fees, if it meets at least 2 of the following 3 criteria: 50 or fewer employees, annual turnover of £15 million or less, and total assets of £7.5 million or less. These figures were updated for 2026, older guidance referencing £10.2 million turnover or £5.1 million assets is out of date.

Register on the Home Office Sponsorship Management System (SMS) online portal, then complete the online application form, which takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes. The application fee is paid by debit or credit card at the end of the form.

The Authorising Officer must personally sign the submission sheet, this is a formal legal declaration of responsibility. The signed sheet and all Appendix A documents must be submitted by email within 5 working days. Files must be PDF, JPEG, or PNG, with names of 25 characters or fewer.

Standard processing is up to 8 weeks. A priority service targeting 10 working days is available for an additional fee. The Home Office may conduct a pre-licence compliance visit, announced or unannounced, before granting the licence. In 2025 to 2026, many are conducted via video call, but physical visits remain possible.

There is no annual or ongoing licence fee. The application fee is a one-time cost. Since 6 April 2024, the four-year renewal cycle has been abolished for Worker and Temporary Worker licences, see our Sponsor Licence Renewal page.

You can apply for a Sponsor Licence on GOV.UK and view the full sponsor guidance on GOV.UK.

Once the licence is granted, you assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to workers through the SMS. There are two types: Defined CoS (for workers applying from outside the UK, pre-allocated by the Home Office on request) and Undefined CoS (for in-UK workers switching to your employment). CoS fees cannot be recovered from the sponsored worker.

The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) applies to Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker sponsorship. Since 16 December 2025, the ISC is calculated on a banded basis by total visa duration. The ISC cannot be charged to or recovered from the sponsored worker, this has been prohibited since 31 December 2024.

Holding a sponsor licence is a continuous obligation. You must:

• Maintain Appendix D records for every sponsored worker (passport, right-to-work checks, salary, contact details, absence records).
• Report changes in workers' circumstances via the SMS within 10 working days, role change, salary change, absences, termination.
• Report significant organisational changes (name, address, structure, cessation of trading).
• Right-to-work checks before employment commences and at required follow-up intervals.

From 8 April 2026: Skilled Worker salary compliance is assessed on a per-pay-period basis, sponsored workers must be paid at or above their CoS salary in each individual pay period, not simply on an annual average. See our Sponsorship Duties and UKVI Compliant HR Software pages for full guidance on managing these obligations.