Sponsor Licence Solicitors
To hire workers from outside the UK, you need a sponsor licence — and to keep it, you must meet strict ongoing compliance obligations.
A sponsor licence allows UK businesses to issue Certificates of Sponsorship to workers from outside the UK and Ireland. Obtaining the licence requires demonstrating that the business is genuine, well-managed, and has the HR systems to meet its sponsor duties. Getting it wrong — at application stage or in ongoing compliance — leads to refusal, suspension, or revocation, affecting every worker the business sponsors. A specialist solicitor ensures the application is right and the compliance duties are understood.
Sponsor Licence — What You Need to Know
Applying for, maintaining, and defending a sponsor licence.
A sponsor licence is a privilege, not a right. The Home Office can visit unannounced, review records, and act immediately where compliance failures are found. Getting the process right from the start protects the business and every worker it sponsors.
Application eligibility
To apply for a sponsor licence, the business must be registered and operating lawfully in the UK, must not have had a licence refused or revoked within the last 12 months, must not have any unspent criminal convictions for relevant offences, and must be able to demonstrate that it has the HR systems and processes in place to meet its sponsor duties. A solicitor will assess eligibility, identify any issues, and prepare the application with the correct supporting evidence.
Supporting documents and pre-licence visit
A sponsor licence application requires specific supporting documents — including evidence of trading, premises, HR policies, and information about key personnel. The Home Office may conduct a pre-licence compliance visit before making a decision. A solicitor will ensure the evidence bundle is complete and will prepare key personnel for what to expect if a visit occurs — reducing the risk of refusal based on inadequate documentation or poor responses at interview.
Issuing Certificates of Sponsorship
Once licensed, the business must issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) for each sponsored worker. The CoS must accurately record the SOC code, salary, job title, and start date. Errors on the CoS lead to worker visa refusals. A solicitor will advise on the correct completion of each CoS, the allocation of restricted CoS (for out-of-country workers), and the difference between defined and undefined certificates.
Ongoing compliance obligations
Sponsor licence holders have ongoing duties to track workers' attendance and contact details, report changes (job role, salary, absence, termination) to the Home Office within set timeframes, maintain records, and cooperate with Home Office inspections. Failure to meet these duties — even unintentionally — can trigger a compliance review. A solicitor will advise on what the duties require in practice and help establish processes to meet them.
Suspension and revocation
The Home Office can suspend a licence immediately if it has concerns about compliance — stopping the business from issuing new CoS and potentially triggering curtailment of workers' visas. Revocation is more serious and results in all workers' leave being curtailed to 60 days. A solicitor can challenge a suspension or revocation decision, make urgent representations, and advise workers on their options during the 60-day curtailment period.
Skilled Worker salary thresholds — compliance
Sponsors must ensure that every sponsored worker is paid at least the minimum salary threshold for their role — the general threshold or the going rate for their SOC code, whichever is higher. Pay reviews, promotions, and any changes to working hours that affect salary must be monitored and reported. Underpaying a sponsored worker is a serious compliance breach. A solicitor will advise on salary thresholds for each role and the correct process for reporting changes.