Section A: Can Your Business Sponsor a Skilled Worker?
The Skilled Worker route allows licensed UK employers to recruit overseas nationals into specific eligible jobs.
To sponsor a Skilled Worker, the employer needs to hold the appropriate sponsor licence, confirm that the vacancy qualifies for sponsorship, check that the salary meets the applicable requirements and assign a valid Certificate of Sponsorship.
The employer also needs to consider whether the worker can meet the wider immigration requirements applying to the route. These checks should be completed before the recruitment decision is finalised and before the business commits to the cost and process of sponsorship.
Once the employer has completed its sponsorship checks and assigned the CoS, the worker can then make their Skilled Worker visa application.
| Employer question | Skilled Worker position |
|---|---|
| Do we need a sponsor licence? | Yes. The employer needs the appropriate sponsor licence before it can sponsor the worker. |
| Can any job be sponsored? | No. The employer needs to confirm that the role falls within an eligible occupation and meets the applicable Skilled Worker requirements. |
| Do we need to check the salary? | Yes. The employer needs to check that the proposed pay meets the salary rules applying to the occupation and worker. |
| Is a Certificate of Sponsorship required? | Yes. The employer assigns a valid CoS before the worker makes the Skilled Worker application. |
| Do we have to advertise the vacancy? | There is no general Resident Labour Market Test, but the employer needs to retain appropriate recruitment evidence and be able to explain how the worker was recruited. |
| Do sponsor duties continue after recruitment? | Yes. Reporting, record-keeping and other sponsor duties continue while the organisation sponsors the worker. |
Section B: Can you sponsor the role?
A sponsor licence does not make every vacancy eligible for sponsorship. The proposed job has to meet the Skilled Worker occupation and skill requirements, comply with the applicable salary rules and amount to a genuine vacancy. The employment itself also has to comply with UK minimum wage and working time requirements. As such, the employer needs to establish that the role itself qualifies before offering Skilled Worker sponsorship.
The occupation code can affect the skill level, salary going rate and access to certain salary options, so choosing the code after the salary or job description has already been fixed can create problems later in the sponsorship process.
Is the job eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship?
A job can be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route only if its SOC 2020 occupation code is eligible under the current Immigration Rules.
Each occupation is classified under the current rules as higher skilled, medium skilled or ineligible. Higher-skilled occupations are generally available for new sponsorship, while medium-skilled roles qualify only in specified circumstances.
The assessment applies to the job being offered rather than the qualifications held by the proposed worker. A candidate with extensive experience or a degree cannot make an otherwise ineligible role sponsorable.
Employers should therefore assess the duties, responsibility level and skills required for the actual vacancy before deciding whether Skilled Worker sponsorship is a viable recruitment option.
How do you choose the correct occupation code?
The sponsor is responsible for selecting the occupation code used on the Certificate of Sponsorship. The code should reflect the substantive duties and responsibilities of the role rather than the job title alone.
Job titles can be misleading. Two employees with the same title can perform materially different work and fall within different occupation codes, while roles with different titles can fall within the same code.
The code should not be selected because it produces a lower going rate, reaches the required skill threshold or makes a preferred salary option available. Current sponsor guidance requires the occupation code and job description to accurately match the role being sponsored.
Where more than one code appears plausible, employers should document why the selected code best reflects the role. That reasoning can become important if UKVI later asks how the sponsorship decision was reached.
See our guide to Skilled Worker occupation codes for more detailed guidance on SOC 2020 coding.
What skill level must the role meet?
Most new Skilled Worker sponsorship is now limited to occupations skilled to RQF Level 6 or above. The higher threshold took effect from July 2025 and materially reduced the number of sub-degree roles available for new sponsorship.
RQF Level 6 refers to the skill level of the occupation rather than a requirement for the individual worker to hold a degree. Employers should not therefore treat academic qualifications as a substitute for checking whether the occupation itself meets the Skilled Worker skill threshold.
Some roles below RQF Level 6 remain available under specified list-based and transitional provisions, but those exceptions need to be checked against the current occupation tables and the worker’s immigration history.
Can medium-skilled roles still be sponsored?
Yes, but only in limited circumstances. Medium-skilled occupations at RQF Levels 3 to 5 may remain open where the occupation is included on the Temporary Shortage List, where another current list-based provision applies or where the worker falls within relevant transitional arrangements.
The Temporary Shortage List allows specified medium-skilled occupations to be used for entry clearance and eligible in-country Skilled Worker applications. Inclusion can also be limited to particular job types within a broader occupation code, so employers should not assume the whole SOC code is available simply because one job description appears on the list.
Medium-skilled sponsorship is also more sensitive to policy change than the core higher-skilled route. The current TSL framework is time-limited and subject to ongoing review, which means workforce plans relying on these occupations should be checked against the rules in force when sponsorship is actually assigned and the visa application is made.
Does the vacancy have to be genuine?
Yes. The Home Office can refuse a Skilled Worker application where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the job does not exist, is a sham or was created mainly so the worker could obtain immigration permission.
For employers, the genuine vacancy requirement means the role should make sense within the business. UKVI can look at the organisation’s activities, staffing structure, job description, salary level and the proposed worker’s background when considering whether the vacancy is credible.
Concerns can arise where a role appears inflated to reach the required skill level, where the duties have been copied from a generic occupation description or where the stated responsibilities do not fit the size or activities of the sponsoring organisation.
The job must also comply with applicable employment law, including National Minimum Wage and Working Time requirements. Sponsorship cannot be used to legitimise employment arrangements that would otherwise be unlawful.
Can you sponsor a worker to work for a client or third party?
Sponsorship is not designed to allow a business to supply labour to another organisation while the third party effectively controls the worker’s duties and outputs. The sponsor will normally be the worker’s employer and must retain responsibility for the role, duties and outcomes of the sponsored employment.
Client-site working is not automatically prohibited, but the underlying arrangement needs to remain genuine sponsored employment rather than labour supply or hiring-out. Employers using consultancy, outsourcing or project-based models should assess the contractual and operational arrangements before sponsorship is assigned.
Skilled Worker sponsorship at a glance
For an employer, Skilled Worker sponsorship involves the following key checks before the worker can start employment:
- Check whether the worker needs sponsorship. Establish the individual’s current immigration status and whether they require Skilled Worker permission for the proposed role.
- Confirm the employer holds the correct sponsor licence. The organisation must be licensed for the Skilled Worker route before it can sponsor the worker.
- Establish that the job is eligible. Check that the role falls within an occupation that can be sponsored and meets the applicable skill requirements.
- Select the correct occupation code. The SOC 2020 code should reflect the substantive duties and responsibilities of the role.
- Calculate the required salary. Confirm that the proposed pay meets both the applicable general salary threshold and occupation-specific going rate.
- Assign the correct Certificate of Sponsorship. The CoS must accurately record the worker, role, occupation code, salary, working hours and other relevant employment details.
- The worker applies for their Skilled Worker visa. The worker must then make and qualify for their own immigration application using the assigned CoS.
- Complete the right to work check. Before employment begins, the employer must confirm that the worker has permission to undertake the sponsored role.
- Manage ongoing sponsor duties. Reporting, record-keeping and monitoring obligations continue throughout the period of sponsorship.
DMS Insight for Employers
Role eligibility, occupation coding and salary should be checked before the recruitment decision is finalised. The role, duties, occupation code, salary and working hours all need to be tested against the Skilled Worker rules before the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned. Leaving the immigration assessment until after an offer has been made can create problems where the proposed occupation code is not eligible, the salary is too low or the job has been structured in a way that does not support the code selected. The business may then have to change the employment terms, reconsider the role or withdraw the proposed sponsorship.
The role should be fixed before you come to look at the codes. If the business fixes the job title, salary and organisational structure first and only later looks for an occupation code that makes sponsorship possible, inconsistencies can emerge between the actual vacancy and the position recorded on the CoS.
Where the role sits near an eligibility boundary, document the reasoning before recruitment is finalised. A defensible sponsorship decision is easier to support where the employer can show how the duties, responsibility level, occupation code and salary were assessed together rather than reverse-engineered after the candidate was selected.
Section C: Skilled Worker salary requirements for employers
The route does not operate with a single minimum salary that applies to every worker. The amount the employer has to pay depends on the occupation code, the salary option available to the worker, the applicable going rate and the contracted working hours.
For most new Skilled Worker applications, the standard salary requirement is at least £41,700 per year and the full going rate for the occupation code. Where the occupation going rate produces a higher figure, paying £41,700 will not be enough.
What salary does an employer have to pay a Skilled Worker?
Under the standard salary option, the worker must normally be paid at least £41,700 per year and 100% of the applicable going rate. Other salary options can allow lower thresholds where the worker meets specific conditions, including certain PhD, new entrant, Immigration Salary List and health or education provisions.
| Salary option | General threshold | Going rate |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | £41,700 | 100% |
| Relevant PhD | £37,500 | 90% |
| Relevant STEM PhD | £33,400 | 80% |
| Immigration Salary List | £33,400 | 100% |
| New entrant | £33,400 | 70% |
Separate salary options apply to specified health and education occupations and to some workers protected by transitional provisions. Employers should identify the salary option before assigning the Certificate of Sponsorship rather than assume that a lower threshold is available because of the worker’s age, qualifications or immigration history.
See our Skilled Worker minimum salary guide for the detailed salary options and current thresholds.
What is the Skilled Worker going rate?
Each eligible occupation code has a going rate. For most occupations, the published rate is based on a 37.5-hour working week and has to be adjusted to the worker’s contracted weekly hours.
The going rate is separate from the general salary threshold. Employers therefore need to carry out both calculations rather than compare the proposed salary only with the headline £41,700 figure.
For example, if an occupation has a full going rate of £45,000 based on 37.5 hours and the sponsored worker will be contracted for 40 hours a week, the adjusted full going rate would be:
£45,000 ÷ 37.5 × 40 = £48,000
A salary of £46,000 would exceed the standard general threshold but would still fail the full going-rate requirement in that example.
See our Skilled Worker going rate guide for the occupation-specific rates and detailed calculation rules.
How do working hours affect Skilled Worker salary?
Working hours are important because the general salary threshold and the going rate are calculated differently.
For the general salary threshold, only salary attributable to the first 48 hours of work each week can normally be counted. Increasing contracted hours beyond 48 therefore cannot be used to make an otherwise insufficient salary meet the general threshold.
The occupation going rate is different. It is generally pro-rated against all of the weekly working hours stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Longer contracted hours can therefore increase the going rate that the employer has to meet.
Part-time sponsorship can be possible, but the general salary threshold is not simply reduced in proportion to the worker’s hours. Employers considering part-time arrangements should calculate the general threshold and going rate separately before agreeing the salary.
For guidance on how to calculate Skilled Worker salary, see our guide.
When can a Skilled Worker be paid a lower salary?
Lower salary options are available only where the worker meets the conditions of a specific provision. They are not general discounts that an employer can choose when setting the remuneration package.
The categories should be checked carefully before they are relied on. New entrant status, for example, is an immigration definition and does not simply mean that the person is new to the business or starting their first job in the occupation.
Temporary Shortage List status should also not be confused with an Immigration Salary List salary concession. Inclusion on the TSL can make certain medium-skilled jobs available for sponsorship, but does not itself create the ISL salary discount.
What pay can count towards the salary requirement?
Employers should calculate Skilled Worker salary using pay that can be counted under the Immigration Rules rather than the worker’s overall remuneration package. Guaranteed basic gross salary will normally form the starting point.
Overtime, bonuses, commission, most allowances, benefits in kind and other variable or conditional payments will not normally bring an otherwise insufficient salary above the required threshold. Employers should therefore be cautious about relying on total reward figures when assessing sponsorship eligibility.
The employment contract, payroll arrangements and CoS should all support the qualifying salary on which the immigration application relies.
Can deductions or repayments affect Skilled Worker salary?
Payments made by a sponsored worker to the sponsor or a related organisation can affect the salary that UKVI takes into account in specified circumstances. Employers should therefore consider immigration consequences before introducing arrangements under which sponsored workers repay business, immigration or other employment-related costs.
The issue is separate from whether a repayment clause is enforceable under employment law. A payment may be contractually recoverable but still create an immigration or sponsor-compliance problem if it reduces the salary recognised for Skilled Worker purposes or passes a cost to the worker that the sponsor is required to bear.
Employers should also distinguish between worker visa costs and sponsor costs. The Certificate of Sponsorship fee and Immigration Skills Charge are sponsor costs and cannot be passed on to the sponsored worker. Current sponsor guidance warns that asking a worker to pay these charges or associated sponsorship costs can lead to licence action.
See our guide to which immigration costs and fees can and cannot be recouped.
What happens if a sponsored worker’s salary changes?
Salary compliance does not end when the visa is granted. Sponsors are expected to continue paying the worker in accordance with the sponsorship arrangements and the applicable immigration requirements.
Changes in salary, working hours, unpaid leave, deductions or employment terms can therefore have immigration consequences during the sponsorship period. Some changes are permitted without a new visa application, while others can require reporting through the sponsorship system or a fresh Skilled Worker application before the new arrangements take effect.
Current rules also require salary compliance to be assessed through the worker’s pay periods rather than solely against the stated annual salary. Sponsors therefore need payroll arrangements to support the required going rate for the hours worked during the relevant pay period as well as the applicable annual salary requirement.
A salary change that appears routine from an HR perspective can affect sponsorship where it alters the salary used to support the worker’s immigration permission.
DMS Insight for Employers
Salary compliance should be treated as an ongoing sponsorship control rather than a calculation performed once when the CoS is assigned. The occupation code determines the going rate, contracted hours affect the calculation and later changes to pay or working patterns can alter the immigration position.
Employers should build a sponsorship check into payroll and HR processes for salary reviews, changes in hours, unpaid leave and deductions. Otherwise, a worker who was correctly sponsored at the outset can move into a non-compliant pay position without the immigration team knowing.
Section D: Do you need a sponsor licence?
An employer needs a valid sponsor licence covering the Skilled Worker route before it can sponsor a worker under this category. If the organisation does not already hold the correct licence, it will need to obtain one before it can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship.
A sponsor licence is not required simply because a worker is from overseas. Employees who already have immigration status allowing them to undertake the proposed work without sponsorship can be hired on that basis, subject to the employer completing the required right to work check.
Does your existing sponsor licence cover Skilled Workers?
Employers that already hold a sponsor licence should check that it covers the Skilled Worker route before starting the sponsorship process. Holding a licence for another immigration route does not automatically give the organisation permission to sponsor Skilled Workers.
The organisation should also check that the licence remains valid, that the details recorded with the Home Office are current and that the appropriate users have access to the sponsorship system. Any unresolved compliance issues should be considered before further workers are sponsored.
What does an employer need to obtain a sponsor licence?
The Home Office has to be satisfied that the organisation is genuine, operating lawfully in the UK and suitable to hold a sponsor licence. The employer must also be capable of carrying out the duties that come with sponsorship.
In practice, the assessment under the sponsor licence application extends beyond the documents submitted with the submission and supporting documents. UKVI can consider the organisation’s ownership and management, trading activities, proposed use of sponsorship, HR systems and the people appointed to manage the licence.
The business should be able to show that it can offer genuine employment meeting the requirements of the routes for which it seeks permission to sponsor. It also needs systems capable of keeping the required records, monitoring sponsored workers and identifying changes that must be reported to the Home Office.
Who manages the sponsor licence?
The organisation has to appoint suitable key personnel to manage and oversee the licence. These roles include the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and users of the Sponsor Management System.
The Authorising Officer has senior responsibility for the organisation’s sponsorship arrangements, while authorised system users carry out day-to-day sponsorship activity such as assigning Certificates of Sponsorship and making reports. The employer remains responsible for how the licence is used even where individual tasks are delegated.
Key personnel should therefore be selected on the basis of their suitability and ability to perform the role rather than simply because they are available when the application is submitted. Poor control of sponsorship-system access or weak internal ownership can create compliance problems later.
What HR systems does a sponsor need?
Sponsor compliance requires more than a conventional personnel file. The organisation needs reliable processes for checking and retaining right to work evidence, recording sponsored workers’ contact details, monitoring attendance and absences and identifying changes to jobs, salaries, working hours and employment status.
The important question is whether those processes work in practice. A written policy will offer limited protection if responsibility is unclear, relevant information does not reach the sponsorship team or required reports are not made within the applicable timeframe.
For larger organisations, sponsorship information may sit across recruitment, HR, payroll, global mobility and operational management. Employers should establish how information moves between those functions before sponsored workers are recruited. Regular auditing is an effective approach to managing compliance and reducing enforcement risk.
How do you apply for a sponsor licence?
The sponsor licence application is made online and is supported by specified information and documents about the organisation. The employer has to nominate its key personnel and explain the routes under which it intends to sponsor workers.
The supporting evidence required depends on the type of organisation and its circumstances. UKVI can request further information and can carry out a compliance visit before deciding the application where it wants to assess the organisation’s operations or sponsorship capability.
See our sponsor licence guide for the application requirements, supporting documents, key personnel rules and Home Office process in detail.
What happens once the sponsor licence is granted?
Once live, the sponsor licence allows the organisation to use the sponsorship system for the routes covered by its licence, but it also brings the organisation within the Home Office sponsor compliance regime.
Reporting, record-keeping, monitoring and co-operation duties apply throughout the life of the licence. UKVI can investigate compliance and take action where the sponsor fails to meet those duties, including restricting sponsorship activity, suspending the licence or revoking it in appropriate cases.
Employers should therefore regard sponsor licensing as an ongoing governance responsibility rather than a one-off immigration application.
DMS Insight for Employers
The online application should be one of the later stages in becoming a sponsor. Before applying, the organisation should test whether its HR systems, reporting lines and key personnel can actually support the duties that will follow if the licence is granted.
A sponsor licence application can also expose the organisation to Home Office scrutiny for the first time. Identifying weaknesses before the application is submitted gives the business an opportunity to correct them before UKVI assesses whether it can be trusted to sponsor workers.
Section E: How to sponsor a Skilled Worker
Once the employer has confirmed that it holds the correct sponsor licence and that the role and salary qualify, the next stage is to sponsor the individual worker.
The main stages are:
- confirm whether the worker requires Skilled Worker sponsorship;
- check that the sponsor licence covers the Skilled Worker route;
- confirm that the role is eligible and select the correct occupation code;
- check the salary, working hours and applicable salary option;
- complete the recruitment process and retain the required records;
- obtain the appropriate Certificate of Sponsorship where necessary;
- assign the CoS with accurate details of the worker and role;
- the worker submits their Skilled Worker visa application;
- complete the required right to work check before employment begins; and
- manage the worker in accordance with the organisation’s ongoing sponsor duties.
Do employers have to advertise a Skilled Worker vacancy?
There is no general Resident Labour Market Test under the Skilled Worker route and sponsors are not normally required to advertise a vacancy for a prescribed period or prove that no settled worker could fill it.
The removal of that test does not mean recruitment is irrelevant to sponsorship compliance. Where a role has been advertised, the sponsor must retain specified evidence of the recruitment process. Where the worker was not recruited through a formal advertisement, the organisation should be able to explain how the individual was identified and why they were selected for the role.
Recruitment records can also help demonstrate that the vacancy is genuine. A job description created only when the CoS is assigned, or one that differs materially from the role discussed during recruitment, can be harder to defend if UKVI later examines the sponsorship.
Should you check the candidate before assigning a CoS?
Yes. The sponsor is responsible for the sponsorship decision, but the worker still has to qualify for the visa. Employers should identify obvious immigration issues before committing sponsorship costs and assigning the CoS.
The checks will depend on the worker’s circumstances but can include their current immigration status, whether an in-country application is permitted, whether they can meet the English language requirement and whether any salary concession relied on is actually available to them.
For candidates already in the UK, employers should also establish what work the individual is currently permitted to undertake and whether they can begin the proposed role before the Skilled Worker application is decided. A job offer or assigned CoS does not itself change the conditions attached to the worker’s existing immigration permission.
Candidate immigration checks should sit alongside, rather than replace, the employer’s normal recruitment and right to work processes.
Does the worker need a defined or undefined Certificate of Sponsorship?
The type of Certificate of Sponsorship depends principally on where the Skilled Worker application will be made.
| CoS type | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Defined CoS | Normally required for a Skilled Worker application made from outside the UK. |
| Undefined CoS | Normally used for eligible in-country applications, including switching, extensions and changes of employment. |
A defined CoS has to be requested through the sponsorship system for the particular job before it can be assigned. Undefined CoS are managed through the sponsor’s allocation and the organisation may need to request an additional allocation where insufficient certificates are available.
Employers should establish the worker’s application location and immigration position before selecting the CoS type. Assigning the wrong certificate can delay the recruitment and may require the sponsorship process to be repeated.
See our defined and undefined Certificate of Sponsorship guide for the detailed allocation and request process.
What information goes on the Certificate of Sponsorship?
The CoS records the basis on which the employer is sponsoring the worker. It includes information about the individual, the sponsor and the proposed employment, including the job title, occupation code, duties, salary, working hours, work location and employment dates.
The sponsor may also need to provide information relating to the salary option, PAYE arrangements, maintenance, ATAS or other route-specific requirements.
The CoS should be completed from the agreed employment arrangements rather than treated as a separate immigration document. The job description, contract, recruitment records, salary approval and CoS should all describe the same substantive role.
How long is a Certificate of Sponsorship valid?
The worker must normally use the CoS to make their visa application within three months of the date it was assigned. Employers should therefore avoid assigning sponsorship substantially earlier than needed where the worker is not ready to apply.
The proposed employment start date also needs to comply with the applicable CoS and visa timing requirements. Recruitment, notice periods, relocation and visa processing should be considered before the start date is entered.
Can you correct a Certificate of Sponsorship after assignment?
Some minor errors can be corrected or clarified after assignment, but the available action depends on the nature of the error and the type and status of the CoS.
A sponsor note may be appropriate for certain minor corrections. Material changes affecting matters such as the occupation code, substantive job description or basis on which the role qualifies may require the existing CoS to be withdrawn or cancelled and a replacement assigned.
The safest point to identify discrepancies is before the worker submits the visa application. Employers should therefore have a second-person check for higher-risk CoS fields such as occupation code, salary, working hours, salary option and employment dates.
See our Certificate of Sponsorship guide for detailed guidance on assignment, amendments and validity.
What happens after the CoS is assigned?
The employer gives the worker the CoS reference number and the information needed for the Skilled Worker application. The worker then makes their own immigration application and must satisfy the personal requirements applying to them.
Assignment of a valid CoS does not guarantee that the visa will be granted. UKVI can examine the worker’s eligibility and suitability as well as the sponsorship, occupation code, salary and genuine vacancy position. It can request further information from the worker or sponsor before making a decision.
The employer should therefore remain available during the application process and ensure that any information supplied to UKVI is consistent with the sponsorship record and underlying employment arrangements.
When can the sponsored worker start employment?
The employer must establish the worker’s right to work before employment begins. An assigned CoS or evidence that a Skilled Worker application has been submitted is not, by itself, evidence that the individual can start the sponsored role.
Once the worker has the required immigration permission, the employer should complete the appropriate right to work check and retain evidence in accordance with the statutory requirements.
The sponsored worker should normally start employment within the period permitted under the sponsor guidance. Where the start is delayed beyond the applicable period, the sponsor may need to report the delay and retain evidence explaining the reason.
See our right to work check guidance for the employer checking requirements.
DMS Insight for Employers
The CoS is often treated as the administrative step between recruitment and the worker’s visa application. In practice, it is where the employer commits its sponsorship position to the Home Office. The occupation code, duties, salary, hours and dates recorded at that point should already have been tested and agreed internally.
Build a verification stage into the process before assignment. Correcting an internal job description or salary approval is relatively straightforward; correcting a material sponsorship error after the worker has applied can be considerably harder and can put both the recruitment timetable and visa application at risk.
Section F: What does Skilled Worker sponsorship cost an employer?
The cost of sponsoring a Skilled Worker extends beyond the worker’s visa application. Employers can face sponsor licence fees, Certificate of Sponsorship fees and the Immigration Skills Charge, as well as recruitment, legal and internal compliance costs.
Some sponsorship costs have to be paid by the employer and cannot be passed on to the sponsored worker. Employers should therefore distinguish mandatory sponsor costs from worker-side immigration costs when budgeting for recruitment.
| Employer cost | Current position |
|---|---|
| Worker sponsor licence | £611 for a small or charitable sponsor or £1,682 for a large sponsor. |
| Certificate of Sponsorship | £525 for each Skilled Worker CoS. |
| Immigration Skills Charge | Normally £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each additional six months for a small or charitable sponsor, or £1,320 and £660 respectively for a medium or large sponsor. |
| Priority sponsor services | Additional Home Office fees apply where an eligible employer chooses an available priority service. |
| Recruitment and professional costs | Variable depending on the recruitment process, legal support and internal administration required. |
The figures above are Home Office sponsorship fees in force at the time of writing and are separate from the worker’s visa application fee and, where applicable, Immigration Health Surcharge.
How much does a sponsor licence cost?
The Worker sponsor licence application fee depends on the size and status of the organisation. The current fee is £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a large sponsor.
The fee is paid for consideration of the sponsor licence application. It is not normally refunded if the application is refused or withdrawn after consideration has begun.
An employer that already holds another type of sponsor licence may face a different fee where it applies to add the Worker route. Employers should check the applicable fee before submitting the application.
How much does a Certificate of Sponsorship cost?
The current fee for assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship to a Skilled Worker is £525. The fee is payable each time the employer assigns a CoS and is separate from the Immigration Skills Charge.
The sponsor has to pay the CoS fee itself. For Skilled Worker Certificates of Sponsorship assigned on or after 31 December 2024, the sponsor must not recover or attempt to recover the fee or associated administrative costs from the sponsored worker.
How much is the Immigration Skills Charge?
The Immigration Skills Charge is an additional employer charge that normally applies when sponsoring a Skilled Worker. It is paid when the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned and is calculated according to the size or status of the sponsor and the length of sponsorship stated on the CoS.
| Period of sponsorship | Small or charitable sponsor | Medium or large sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| First 12 months | £480 | £1,320 |
| Each additional 6 months | £240 | £660 |
The charge does not apply in every case. Exemptions apply to specified occupations and circumstances, so employers should check whether the charge is due before calculating the overall recruitment cost.
Where it applies, the Immigration Skills Charge must be paid by the sponsor. It cannot be transferred to or recovered from the sponsored worker.
See our Immigration Skills Charge guide for the exemptions, calculation rules and refund provisions.
Does the employer have to pay the worker’s visa fees?
The Skilled Worker visa application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge are worker-side immigration charges rather than mandatory sponsor fees. An employer can choose to pay some or all of these costs as part of its recruitment or relocation package, but that is separate from the sponsorship fees the organisation is legally required to bear.
The distinction should be reflected clearly in employment offers, relocation policies and any immigration repayment arrangements. Employers should identify which costs belong to the sponsor and which costs they have voluntarily agreed to meet for the worker.
Which sponsorship costs cannot be passed on to the worker?
Home Office sponsor guidance prohibits employers from recouping specified sponsorship costs from sponsored workers. For Skilled Worker sponsorship, these include the Certificate of Sponsorship fee, the Immigration Skills Charge and specified sponsor licence fees and associated administrative costs.
The rules apply not only to direct deductions from salary. Attempts to recover prohibited costs through repayment agreements or other arrangements can also result in sponsor compliance action.
Employers using immigration fee clawback agreements should therefore separate recoverable worker-side costs from sponsorship costs that must remain with the business. Employment law enforceability and sponsor compliance are separate questions, and a repayment provision should be tested against both.
What other costs should employers budget for?
The Home Office charges are only part of the cost of international recruitment. Employers may also incur recruitment agency fees, relocation costs, legal fees, English language or qualification assessment costs and internal HR or global mobility administration.
Sponsorship also creates an ongoing compliance cost. The business needs staff time and systems to manage reporting, record-keeping, right to work checks, changes in sponsored employment and Home Office enquiries throughout the sponsorship period.
For organisations recruiting at scale, the more useful calculation is therefore often the total cost of sponsorship per hire rather than the visa fee alone.
DMS Insight for Employers
Employers that agree to pay immigration costs without distinguishing sponsor charges from worker-side costs can create problems later when a worker leaves and the business looks to recover expenditure.
Build the immigration package around clearly defined cost categories from the outset. Sponsor licence costs, CoS fees and the Immigration Skills Charge need to remain with the employer where the sponsorship rules require it, while any repayment arrangement for other costs should be separately assessed for immigration and employment law compliance.
Section G: Before the sponsored worker starts
Visa approval does not complete the employer’s immigration responsibilities. Before the worker starts employment, the business needs to confirm that the individual has the right to undertake the sponsored role, that the employment start date remains compliant and that the records required for sponsor compliance are in place.
The pre-start stage is also an important control point. Recruitment, immigration, payroll and HR records should all reflect the same job, salary, working hours and work location before the worker joins.
Do you need to carry out a right to work check?
Yes. Sponsorship does not replace the employer’s separate duty to establish the worker’s right to work before employment begins. The appropriate right to work check must be completed in accordance with the Home Office employer guidance.
For many Skilled Workers, the check will be completed using the Home Office online right to work service and a share code provided by the worker. The employer should check that the immigration permission is valid and that it permits the individual to undertake the work being offered.
The result should be retained in the prescribed form so that the organisation can establish a statutory excuse against an illegal working civil penalty where the requirements are met. Where permission is time-limited, follow-up checks may also be required.
When can a Skilled Worker start work?
A sponsored worker can start the role once they hold immigration permission that allows them to undertake the employment and the employer has completed the required right to work check.
The date on the Certificate of Sponsorship remains important for sponsor compliance, but employers should distinguish between the CoS start date and the date on which the worker’s immigration permission actually allows employment to begin.
For overseas recruits, employers should also allow for the worker’s travel and relocation arrangements. Since 1 July 2026, successful new applicants are generally issued digital immigration status rather than a visa vignette, so employers should make sure the worker can access their eVisa and provide the evidence needed for the right to work check before their planned start date.
What if the worker’s start date is delayed?
A short delay does not necessarily require sponsor action. Current sponsor guidance provides that a change to the start date does not need to be reported where the worker has permission and the delay is no more than 28 days, calculated under the applicable sponsorship rules.
Where the worker does not start within the permitted 28-day period, the sponsor will normally need to report the delay and explain the reason. Acceptable reasons can include circumstances such as illness, bereavement or other compelling personal circumstances, but each case is considered on its facts.
A delayed start should therefore be escalated rather than left with the recruiting manager to resolve informally. HR or the sponsorship team should confirm the immigration position, keep evidence explaining the delay and make any required report within the relevant timeframe.
What information should be checked before day one?
Before employment begins, the employer should check that the operational arrangements still match the position sponsored. Particular attention should be given to the job duties, occupation code, salary, contracted hours, work location and employment start date.
Changes made during the recruitment or notice period can be easy to overlook. A revised reporting line, different work location, reduced hours or altered salary may have immigration implications even where HR considers the change routine.
Where the employment package has changed since the CoS was assigned, the sponsor should establish whether the change is permitted, reportable or requires a fresh immigration application before the worker starts.
What sponsor records should be created at onboarding?
The sponsor should ensure that the worker’s sponsorship record contains the documents and information required under the Home Office record-keeping rules. This includes the evidence of the right to work check and other records specified in the sponsor guidance.
Onboarding should also capture the information the organisation will need to monitor sponsorship throughout the employment, including current contact details, work location, salary, working pattern and the manager responsible for the worker.
The records should be capable of being retrieved if UKVI asks to inspect them. Sponsors should not rely on relevant information being distributed across individual managers’ inboxes, payroll systems or recruitment platforms without a clear way to assemble the compliance record.
Who needs to know that the worker is sponsored?
Not every manager needs access to immigration documents, but the people responsible for managing sponsored workers need to understand which employment changes can have immigration consequences.
Line managers should know how to escalate prolonged absence, changes in duties, work location or hours and any proposal to end or materially change the employment. Payroll should know when salary changes or unpaid leave involving a sponsored worker need immigration review.
The aim is not to turn operational managers into immigration specialists. It is to make sure that information capable of triggering a sponsor duty reaches the person who is responsible for acting on it.
DMS Insight for Employers
The period between visa approval and the worker’s first day is where recruitment ownership often passes from immigration or HR to the operational business. That handover can create a compliance gap if changes made to the role, salary, start date or work location are not fed back to the sponsorship team.
Use the pre-start process as a final sponsorship control. Confirm the right to work, compare the actual employment arrangements with the CoS and establish who will be responsible for escalating sponsored-worker changes once employment begins.
Section H: Managing Skilled Workers and sponsor compliance
Sponsor duties continue throughout the period in which the organisation employs sponsored workers. Employers have to keep specified records, monitor sponsored employees and report certain changes to the Home Office within the required timeframes.
Many sponsor compliance issues arise from ordinary employment events rather than deliberate breaches. A salary review, prolonged absence, change of duties, relocation or termination can all have immigration consequences. The organisation therefore needs a reliable way of identifying sponsored workers and escalating relevant changes before action is taken.
What are the main sponsor duties?
Skilled Worker sponsors are subject to duties covering record-keeping, reporting, monitoring and compliance with wider UK law. They must also co-operate with the Home Office when information is requested or compliance activity is undertaken.
In practical terms, the sponsor needs to know who it sponsors, where those workers are based, what jobs they are performing, what they are being paid and whether their employment continues to match the basis on which sponsorship was granted.
The organisation should also maintain accurate licence information and suitable key personnel and ensure that access to the Sponsor Management System is properly controlled.
Sponsors are also expected to comply with their wider responsibilities towards sponsored workers, including ensuring workers understand their employment rights and promoting their workplace-related welfare.
What changes have to be reported?
Specified changes relating to a sponsored worker have to be reported through the sponsorship system within the applicable timeframe. Depending on the circumstances, reportable events can include changes to employment, salary, working hours, work location and certain absences, as well as the end of sponsorship.
Changes affecting the sponsoring organisation can also be reportable. These can include changes to business details, ownership or structure, key personnel and other matters specified in the sponsor guidance.
The reporting rules should therefore form part of the organisation’s change-management processes. HR should not assume that an employment change can be implemented simply because it is permitted under the employment contract.
What records must a Skilled Worker sponsor keep?
Sponsors have to retain specified documents and information for sponsored workers in accordance with the Home Office record-keeping requirements. The records can include evidence relating to right to work, recruitment, salary, contact details and the sponsored employment.
Records need to be accurate and capable of being produced if the Home Office asks to inspect them. A sponsor may technically hold the information somewhere within the business but still face difficulty during an audit if records cannot be located, reconciled or explained.
Employers should therefore decide where the authoritative sponsorship record is held and who is responsible for maintaining it.
How should employers monitor sponsored workers?
Sponsors need systems for monitoring matters relevant to sponsorship, including attendance and absences and changes affecting the sponsored employment.
The system does not have to operate separately from normal HR processes. In many organisations, the better approach is to build sponsorship triggers into existing absence, payroll, performance and employee-change procedures.
For example, an HR workflow approving a change in working hours can include a check asking whether the employee is sponsored. A positive answer can then route the change for immigration review before it is implemented.
Can you change a sponsored worker’s role or duties?
Some changes to a sponsored worker’s employment can be made within the existing immigration permission, while others require a new Certificate of Sponsorship and a further Skilled Worker application before the new role begins.
A change of employer will normally require new sponsorship. A change that moves the worker into a different occupation code will also normally require a further application. Changes within the existing occupation code may still need to be reported depending on their nature.
Employers should be particularly careful with promotions and restructures. A new job title does not necessarily mean a new occupation code, while an unchanged title does not mean the substantive role has remained the same. The revised duties should be assessed before the change takes effect.
What if the worker’s salary or hours change?
Salary and working hours should not be changed without considering the sponsorship position. The worker must continue to satisfy the salary requirements relevant to their sponsored employment and some changes have to be reported to the Home Office.
Pay reductions require particular care, but increases can also have reporting implications. Unpaid leave, salary sacrifice arrangements, changes from full-time to part-time work and revised working patterns can affect the immigration calculation even where the contractual change is agreed with the employee.
Payroll should therefore have a route for referring proposed changes affecting sponsored workers to HR or the sponsorship team before they are processed.
How do absence and unpaid leave affect sponsorship?
Absence management has a separate sponsorship dimension. Sponsors need to monitor attendance and retain the records required under the sponsor guidance, while certain prolonged or unpaid absences can affect whether sponsorship can continue.
There are exceptions for specified types of absence, but employers should not assume that an employment-law entitlement automatically resolves the immigration position. The reason for the absence, its duration and its effect on salary can all be relevant.
Extended unpaid leave should therefore be reviewed from both employment and immigration perspectives before decisions are made about continuing sponsorship.
Can a Skilled Worker work remotely or at a client site?
Remote, hybrid and client-site working can be compatible with Skilled Worker sponsorship, but the arrangements must remain consistent with genuine sponsored employment and the sponsor’s reporting obligations.
The sponsor should remain responsible for the worker and retain control of the sponsored role. Client-site arrangements require particular attention where another organisation directs the worker’s day-to-day activities or appears to receive the worker as labour rather than a defined service from the sponsor.
Changes in the worker’s normal work location should also be assessed for reporting purposes. Employers with mobile, project-based or hybrid workforces should build immigration review into their location-change procedures rather than rely solely on the address originally entered on the CoS.
What happens when sponsored employment ends?
The sponsor must report when it stops sponsoring a worker, including where the employee resigns, is dismissed or their employment otherwise ends earlier than expected.
The report should accurately record the circumstances and relevant dates. Ending employment does not itself cancel the worker’s immigration permission immediately, but the Home Office may subsequently take action in relation to their permission.
Employers should coordinate the sponsorship report with the employment termination process so that payroll, HR records, right to work information and the Sponsor Management System do not contain conflicting dates.
Can the Home Office inspect a Skilled Worker sponsor?
Yes. UKVI can undertake sponsor compliance activity to assess whether an organisation continues to meet its sponsorship duties. Checks can take place in connection with an application or during the life of the licence.
Home Office officers can examine sponsorship records, HR systems and individual worker files and may speak to relevant personnel or sponsored workers. They can compare the work actually being performed with the occupation code, job description, salary and locations recorded through the sponsorship system.
The sponsor should therefore be capable of demonstrating compliance from its live systems and records rather than preparing a compliant-looking file only when a visit is announced.
DMS Insight for Employers
The greatest sponsorship risk often sits outside the immigration team. Line managers change duties, payroll changes salaries and working hours, employees move between sites and HR manages absence and termination. Any of those decisions can affect sponsorship before the person responsible for the licence knows about it.
Effective sponsor compliance therefore depends on information flow. Build immigration triggers into ordinary HR and payroll processes so that relevant changes are reviewed before they are implemented. An isolated worker issue can otherwise become evidence of a wider failure in the sponsor’s systems and expose the licence and wider sponsored workforce to Home Office action.
Section I: Common Skilled Worker sponsorship risks
Skilled Worker sponsorship creates risk at both worker and sponsor level. An error can prevent the individual from obtaining or retaining immigration permission, while wider or repeated compliance failures can lead the Home Office to examine whether the organisation remains suitable to hold a sponsor licence.
The most significant risks tend to arise where recruitment, sponsorship and employment processes are treated separately. The job described during recruitment, the information recorded on the Certificate of Sponsorship and the employment arrangements operated after the worker starts should remain consistent.
| Risk | Impact |
|---|---|
| Incorrect occupation code | The role may be ineligible for sponsorship or subject to a different skill level, going rate or salary option. |
| Salary miscalculation | Meeting the headline salary threshold may not be enough where the going rate, working hours or qualifying pay rules produce a higher requirement. |
| Non-genuine vacancy | UKVI can refuse the worker’s application and examine whether the sponsor has used the sponsorship system appropriately. |
| Incorrect Certificate of Sponsorship | Material discrepancies in the job, salary, hours or sponsorship basis can undermine the visa application and may not be capable of simple correction. |
| Poor recruitment records | The sponsor may struggle to demonstrate how the worker was recruited or support the genuine vacancy position during a compliance check. |
| Missed sponsor reports | Failure to report relevant worker or organisational changes can amount to a breach of sponsor duties. |
| Weak record-keeping | Missing or inconsistent records can make it difficult to demonstrate compliance during Home Office scrutiny. |
| Unreported employment changes | Changes to duties, salary, hours or work location can affect the basis on which the worker was sponsored. |
| Passing prohibited costs to workers | Recovering sponsorship costs that the employer is required to bear can expose the organisation to sponsor licence action. |
| Right to work failures | The organisation can face separate illegal working consequences as well as sponsor compliance concerns. |
Can one Skilled Worker case put the sponsor licence at risk?
Potentially. Not every mistake will result in action against the licence, and the Home Office response will depend on the nature and seriousness of the breach. A problem identified in one worker’s case can, however, lead UKVI to examine whether the same weakness affects other sponsored workers or reflects a wider failure in the organisation’s systems.
An incorrect salary calculation may prompt questions about other sponsored salaries. A missed report can lead to scrutiny of reporting controls. A role that does not match its occupation code can raise questions about how the business assesses jobs before assigning sponsorship.
The employer should therefore consider both the individual case and the underlying cause when a sponsorship problem is identified.
What action can the Home Office take against a sponsor?
The Home Office has a range of compliance measures available where a sponsor fails to meet its duties. Depending on the circumstances, action can include restricting sponsorship activity, downgrading or suspending the licence and revoking the licence in more serious cases.
Licence action can affect more than future recruitment. Existing sponsored workers may also be affected if the organisation loses its ability to sponsor them, creating operational disruption and potential loss of employees whose immigration permission depends on the business.
The commercial impact can therefore extend beyond the immigration team. Recruitment plans, project delivery, workforce retention and business continuity can all be affected where sponsorship capability is restricted.
What should employers do when a sponsorship problem is identified?
The first step should be to establish the facts before making further changes or reports. The organisation should identify what happened, which workers are affected, whether a reporting deadline is running and whether the issue extends beyond the individual case.
Records should be preserved and the sponsor should avoid creating inconsistent explanations across HR records, payroll, the Sponsor Management System and correspondence with the Home Office.
Where the problem is systemic, remediation may need to go beyond correcting the individual worker’s record. Processes, training, responsibilities and historic sponsored-worker files may also need review.
DMS Insight for Employers
When a sponsorship error comes to light, the immediate problem is not always the greatest risk. The Home Office may want to know why the error happened, whether the sponsor’s controls should have prevented it and whether the same issue exists elsewhere in the sponsored workforce.
Before responding, establish the scope of the problem and the evidence available. Correcting one CoS or making one late report will not address the underlying exposure if the cause is a wider failure in occupation coding, payroll controls, reporting or record-keeping.
Summary
efore sponsoring a worker, the employer needs to confirm that the organisation holds the correct sponsor licence, the role is eligible, the occupation code is appropriate and the salary meets the applicable requirements.
The employer also has to manage the sponsorship process correctly, from recruitment records and Certificate of Sponsorship assignment through to right to work checks, worker onboarding and ongoing reporting and record-keeping. Compliance continues throughout the sponsored employment, and routine changes to salary, duties, hours or work location can have immigration consequences. A problem affecting one worker can also expose wider weaknesses in sponsor systems and put the licence at risk. Employers should therefore treat Skilled Worker sponsorship as part of workforce governance rather than a one-off visa process.
Need assistance?
Skilled Worker sponsorship affects recruitment, immigration compliance and ongoing workforce management. Employers need to be confident that the role qualifies, the occupation code and salary are correct and the sponsorship process is compliant before committing to the hire.
As employer solutions lawyers, DavidsonMorris advises UK employers on all aspects of Skilled Worker sponsorship, from sponsor licence applications and individual role assessments through to Certificates of Sponsorship, salary compliance, ongoing licence management and HR compliance, and support with Home Office enquiries.
If you are recruiting a Skilled Worker or need advice on your sponsor licence or an existing sponsored employee, book a fixed-fee telephone consultation or contact our specialist immigration solicitors for advice.
Skilled Worker sponsorship FAQs
Can any UK employer sponsor a Skilled Worker?
The employer must hold a valid sponsor licence covering the Skilled Worker route and the role itself must meet the current sponsorship requirements.
Can any job be sponsored under the Skilled Worker route?
The role must fall within an eligible occupation code and meet the applicable skill and salary requirements. Some medium-skilled roles remain eligible only in limited circumstances.
Do we have to advertise the vacancy before sponsoring someone?
There is no general Resident Labour Market Test. However, sponsors must retain appropriate recruitment records and should be able to explain how the worker was identified and why the vacancy is genuine.
Can we sponsor someone who is already working for us?
Whether sponsorship is possible depends on the worker’s current immigration status, whether they are permitted to switch into the Skilled Worker route and whether the role and salary qualify.
How much does it cost to sponsor a Skilled Worker?
Employer costs can include the sponsor licence fee, Certificate of Sponsorship fee and Immigration Skills Charge, together with recruitment, legal and internal compliance costs. The amount depends on the size of the sponsor and length of sponsorship.
Can we ask the worker to repay sponsorship costs?
Some immigration costs may be recoverable in limited circumstances, but specified sponsor costs must remain with the employer. Sponsors should not pass prohibited costs such as the Immigration Skills Charge or applicable CoS and sponsor licence costs to the sponsored worker.
Can we sponsor a part-time Skilled Worker?
The salary still has to meet the relevant Skilled Worker rules and the general salary threshold is not simply reduced in proportion to part-time hours.
Can we change a sponsored worker’s salary after they start?
Salary changes should be checked before they are implemented. The worker must continue to satisfy the relevant salary requirements and the change may need to be reported to the Home Office or require further immigration action.
Can a Skilled Worker work remotely or from a client site?
Remote, hybrid and client-site working can be compatible with sponsorship, but the employer must remain responsible for the sponsored role and comply with any reporting requirements. Client arrangements should not amount to supplying the worker as labour to a third party.
Can one sponsorship mistake put the whole sponsor licence at risk?
Potentially. The Home Office may treat an individual problem as evidence of wider weaknesses where the same issue could affect other sponsored workers or reflects poor reporting, record-keeping or sponsorship controls.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Authorising Officer | The senior person responsible for overseeing the organisation’s sponsor licence and ensuring its sponsorship duties are met. |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) | An electronic sponsorship record assigned by a licensed employer containing details of the worker and sponsored role. |
| Defined CoS | A Certificate of Sponsorship normally used for a Skilled Worker making their visa application from outside the UK. |
| Genuine vacancy | A genuine job that exists within the sponsoring organisation and has not been created or exaggerated mainly to enable a worker to obtain immigration permission. |
| Going rate | The occupation-specific salary rate used to assess whether the proposed pay meets the Skilled Worker salary requirements. |
| Immigration Salary List (ISL) | A list of specified occupations that can qualify for particular Skilled Worker provisions, including a lower general salary threshold where the relevant requirements are met. |
| Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) | A charge payable by the sponsor when assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship in applicable cases, calculated according to the sponsor’s size and length of sponsorship. |
| Key Contact | The person who acts as the main point of contact between the sponsoring organisation and the Home Office. |
| Key personnel | The individuals appointed to manage and oversee the sponsor licence, including the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Sponsor Management System users. |
| Level 1 User | A person authorised to carry out specified day-to-day sponsor licence activities through the Sponsor Management System. |
| Occupation code | The SOC 2020 code used to classify the sponsored job and determine matters including role eligibility, skill level and the applicable going rate. |
| Right to work check | The prescribed employer check used to establish that an individual has permission to undertake the proposed work in the UK. |
| Skilled Worker | A sponsored work immigration route allowing eligible overseas nationals to work in qualifying roles for licensed UK sponsors. |
| Sponsor | An organisation licensed by the Home Office to sponsor eligible overseas workers under specified immigration routes. |
| Sponsor licence | Home Office permission allowing an organisation to sponsor eligible workers under the immigration routes covered by its licence. |
| Sponsor Management System (SMS) | The Home Office online system used by licensed sponsors to manage their licence, assign Certificates of Sponsorship and make required reports. |
| Sponsor duties | The reporting, record-keeping, monitoring, compliance and co-operation obligations imposed on organisations holding a sponsor licence. |
| Temporary Shortage List (TSL) | A list of specified medium-skilled occupations that can qualify for Skilled Worker sponsorship in limited circumstances under the current rules. |
| Undefined CoS | A Certificate of Sponsorship normally used for eligible Skilled Worker applications made from within the UK. |
| UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) | The part of the Home Office responsible for administering the immigration and sponsorship systems. |
Additional Resources
