Applying for a sponsor licence is a complex and time-consuming process. If your organisation urgently needs to recruit, and perhaps already has a candidate lined up for sponsorship, time may not be on your side. In these circumstances, the option to pay for fast-tracked licence application processing can make business sense.
The Sponsor Licence Priority Service allows UK employers to expedite the processing of sponsor licence applications. While the service does not guarantee approval of the application, it affords organisations a faster decision, which can result in quicker recruitment of skilled workers from overseas.
By paying an additional fee, employers can use the priority service to reduce the standard processing time, which can take up to eight weeks, to just ten working days. This is particularly valuable for businesses facing time-sensitive recruitment needs or those aiming to avoid delays in onboarding international employees.
Employers should, however, be aware of certain risks and considerations when using the priority service.
In this guide, we explain what the Home Office pre-licence priority service is, who it is available to and how it works.
Section A: What is the pre licence priority service?
Introduced in November 2020 as part of a number of reforms to the UK’s sponsorship process to reduce the time it takes to recruit a migrant worker, the pre licence priority service provides employers with the ability to request a fast-tracked decision on their sponsor licence application.
The option to pay for an expedited decision under the Home Office pre licence priority service can significantly speed up end-to-end processing to help reduce the time it takes between applying for a sponsor licence and a migrant worker being granted permission to come to or stay in the UK to work.
Importantly, employers must have a sponsor licence in place to be able to hire anyone who is not a settled worker or does not otherwise have permission to work in the UK. Paying for faster consideration of a licence decision does not guarantee a successful outcome to your licence application, but this can minimise any disruption to your business, where vacant positions need to be filled but you need approval to sponsor new recruits.
Section B: Pre licence priority service processing times
Under standard sponsor licence processing times, it can take up to 8 weeks to receive a decision on your application. It is only once you have been approved by UKVI for a sponsor licence that you will gain access to the sponsorship management system (SMS) enabling you to assign valid certificates of sponsorship (CoS) to prospective new recruits. Equally, it is only once a migrant worker has been assigned a valid CoS, that they can apply for a visa to be able to come to or stay in the UK for the purpose of working for your business.
Under the pre licence priority service, eligible requests will usually be considered within 10 working days. This 10-working day consideration period will start from the working day following the date that you paid the priority service fee, excluding weekends and public holidays. For example, if you pay the priority service fee on a Monday, the 10 working days will begin on the next working day, so the Tuesday. This means that the end-to-end processing period from applying for a sponsor licence and a migrant worker being able to apply for a visa to work for your business will potentially be reduced by up to 6 weeks.
If additional documentation or further checks are needed, you may not receive a decision on your sponsor licence application within the target 10-working day timescale. However, in these circumstances, UKVI should email your nominated authorising officer within this timeframe, explaining the reason for not being able to meet the expedited processing time for a priority application and notifying you of any next steps that may need to be taken.
Section C: How much is the pre licence priority service?
The cost to pay for a faster licence decision using the pre licence priority service is £500 per request. This cost is in addition to your application fee for a sponsor licence, where this fee will depend on the type of licence sought, as well as the size or status of your organisation.
You will be eligible to pay the lower sponsor licence application fee of £574 if you are applying to sponsor workers under a Temporary Worker route only, or if you have charitable status or are classed as a small sponsor.
To qualify as a small sponsor, an organisation typically needs to satisfy at least two of these conditions: an annual turnover of no more than £15 million, total assets valued at £7.5 million or less, or a workforce of 50 or fewer employees. For charitable sponsor status, the organisation must be a registered charity in England or Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, with unregistered Northern Irish charities providing evidence of their charitable tax status from HMRC. Other qualifying charitable entities include excepted charities, exempt charities, and ecclesiastical corporations set up for charitable objectives.
In all other cases, you will be liable to pay the licence fee for medium or large sponsors of £1579.
If your sponsor licence application is either refused or withdrawn after consideration has already begun, the licence application and priority service fee will be non-refundable. The pre licence priority service fee is also non-refundable if you have not submitted all documentation, you fail to respond to a request for further information, or if your case raises complex issues and UKVI requires further time to assess these fully. If consideration of your application is delayed for other reasons outside of normal case-working processes, such as a technical error, you may be eligible for a refund of your priority service fee.
Section D: Who can use the pre licence priority service?
To be eligible to submit a priority request to expedite the time it takes for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to consider your sponsor licence application, you must:
- have applied for your sponsor licence in an eligible route(s) by registering and completing the online application form on the GOV.UK website
- have paid both the application fee and priority service fee
- have submitted your licence application form and supporting documentation within 5 working days of paying the priority service fee if you are submitting your application or, if you are adding the priority service to an already submitted application, you must already have submitted these documents.
If your application has already been submitted, you can only add the priority service if the application is not in progress.
Applications for certain routes are currently not eligible for the priority service, including the UK Expansion Worker, Service Supplier and Secondment Worker routes under the Global Business Mobility (GBM) umbrella. The Scale-up Worker route, the Government Authorised Exchange route, the International Agreement route and Seasonal Worker route are also not currently eligible. As such, if your sponsor licence application includes one or more of these work routes, you will not be offered the option to request priority service.
Full guidance on how to apply for a sponsor licence can be found at GOV.UK within the Workers and Temporary Workers – Guidance for Sponsors Part 1: Apply for a Licence. However, when applying for a sponsor licence for the first time, it is strongly advised to seek expert advice from a sponsor licence specialist, where there are various strict requirements that must be met to be both eligible and suitable to sponsor migrant workers. You will also need to nominate various key personnel within your licence application, including an authorising officer to sign the submission sheet, where there are again strict requirements when it comes to who can be nominated to act within a key personnel role.
Section E: How to request the pre licence priority service
When you complete the online sponsor licence application, you can opt to add the pre licence priority service at the payment stage. Tick the option, pay the additional £500 alongside the licence application fee and download the submission sheet, which records that the priority fee has been paid.
If you decide to upgrade to the priority service later, sign back into the SMS, choose ‘Finish incomplete applications’, select the priority service and pay the fee. This route is only available while the application still shows as “not in progress”. A separate priority service submission sheet will appear for your records, but you do not need to email that sheet to UKVI.
Priority requests are only accepted from 09:00 to 23:59 (UK time) Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The option disappears once the Home Office reaches its daily allocation of requests, so, if no slot is available, you will have to wait until the next working day to try again.
Within five working days of paying the priority fee, you have to email your signed submission sheet and all mandatory and supplementary documents to SponsorshipValidations@homeoffice.gov.uk, unless those documents were sent earlier when you first submitted the application.
You will not see the priority service option if your application includes an ineligible route (GBM UK Expansion Worker, GBM Service Supplier, GBM Secondment Worker, Scale‑up Worker, Government Authorised Exchange, International Agreement or Seasonal Worker), or if the daily quota has already been reached, or if you are outside the service’s operating hours, or if the application status has moved to “in progress”.
If your priority request is accepted, UKVI will consider the sponsor licence application within ten working days. The clock starts on the next working day after you pay the fee; weekends or public holidays do not count. The service accelerates consideration but, as the guidance stresses, it does not guarantee that the licence will be granted.
The priority fee is non‑refundable unless a delay is caused solely by Home Office technical error. Missing documents, unanswered queries or case complexity will not lead to a refund.
Section F: Best practice advice for sponsor licence applicants
Even if you pay for a faster decision using the sponsor licence application priority service, this does not guarantee that your case will be decided quickly. Equally, there may be various scenarios in which you are not eligible for the pre licence priority service in the first place.
However, there are various best practice steps that you can take to help ensure you are given the option to pay for a faster decision, and that a faster decision is made, including:
- Submitting a valid sponsor licence application: to be eligible for an expedited decision using the pre licence priority service, you must have submitted a valid online application for a sponsored work route that is currently eligible for this enhanced service.
- Submitting all supporting documentation within the prescribed timeframe: to be eligible for a priority service decision, you must have sent UKVI your signed submission sheet and supporting documentation within 5 working days of paying the priority service fee if you are submitting your application or, if you are adding the priority service to an already submitted application, you must already have sent these documents.
- Paying both the application fee and priority service fee: if you fail to make payment for both applicable fees, you will not be eligible to use the priority service. If you fail to pay the correct application fee for the size and status of your organisation, your sponsor licence application may also be rejected on the basis that the application is invalid.
- Promptly submitting your priority request: you must submit your request to use the pre licence priority service as soon as possible to avoid rejection on the basis that your licence application has been passed to an UKVI caseworker and is already in progress.
- Submitting your priority request during operating times: any request for an expedited decision made outside of the priority service opening hours will not be considered.
- Promptly responding to requests for further information: where you are asked to provide further detail or documentation, but you fail to provide this information, either at all or within the timeframe provided, your priority request may again be rejected. This can also result in your underlying application for a sponsor licence being treated as invalid.
- Your authorising officer must regularly check their email, including their junk folder, to ensure that they do not miss any correspondence relating to the pre licence priority service or requests for further information. The outcome of your sponsor licence application will also be sent by email to the authorising officer listed on the licence application.
- Importantly, even if you are ineligible to request a prioritised licence decision, you can still avoid unnecessary delays by ensuring that your application is correct and complete. If UKVI needs to request further details, this can often cause significant delays and can even result in a refusal. By securing expert sponsor licence advice from the outset to help prepare your application, this can help to maximise the chances of both a favourable and fast decision.
Section G: Need assistance?
DavidsonMorris are UK business immigration specialists. For expert guidance on your sponsor licence application, including advice on use of the pre-licence priority service, contact us.
Section H: Sponsor licence priority service FAQs
What is the Sponsor Licence Priority Service?
The Sponsor Licence Priority Service allows UK employers to expedite the processing of their sponsor licence applications, reducing the standard processing time from up to eight weeks to ten working days.
How much does the priority service cost?
The priority service requires an additional fee of £500 on top of the standard application fee for a licence. This fee is non-refundable, even if the application is delayed or refused.
Who can use the priority service?
The service is available to employers applying for a new sponsor licence or making certain changes to an existing licence. Availability is limited, and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Does the priority service guarantee approval?
No, the service only accelerates the processing time. Approval depends on the quality of the application and compliance with sponsorship requirements. Incomplete or non-compliant applications can still be refused.
What documents are required for a sponsor licence application?
Required documents vary depending on the business type but may include proof of registration with HMRC, audited accounts, and evidence of genuine recruitment needs. Employers should ensure all documents meet Home Office requirements.
What happens if my application is refused?
If an application is refused, the additional priority fee will not be refunded. Employers should address the reasons for refusal before reapplying.
Can I use the priority service for urgent certificate of sponsorship requests?
No, the priority service is only for sponsor licence applications and some licence changes. Certificates of sponsorship requests must follow a separate process.
Section I: Glossary
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Licence | A licence granted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) allowing UK employers to sponsor skilled workers from overseas. |
| Priority Service | An optional service offered by UKVI to expedite the processing time of a sponsor licence application, reducing it to 10 working days. |
| UKVI | UK Visas and Immigration, the division of the Home Office responsible for managing the UK’s visa system and immigration policies. |
| Application Fee | The standard fee payable to UKVI when applying for a sponsor licence, determined by the size and type of organisation. |
| Priority Service Fee | An additional fee of £500 payable to UKVI for expediting a sponsor licence application. |
| Global Business Mobility (GBM) | A set of UK visa routes allowing businesses to transfer overseas workers to the UK, with some routes ineligible for the priority service. |
| Key Personnel | Individuals nominated by an organisation to manage the sponsor licence, such as the Authorising Officer and Key Contact. |
| Authorising Officer | A senior person responsible for ensuring the organisation complies with its sponsor duties and managing the sponsor licence. |
| Eligibility Criteria | The specific conditions that an organisation must meet to use the Sponsor Licence Priority Service or apply for a sponsor licence. |
| Protected Routes | Visa routes that are ineligible for the priority service, including Scale-up Worker and Seasonal Worker. |
| Statutory Duties | Legal obligations that sponsors must comply with, such as maintaining records, reporting changes, and preventing illegal working. |
| Supporting Documents | Evidence required to accompany a sponsor licence application, such as proof of business registration and financial records. |
| Workers and Temporary Workers Guidance | Official Home Office guidance outlining the rules and processes for applying for and managing a sponsor licence. |
Author
Founder and Managing Director Anne Morris is a fully qualified solicitor and trusted adviser to large corporates through to SMEs, providing strategic immigration and global mobility advice to support employers with UK operations to meet their workforce needs through corporate immigration.
She is a recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers as a legal expert and delivers Board-level advice on business migration and compliance risk management as well as overseeing the firm’s development of new client propositions and delivery of cost and time efficient processing of applications.
Anne is an active public speaker, immigration commentator, and immigration policy contributor and regularly hosts training sessions for employers and HR professionals
