SOC Code Guide for Employers 2026
Section A: What is a SOC Code for UK Sponsorship? A SOC code is the four-digit occupation code used to classify the job a sponsored worker will be doing. SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification. Employers now use SOC 2020 occupation codes when assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. Under the Skilled Worker route, […]
UK Visa Sponsorship Guide for Employers 2026
Section A: What is UK Visa Sponsorship? UK visa sponsorship is the system that allows an approved UK organisation to sponsor an overseas worker under an eligible work visa route. For an employer, sponsorship means taking formal responsibility for the worker under the Home Office sponsorship system and confirming prescribed information about the […]
How to Calculate Sponsored Worker Salary: 2026 Guide
Section A: Select the Correct Salary Requirement A sponsored worker’s salary cannot be checked against a single universal figure. The minimum payable amount depends on the worker’s occupation code, the applicable salary option, the date on which the relevant sponsorship arrangements began and the number of hours they will work. For most new […]
Sponsor Licence Revoked? Next Steps for Sponsors
Section A: Has Your Sponsor Licence Been Revoked? If UKVI has suspended your sponsor licence and stated that revocation is being considered, you will usually have 20 working days to submit written representations on behalf of the organisation. If UKVI has already issued a final revocation decision, the licence has been withdrawn and […]
SMS Level 1 & 2 User Training for Sponsors
Section A: Interactive SMS Level 1 & 2 User Training Sponsor licence holders have to comply with the Immigration Rules and the duties set out in the sponsor guidance, or face enforcement action. A substantial part of the compliance burden falls on the company’s Level 1 and Level 2 SMS users, who have […]
Sponsored Worker on Long Term Sick Leave
Section A: Employer Sick Leave Obligations Sponsor licence holders operate under strict compliance obligations, including duties to monitor sponsored workers’ absence and, where required, report relevant changes through the SMS. This means that when a sponsored worker is absent from work on sick leave, as the employer-sponsor you have a number of obligations […]
Immigration Fee Clawback Clause: What Are the Rules?
Section A: What is an immigration fee clawback clause? An immigration fee clawback clause is a contractual term under which a worker agrees to repay specified immigration or relocation expenditure paid by the employer if an agreed repayment event occurs. The provision may appear in the employment contract, an offer letter or a […]
Surrender Sponsor Licence? Process & Implications
Section A: What is Sponsor Licence Surrender? A sponsor licence allows a UK employer to sponsor eligible overseas workers under routes such as the Skilled Worker route. However, there is no requirement to retain a sponsor licence indefinitely. Where sponsorship is no longer required or has become commercially unworkable, an organisation can choose […]
Should You Give Up Your Sponsor Licence?
Section A: Should You Give Up Your Sponsor Licence? Many UK employers secured sponsor licences at a time when overseas recruitment formed an important part of their workforce strategy. Since then, the sponsorship regime has become more demanding, with higher salary requirements, increased compliance expectations and greater Home Office scrutiny of sponsor compliance […]
UK Sponsor Guidance 2026 | Duties, Compliance & Rules
Section A: Home Office Sponsor Guidance Hiring from overseas is a business decision that is rarely taken lightly, yet the UK immigration rules are complex and demanding on employers of foreign workers. The official UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sponsor guidance is called “Workers and Temporary Workers: Guidance for Sponsors”, which details the […]