Immigration Skills Charge 2026 | Cost, Who Pays & Exemptions
Section A: What is the Immigration Skills Charge? The Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) is a fee payable by most UK employers when sponsoring workers under either the Skilled Worker or the Senior or Specialist Worker visas, with limited exemptions. It was introduced on 6 April 2017 under the Immigration Skills Charge Regulations to address […]
UK Tier 2 Sponsor List Explained 2026
Section A: What is the Tier 2 Sponsor List? A sponsor licence is the permission needed for UK organisations to hire foreign national workers under specific visa categories, such as the Skilled Worker visa (formerly the Tier 2 Visa). The Home Office maintains the list of sponsors to identify all employers that have […]
UKVI Action Plan: 2026 Sponsor Guide
Section A: What is a UKVI Sponsor Action Plan? As a Home Office approved employer with a sponsor licence, your organisation will be placed on the national register of sponsors, and you’ll be given a licence rating. You’ll automatically get an A-rated licence if your application is approved. An A-rated licence will allow […]
Scale Up Sponsor Licence Guide 2026
Section A: What is the Scale Up Sponsor Licence? The Scale Up Sponsor Licence is the permission needed by UK employers from the Home Office to sponsor workers under the Scale Up route. Technically, there is no separate category called a ‘Scale-up sponsor licence’ in the UK immigration system. The Scale-up route sits […]
Sponsor Change of Circumstances Form 2026
Section A: Sponsor Licence Change of Circumstances Among the compliance duties that sponsor licence holders have to meet is the requirement to inform the Home Office of certain changes in circumstances relating to sponsored workers and to the organisation itself. Failure to meet this duty can result in enforcement action, potentially impacting your […]
Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence | How to Apply 2026
Section A: What is the Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence? Employers often refer to a “Global Business Mobility Sponsor Licence”, but there is no stand-alone licence under that name. The Home Office issues two main types of sponsor licence: the Worker sponsor licence and the Temporary Worker sponsor licence. Global Business Mobility (GBM) […]
Sponsorship: UK Visa & Immigration Guide 2026
Section A: Sponsorship in UK Immigration In the United Kingdom, the sponsorship system acts as the framework that enables employers, and educational institutions, to lawfully bring non-UK nationals into the country for work or study. It operates to support the UK’s economic and educational sectors through access to controlled migration. In practical terms, […]
UK Self Sponsorship Visa Guide 2026
Section A: What is a Self Sponsorship Visa? ‘Self Sponsorship visa’ in the UK is a general term used to describe an immigration route that allows foreign nationals to sponsor themselves to work through their own business, without needing a traditional employer to sponsor them. This is done by acquiring or setting up […]
Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence Guide 2026
Section A: What is a Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence? The Skilled Worker visa (previously known as the Tier 2 General) remains the main route for employing overseas skilled professionals under the UK’s points‑based system. A sponsor licence is required by a UK employer to sponsor non-UK resident workers under the Skilled Worker route. This […]
Sponsorship Visa UK Guide for Employers 2026
Section A: UK Sponsorship Visa Overview A Sponsorship Visa allows foreign nationals to work in the UK for an employer with a valid sponsor licence, where the employer can show a genuine vacancy that meets the required skill and salary thresholds. The wider visa sponsorship system is designed to allow UK employers to […]