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 […]
CoS Allocation Priority Service UK Guide

Section A: What is the CoS Allocation Priority Service The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation priority service is a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) facility that allows A-rated sponsor licence holders to obtain additional undefined CoS more quickly than through the standard process. Officially known as the Home Office priority change of circumstances […]
Self Sponsorship Visa UK Cost Guide

Section A: Planning for Self Sponsorship Visa Costs The self sponsorship visa route enables individuals to apply for a Skilled Worker visa by establishing or working within a UK company that holds a sponsor licence. Unlike traditional employer-led sponsorship, the applicant arranges for the sponsoring entity to be set up or controlled by […]
How to Sponsor Someone in the UK | 2026 Licence & Process

Section A: How to Sponsor Someone to Work in the UK Sponsoring a worker in the UK is not as simple as issuing a job offer. Employers must hold Home Office approval in the form of a sponsor licence before they can lawfully recruit most overseas nationals who do not already have permission […]
Defined & Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship Guide

Section A: What is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)? One of the mandatory requirements of sponsored work routes such as the Skilled Worker visa and Global Business Mobility visas is that the applicant has a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed employer. The CoS is an electronic record with a unique […]
PBS Licence Guide for UK Employers

Section A: What is a PBS licence? A PBS licence is the permission needed from UKVI to be able to recruit overseas nationals to work in the UK under certain sponsored immigration routes of the UK’s points-based immigration system. The PBS licence is required to verify that the sponsoring employer agrees to meet […]
Sponsor Licence Application Priority Service | How It Works 2026

Section A: What is the pre licence priority service? The sponsor licence application priority service, also known as the pre-licence priority service, provides employers with the ability to request a fast-tracked decision on their sponsor licence. The option to pay for an expedited decision under the Home Office pre licence priority service can […]
Student Sponsor Guidance 2026 | Duties & Compliance Rules

Section A: Overview of Student Sponsorship Guidance Educational institutions in the UK that want to enrol non-UK nationals who require immigration permission to study must first secure a student sponsor licence. The Student Sponsor Guidance, published by the Home Office, provides the rules and framework that institutions must follow to lawfully sponsor international […]
Teacher Visa Sponsorship UK: 2026 Eligibility & Process

Section A: Can a UK School Sponsor a Teacher from Overseas? Schools across the UK can sponsor qualified teachers from overseas under the Skilled Worker visa route. This is the only visa pathway currently available for recruiting non-UK teachers into long-term teaching posts. To act as a sponsor, the school or its governing […]