How UK Visa Sponsorship Works

How does visa sponsorship work in the UK? What a Certificate of Sponsorship is, what your employer does, and what you must do, explained plainly.

Introduction

Many jobseekers ask how does visa sponsorship work UK employers can offer, and the answer is simpler than it first sounds: sponsorship is not a visa itself. It is the licensed employer's formal support for your visa application, recorded through a Certificate of Sponsorship. Without a licensed sponsor and a valid CoS, you cannot apply for a Skilled Worker visa. This guide explains who does what, what the CoS actually contains, and what sponsorship does and does not guarantee.

What "Sponsorship" Actually Means

Sponsorship means a UK employer with a Home Office sponsor licence takes responsibility for:

  • Confirming the job is genuine and eligible
  • Confirming the salary meets the rules for that occupation
  • Keeping records and reporting certain changes to the Home Office while you work for them

Sponsorship does not mean:

  • The employer applies for your visa for you
  • The employer can guarantee the Home Office will approve you
  • You can work for any other employer on the same CoS

Your visa is tied to that sponsor and that role. If you change employer, you normally need a new CoS and a new visa application.

What Is a Sponsor Licence?

A sponsor licence is Home Office permission for an organisation to employ sponsored workers on specific routes, such as Worker (Skilled Worker) or Temporary Worker (Seasonal Worker).

Key points:

  • Licences are route-specific — a licence for Seasonal Worker does not allow Skilled Worker sponsorship
  • The organisation named on the licence must be your actual employer
  • Licences can be suspended or revoked — if that happens, affected workers are contacted by the Home Office with next steps

You can verify any employer on the official register before you trust an offer.

What Is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic record your sponsor creates in the Sponsor Management System and assigns to you. You receive a CoS reference number.

The CoS records:

  • Your name, nationality, and passport details
  • Job title, occupation code (SOC code), and main duties summary
  • Salary and hours
  • Work location and start date
  • Sponsor licence number and rating
  • Whether the sponsor certifies maintenance for you

What this means: The CoS is the foundation of your visa application. The Home Office compares your application, your documents, and the CoS. Inconsistencies are a common cause of delay or refusal.

A CoS is not transferable, cannot be sold, and expires if not used within its validity period A Certificate of Sponsorship is valid for 3 months from the date it is assigned — you must submit your visa application within that window, or the CoS lapses and the sponsor must assign a new one..

What the Employer Does vs What You Do

| Task | Employer / Sponsor | You / Worker | |------|-------------------|--------------| | Hold a valid sponsor licence | Yes | No — you check it | | Decide the role is eligible and salary meets rules | Yes | Check it matches your offer | | Assign the CoS | Yes | Provide accurate passport details | | Pay the sponsor licence and CoS-related employer fees | Yes — these cannot be passed to you for Skilled Worker An employer may never ask you to pay: the sponsor licence fee or its associated admin costs, or the Certificate of Sponsorship fee (for CoS assigned on or after 31 December 2024) — recovering these from a Skilled Worker has been prohibited since 31 December 2024 and normally costs the sponsor its licence. The employer also cannot pass on the Immigration Skills Charge. Your own costs are the visa application fee and the health surcharge. | No | | Complete the visa application | No | Yes | | Pay visa fee and health surcharge | No, unless they volunteer | Yes outside the UK £819 (up to 3 years) / £1,618 (more than 3 years); inside the UK £943 / £1,865; Immigration Salary List jobs £628 / £1,235; immigration health surcharge £1,035 per year (Health and Care Worker route exempt). | | Report changes during employment | Yes — sponsor duties | Tell your sponsor promptly |

A-Rated vs B-Rated Sponsors — Why It Matters

Every licensed sponsor has a rating:

  • A-rated: Fully compliant. Can assign CoS and sponsor new workers, including from overseas, subject to the route rules.
  • B-rated: Has been given an action plan after compliance concerns. B-rated sponsors face restrictions and generally cannot sponsor new workers joining from overseas until they return to A-rating.

When you check the register, look at three columns together: organisation name, route, and rating. Being on the list alone is not enough — the route and rating must match your situation.

Sponsorship Does Not Guarantee a Visa

Even with a valid CoS, the Home Office decides your application. They check:

  • The job and salary rules
  • Your English language ability and qualifications where required
  • Your immigration history and general grounds for refusal
  • Whether the role appears genuine

Treat any person who promises a guaranteed visa in return for payment as a scam risk.

How Sponsorship Continues After You Arrive

Sponsorship is ongoing, not a one-off form. Your sponsor must keep records, monitor attendance, and report if you do not start, leave early, change role significantly, or are absent without permission for a set period.

You must:

  • Work only in the role and for the sponsor on your visa, unless you get a new visa
  • Tell your sponsor if your contact details or immigration status change
  • Keep your own copies of your CoS, offer letter, and visa decision

FAQs

Is a CoS the same as a job offer? No. A job offer is the employment agreement. A CoS is the separate Home Office record your sponsor assigns so you can apply for the visa for that specific job.

Can a recruitment agency sponsor me? In most Skilled Worker cases, your sponsor must be the organisation you actually work for. An agency that says it will "hold" your sponsorship while you work elsewhere should be treated with caution and checked carefully against GOV.UK guidance.

Can I bring dependants under sponsorship? Dependants are allowed on some routes and restricted on others, and the rules have changed in recent years. Check the current dependant rules for your exact route on GOV.UK before making family plans. Most Skilled Worker visa holders can bring a partner and children as dependants. Two restricted groups: care workers (6135/6136) can only bring dependants if continually employed as a care worker on a Health and Care Worker or Skilled Worker visa since before 11 March 2024 (plus UK-born-child, sole-living-parent and both-parents-sponsored exceptions); workers in other medium-skilled occupations face the equivalent restriction with a 22 July 2025 cut-off.

Internal Links

Source: GOV.UK Register of Licensed Sponsors · Register updated 06 November 2026 · Page built 06 November 2026.