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UK Sponsor Licence Application

Supporting UK businesses with Sponsor Licence applications

Holmes & Partners supports UK businesses with the application, management, renewal and compliance of Sponsor Licences. We provide end-to-end support to ensure compliance with Home Office sponsorship regulations, so you can continue hiring and employing skilled workers.

Why Your Organisation May Need a Sponsor Licence

A Sponsor Licence is essential for businesses that want to:

  • Recruit skilled workers from outside the UK
  • Retain existing employees who require visa sponsorship
  • Offer roles to international graduates already in the UK
  • Expand internationally and attract global talent
  • Maintain compliance with UK immigration law

    • For independent schools, this often involves sponsoring teaching staff, boarding staff, specialist coaches or members of the leadership team.

    For corporate clients, it typically includes skilled professionals from various sectors.
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    What Does The Sponsor Licence Application Process Involve?

    To apply for a Sponsor Licence, the Home Office requires organisations to demonstrate the following:

    1. A genuine vacancy that meets the skilled worker criteria at a company that is actively trading in the UK.
    2. Appropriate HR systems to monitor sponsored employees, along with trained staff to manage sponsorship within your business.
    3. Robust right-to-work procedures that ensure compliance with relevant rules and regulations.
    4. Key personnel appointments, including an Authorising Officer and a Level 1 User.

    At Holmes & Partners, we can assist you in preparing for applications and audits to help you achieve a successful outcome every time.
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    How Holmes & Partners Supports You

    We provide end-to-end Sponsor Licence support, including:

  • Assessing your eligibility and potential risks
  • Reviewing and strengthening your HR systems
  • Preparing and submitting the application on your behalf
  • Creating compliant job descriptions
  • Advising on the appropriate Standard
  • Occupational Classification (SOC) codes and salary thresholds
  • Preparing you for potential compliance visits from the Home Office
  • Providing ongoing management and reporting

    • Our approach not only ensures the approval of your initial application but also promotes long-term compliance and operational efficiency.
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    Types of Sponsor Licences

    There are two types of Sponsor Licences you can apply for, depending on the type of workers you wish to employ.
    Eligibility

    Worker Licence

    A Worker licence allows you to sponsor people in different types of skilled employment, whether this is long-term, short-term or permanent, depending on the worker’s visa.

    Header

    Temporary Worker Licence

    A Temporary Worker licence allows you to sponsor people temporarily, such as for volunteering or job shadowing. A Temporary Worker licence applies only to specific types of employment and visas, such as those part of Global Business Mobility routes.

    Why Choose Holmes & Partners?

    • End-to-end support – Once your Sponsor Licence is approved, we remain committed to providing ongoing support and advice, especially during Home Office audits and renewal periods.
    • Proven success – We have a 100% success rate for all of our Sponsor Licence applications.
    • Personalised approach – As a smaller consultancy, we offer a personalised service to each client, tailoring support to meet your specific needs.
    • Expertise you can trust – Our team members are highly experienced in visas and immigration, with many possessing firsthand experience.
    • Fully regulated – We are regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA), ensuring that our advice complies with the highest compliance standards.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    If you are worried about a Home Office audit and compliance related to your Sponsor Licence, speak to Holmes & Partners. We can conduct a “mock audit” to help identify any gaps in your HR systems and record-keeping.

    During the audit, we will review personnel files, right-to-work documents and your Sponsorship Management System (SMS) to ensure everything is compliant. This proactive step can help you avoid licence suspension or revocation.

    Holmes & Partners is a leading immigration consultancy, offering end-to-end Sponsor Licence services. We manage the entire process of the initial Sponsor Licence application on your behalf and can also conduct ongoing compliance audits to help prevent licence revocation.

    Common compliance risks identified during the review of Sponsor Licences include:

    • An employee’s pay on their payslip falls below the figure specified on their Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) or below the general threshold.
    • The Authorising Officer or Level 1 User listed in your system no longer works for the company.
    • There is a change to an employee’s work location, such as when their CoS states they are based in London but they are working remotely from another location.
    • An employee is performing daily tasks that do not align with their job description.

    To prevent your Sponsor Licence from being revoked or suspended, take a proactive approach to compliance.

    The Home Office uses automated data-sharing with HMRC to identify discrepancies immediately, so it is essential that your records remain consistently compliant. Failure to meet compliance requirements can lead to refusal, suspension or revocation of your licence.

    Holmes & Partners can assist by training your staff to identify risks in your systems, conducting “mock audits” to uncover errors before the Home Office does and providing guidance on the correct SOC codes, reporting procedures and salary thresholds.

    Yes, Holmes & Partners can support with emergency business immigration issues.

    If you receive a warning from the Home Office and are concerned that your Sponsor Licence may be suspended, we will conduct a thorough audit of your records and reporting. Our team will identify any risks or gaps in your data and provide support to address them.

    If you receive an audit warning from the Home Office regarding your Sponsor Licence, it is not too late to address compliance issues. It is crucial to act immediately to prevent the possibility of complete suspension or revocation of your licence.

    If an audit uncovers non-compliance, you could be downgraded to a B rating and placed on an action plan requiring you to fix the issues within three months.

    To navigate this situation effectively, consult with a business immigration specialist, such as Holmes & Partners. We can help audit your records and provide advice and support on how to resolve compliance issues promptly.

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    Get support with your Sponsor Licence application and ensure full compliance with the Home Office by partnering with Holmes & Partners.