Who’s Who Legal

If your business wants to employ skilled workers from overseas, you must first apply for a Sponsor Licence from the Home Office. This licence gives you the legal authority to sponsor workers under various immigration routes, such as Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility, or Scale-Up. Holding a Sponsor Licence is a significant responsibility – and failure to meet ongoing compliance duties can result in licence suspension or revocation.

We provide end-to-end legal support for businesses applying for a Sponsor Licence for the first time or seeking to expand their existing licence to include new routes.

A UK based business or organisation must hold a valid Sponsor Licence if it intends to:

• Hire non-UK nationals (including EU nationals without settled status)
• Assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to individuals applying under work visa routes
• Employ overseas staff on a temporary or permanent basis

You can apply for a licence covering one or more visa routes, depending on your hiring needs.

Applying for a Sponsor Licence involves several steps:

1. Completing an online application form
2. Paying the appropriate application fee (based on business size and licence type)
3. Submitting a detailed supporting document bundle
4. Providing information about the business and HR systems
5. Demonstrating that the organisation is genuine and capable of fulfilling sponsorship duties

The Home Office may also conduct a pre-licence compliance visit to assess whether your organisation can manage its sponsor responsibilities.

You must submit at least four supporting documents with your application to prove that your organisation is genuine and trading in the UK. The exact documents required depend on the type and size of your organisation (e.g. company, charity, public body).

Mandatory documents may include business bank statements, VAT and PAYE registration, proof of premises, and professional accreditations. We provide clear guidance on which documents are required for your specific situation.

You must appoint Key Personnel who will be responsible for managing the licence:

• Authorising Officer – senior person responsible for compliance
• Key Contact – point of contact with the Home Office
• Level 1 User – manages the Sponsorship Management System (SMS)

We support you through every stage of the Sponsor Licence process. We:

• Assess your business’s eligibility and structure
• Advise on the most appropriate visa routes to apply for
• Help gather and prepare all required documents to show that the business is genuinely trading and compliant
• Advise on drafting job descriptions and identifying the correct occupation codes from the list in the Immigration Rules
• Assist with requesting expedited consideration under the Home Office’s priority service (where available)
• Prepare you for any Home Office compliance visit
• Advise on your ongoing sponsor duties including record-keeping, right to work checks, and mandatory reporting obligations
• Draft a detailed legal representation letter explaining the background and credibility of your business and how the application meets the Immigration Rules