How Long to Get a UK Sponsorship Licence?

When applying for a sponsor licence, it’s helpful for employers to understand how long it takes for applications to be processed. This is useful insight for recruitment planning when hiring candidates from overseas. If there are delays with obtaining your sponsor licence, you risk losing your candidate, as they may decide to pursue an opportunity with a different employer.

The time it takes to obtain a sponsorship licence in the UK depends on several factors, including the completeness of your application and whether the Home Office requires additional information or a compliance visit.

On average, processing a sponsorship licence application takes 8 weeks from the date of submission. Employers can apply through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) online portal and must provide supporting documentation to demonstrate their eligibility and compliance with the licence requirements. These documents may include evidence of your organisation’s trading presence in the UK, your ability to manage sponsorship duties, and proof of genuine job vacancies.

For employers needing a quicker decision, the Home Office offers a priority processing service for an additional fee. This service aims to process applications within 10 working days. However, it is subject to availability and requires submission of the correct documentation upfront.

This makes it vital to ensure that your licence application is complete and correct, as delays can occur if there are issues with your application or supporting documents.

In this guide for employers, we explain how long it takes to get a sponsor licence, and share best practice advice on how to avoid problems and delays with your licence application.

 

How long does it take to get a sponsor licence?

 

According to Home Office guidance, the sponsor licence waiting time is on average 8 weeks under the standard service.

We advise employers to work on the basis that their sponsor licence application will be processed in approximately 2 – 3 months, to allow for changes in Home Office processing status and other issues impacting processing times.

Sponsor licences are processed by UKVI, (UK Visas and Immigration), which is the division of the Home Office responsible for administering the country’s visa system.

While UKVI offers a fast-tracked sponsor licence processing service (see below), it is highly over-subscribed as it is limited to a small number of applications every working day.

In addition to UKVI processing status, other factors influencing sponsor licence application processing include:

 

Complexity of your application

 

The complexity and size of your organisation’s structure will necessarily result in more documentation to be assessed as part of the application. This can potentially make processing longer, particularly if the information is not provided in the manner required by UKVI.

 

Quality of your submission

 

The quality of the application submission, and how well it follows the specified application requirements, can help to avoid issues with processing by ensuring you are providing UKVI with all the information they need to make a decision.

 

Pre-licence compliance visit

 

Processing will take longer if UKVI decides to inspect your UK premises ahead of making a decision on the licence application. The visit will be used to inspect your organisation’s immigration compliance, as we detail below.

 

Pre-licence application priority service for fast-tracked licence processing

 

Under the Sponsor Licence Application Priority Service, applicants can pay an additional £500 for their application to be processed and decided within ten working days.

This service is of particular interest for employers who have already identified their candidate and wish to expedite securing the licence and avoid any delays in assigning the Certificate of Sponsorship.

However, this service is limited to a small number of applications. Slots are made available each working day, and are allocated on a first come, first served basis, in the order they are submitted.

Since launching at the end of 2020, the priority service has become heavily over-subscribed, and it remains difficult to obtain a priority slot.

If you are interested in using the priority service, we can advise on the practicalities and what this means for your licence application.

 

Pre-licence compliance visits

 

A common cause of delay in sponsor licence processing are compliance inspections. UKVI has the authority to carry out a pre-licence inspection at your premises, to help determine if you meet the requirements to become a licensed sponsor.

Not all licence applications result in a site visit. You can reduce the chances of being subject to a visit by ensuring your application submission is thorough in relation to immigration compliance.

Site visits usually take place around 6-8 weeks from the date you submitted the licence application.

The Home Office should provide two weeks’ notice of the inspection. You should use this time to prepare for the visit and minimise the risk of issues being identified during the inspection, and of any further resulting delays in processing.

If your HR systems and documents have not yet been subject to a mock audit as part of your application preparation, it is advisable to conduct an audit promptly as soon as the Home Office gives notice of an inspection. This will allow time for issues to be rectified before the date of the inspection.

After the visit, immigration officials will then produce a report of the findings. The decision on the application will be reserved until after the inspection and the findings have been considered. The report can take a further six to eight weeks to be produced.

 

Sponsor licence requirements: recap

 

You can improve your prospects of being approved for a sponsor licence by ensuring you comply with the licence requirements and that the submission evidences your eligibility.

To apply for a licence, you will need to show that:

 

• You are a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK
• Your key personnel named on the application are honest, dependable and reliable, and, for example, do not have any unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences, money laundering, or fraud.
• You are aware of and capable of carrying out your sponsor duties ie you have appropriate HR and recruitment systems and practices in place
• You are in full compliance with the prevention of illegal working regulations
• You are offering genuine employment with a genuine need for migrant workers that meets the relevant skill level and appropriate rate of pay
• Your organisation and key personnel pose no threat to the UK

 

After completing the online application form via the Home Office website and paying the relevant fees, you have five days to submit the supporting documentation. Failure to submit all required documents will result in your application being delayed or rejected and further costs being incurred.

Following the receipt of these documents, you may then be subject to a compliance visit before a decision is made whether or not to grant your organisation the licence.

 

If your sponsor licence is granted

 

If your application is successful, your organisation will be added to the Register of Licensed Sponsors and you will be awarded a licence rating. You will then be allowed to allocate Certificates of Sponsorship to candidates applying for a sponsored visa to work at your organisation.

 

 

Avoiding processing delays or refused sponsor licence application

 

Issues with the application can result in delayed processing, or worse, a refusal of your application – a scenario employers will want to avoid given the importance of the sponsor licence to future recruitment and the investment that will have already been made in finding a candidate and building the application.

In addition, employers will be subject to a six-month ‘cooling off’ period after a licence rejection if any of the following apply:

 

• The eligibility requirements under the licence category applied for were not met, for example the organisation has no trading presence in the UK
• The compliance requirements to meet sponsor licence duties were not met
• False or fraudulent documents were submitted with the application
• The applicant has an unspent criminal conviction for a relevant offence
• The applicant is prohibited from becoming a company director

 

Where the cooling off period applies, the organisation will not be permitted to make a new sponsor licence application until six months after the first refusal.

The employer may reapply at any time if the Home Office refused the application because it was either submitted by a representative or the employer did not provide documents or information requested by a specific deadline for reasons beyond their control.

The Home Office does not publish figures on how many sponsor licence applications are granted, refused or rejected. However, we are regularly contacted by employers who have not been successful in their first application, seeking expert support to secure a licence.

Common grounds for delayed and unsuccessful applications can include:

 

• Incomplete submissions and failure to provide all of the relevant supporting documents as prescribed under Appendix A
• Factual errors in the submission
• Failure to meet the core eligibility requirements, such as having trading operations in the UK or failure to pass the genuineness test
• Failure to pay the correct licence application fee
• Failure to pass a Home Office compliance audit
• Failure to engage with the Home Office positively or to respond to any Home Office enquiries in a timely manner

 

If the application is refused and it can be identified that either the caseworker made an error in processing in the application, or if the submitted supporting documentation was not considered, the employer can apply for a correction under an Error Request Form. The form must be submitted within 14 calendar days from the date of the refusal decision.

 

Best practice advice for your sponsor licence application

 

Give your sponsor licence application the best chance of success by:

 

Apply for the right type of sponsor licence

 

Employers must ensure they have the correct type of sponsor licence for their organisation’s recruitment needs:

 

• ‘Workers’ – for skilled or long-term employment
• ‘Temporary workers’ – for specific types of temporary employment

 

Employers are allowed to apply for a sponsor licence covering one or both types of worker. This means being clear on the type of workers and talent you need to hire and the visa categories that these workers will need to apply under.

 

Check which company should apply for the licence

 

For organisations with more complex legal structures, you need to ensure the right organisation is making the application. For example, it may not be appropriate for the parent company to make the application. This will require full consideration of the circumstances, including ensuring having UK trading status and the current and future recruitment needs the licence will need to serve.

 

Appoint appropriate key personnel

 

The people you appoint as key personnel, and who you list on the Sponsorship Management System, will be subject to checks. They must be deemed suitable to take on these roles. As such, it is advisable to have carried out your own due diligence to confirm your key personnel pass these requirements, to avoid issues being identified by the Home Office.

 

Train your key personnel

 

Having identified your key personnel, you must ensure they are trained and able to carry out their duties. Failure to action the duties can result in enforcement action against the organisation. It’s advisable to approach immigration compliance as an everyday concern, and manage your systems and documents in a way that they are inspection-ready at any time.

 

Check your HR systems and processes

 

You should be prepared for the Home Office to inspect your HR systems, documents and processes at any time during the validity period of your licence. While inspections typically take place pre-licence or in response to a licence renewal application,

Best practice is to conduct an immigration audit prior to making your licence application to ensure all potential compliance breaches have been addressed before the Home Office considers the application submission, and to ensure readiness in the event of a pre-licence inspection.

 

Be responsive

 

If the Home Office makes contact, for example, to request further information, you should be responsive and provide the requested information within any stated timeframes. Failure to engage with the Home Office can be detrimental to your application.

 

Seek professional advice

 

With so much at stake, it is advisable to seek representation from experienced advisers experienced in sponsor licence applications and sponsored work visa applications.

 

Need assistance?

 

DavidsonMorris are UK immigration specialists, with substantial experience of sponsor licence applications and helping employers access global talent and meet their recruitment needs. Our legal experts can guide your organisation through licence application process and avoid issues which can result in unwanted delays in UKVI processing. For advice on a sponsor licence application for your organisation, contact us.

 

Sponsor licence processing times FAQs

 

What is a sponsorship licence?

A sponsorship licence allows UK employers to hire skilled workers from outside the UK, including non-EU and EU nationals who arrived after 1 January 2021.

 

How do employers apply for a sponsorship licence?

Employers must apply online through the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) portal, submit supporting documents, and pay the application fee.

 

How long does it take to get a sponsorship licence?

The standard processing time is around 8 weeks. A priority service is available for an additional fee, reducing processing time to 10 working days.

 

What are the requirements to obtain a licence?

Employers must show they have a genuine need for overseas workers, can meet sponsorship duties, and have appropriate HR systems in place.

 

What is a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A CoS is an electronic document issued by a licensed sponsor to a worker, enabling them to apply for a visa under a sponsored route.

 

What happens if the Home Office conducts a compliance visit?

The Home Office may assess whether the employer meets licence requirements, including record-keeping, genuine vacancies, and adherence to sponsorship duties.

 

Can a sponsorship licence be revoked?

Sponsor licences can be suspended or revoked for non-compliance, such as failure to meet record-keeping or reporting duties.

 

What costs are involved in obtaining a sponsorship licence?

Employers must pay an application fee (£536 for small businesses/charities or £1,476 for medium/large businesses) and may also incur costs for issuing CoS and legal advice.

 

Are there ongoing duties after obtaining a licence?

Sponsors must monitor sponsored workers, report changes to the Home Office, and renew the licence before it expires.

 

Can employers sponsor workers for any job?

Only roles that meet skill and salary thresholds, as outlined by the Home Office, are eligible for sponsorship.

 

Glossary

 

Term	Definition
Sponsorship Licence	A legal authorisation allowing UK employers to hire skilled workers from outside the UK under the points-based immigration system.
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)	An electronic document issued by a licensed sponsor to a worker, enabling them to apply for a visa under a sponsored route.
Skilled Worker Visa	A visa allowing individuals to work in the UK in eligible roles that meet skill and salary thresholds.
Points-Based Immigration System	The UK’s system for managing immigration, where applicants must meet specific criteria, such as skill level and salary, to qualify.
Compliance Visit	An inspection by the Home Office to ensure employers meet their sponsorship duties, such as record-keeping and genuine job requirements.
HR Systems	Procedures and tools employers use to manage employee records, monitor sponsored workers, and ensure compliance with Home Office requirements.
Minimum Salary Threshold	The lowest salary level an employer can offer a sponsored worker, as specified by the Home Office for eligible roles.
Immigration Skills Charge	A fee paid by employers for each sponsored worker, used to fund skills training for UK workers.
Licence Revocation	The cancellation of a sponsorship licence by the Home Office due to non-compliance with sponsorship duties.
Small Sponsor	A business that meets the Home Office criteria for small companies, including lower fees for a sponsorship licence application.
Priority Service	An optional service allowing employers to expedite sponsorship licence applications for an additional fee.
Tier 2 Visa	The previous name for the Skilled Worker visa before the introduction of the points-based immigration system.
Right to Work Checks	The legal requirement for UK employers to verify that all employees have the legal right to work in the UK.
Licence Renewal	The process of extending a sponsorship licence, which must be completed before the licence expiry date.