Sponsor licence (UK)
is the Home Office authorisation UK employers need to sponsor most work visas (Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility). Holding it brings duties — record-keeping, reporting changes, monitoring right to work — and Home Office audits; losing it cancels the sponsored workforce’s visas.
Keeping a licence healthy
- Systems before people: HR processes evidencing recruitment, salaries at or above going rates, and role genuineness — audited on paper and on site.
- Reporting clocks: changes (start dates, salaries, terminations, absences) reported within tight windows via the SMS system.
- Key personnel: named authorising officers accountable; changes reported.
- Cooling consequences: suspension or revocation cascades to workers’ visas — the workforce risk sits on the licence.
Companies without a licence — or unwilling to carry its duties — sponsor via alternatives: UK entities of providers, or employment through a UK EOR holding its own licence where models allow. Guidance: gov.uk.
FAQ
How long does a sponsor licence take to get?
Standard processing runs about eight weeks, with a paid priority service subject to availability. Preparation time matters more: evidence of systems, genuine vacancies and key personnel checks decide outcomes. Plan licence acquisition before recruitment, not after selecting a candidate.
What triggers licence suspension?
Audit findings — missing records, unreported changes, underpaid or non-genuine roles — and patterns like high visa refusal rates. Suspension freezes new sponsorship; revocation curtails existing workers’ visas to 60 days. Treat compliance as an ongoing function, not an application-day exercise.