Guide

UK Sponsor Licence Centre

If you want to hire migrant workers in the United Kingdom under routes such as the Skilled Worker visa, you will usually need a sponsor licence and access to the Home Office Sponsorship Management System (SMS).

This is the first regional deep dive inside the Employer Success Centre — not the whole of Global Sponsor Hub. For the US, Canada, and Australia, use the thin destination playbooks. For other destinations, start with the Hiring Hub and international hiring explained.

This is general information for employers, not legal or immigration advice. Rules, fees, and thresholds change — confirm the current position on official government sites before you act.

Last reviewed: 2026-07-28

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01

Guide section

Start with the decision pages

What is a sponsor licence?: Read the explainer
Do I need one?: Decision guide
Eligibility: Who can apply
Costs: Fees overview · Calculator

02

Guide section

Application and operations

Application process: Step overview
Processing times: What to expect
Certificates of Sponsorship: CoS explained
Duties & compliance: Ongoing obligations

03

Guide section

Risk and renewal

Read common mistakes and renewals, suspension & revocation before you scale sponsored hiring.

For regulated advice, use immigration advisers.

Next step

Put this into action on Global Sponsor Hub

Start free with a company profile, connect roles you already advertise, or review Growth / Scale when you want on-platform applications and hiring tools.

Create free employer profile Claim existing profile Connect ATS / careers View employer pricing

Need immigration or relocation support? Browse mobility partners or list your firm.

What's next

Related guides and links

More on this site: related guides, official government pages to double-check rules and fees, and quick links to jobs and partners.

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Official sources

Always verify with official sources

Visa rules and salary thresholds change. Confirm current requirements directly on government immigration portals before making any decisions.

Source	Why open it
UK — sponsor a worker	Official government or regulator page—verify eligibility, fees, and forms there.
UK — apply for a sponsor licence	Official government or regulator page—verify eligibility, fees, and forms there.

Official government or regulator page—verify eligibility, fees, and forms there.

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Common questions

Is this only about Skilled Worker?+

Skilled Worker is the most common employer route discussed here, but sponsor licences can cover other worker routes depending on your authorisations. Always match the route to the role with current GOV.UK guidance or counsel.