SponsorServe helps UK employers obtain and manage a Skilled Worker sponsor licence on a fixed fee basis. We handle the application end to end, so you can recruit the people your business actually needs.
Delivered by Lawyery, a firm of solicitors authorised and regulated by the SRA. Initial enquiries are free and without obligation.
Your application is prepared and submitted by a qualified solicitor at Lawyery, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
A single agreed fee for the licence application, quoted before we start. No open ended hourly billing and no surprises on the invoice.
The sponsorship regime tightened significantly in 2025 and 2026. Our process is built around the rules as they stand, not as they were.
We act for employers across the UK. Meetings happen online, documents move through secure channels, and you deal with a named solicitor throughout.
A sponsor licence is permission from the Home Office, through UK Visas and Immigration, that allows an organisation based in the UK to employ workers from outside the resident labour market under the points based immigration system.
Without one, you cannot lawfully employ most non-UK and non-Irish nationals who need permission to work. The licence is not a formality. It is granted on the basis that you are honest, capable and reliable, and it carries duties that continue for as long as you hold it.
The Skilled Worker route is the main licence type for filling skilled roles. Once you hold it, you can recruit into eligible roles that you cannot fill from the domestic labour market.
Once licensed, you assign each worker a Certificate of Sponsorship through the online Sponsor Management System. The worker uses it to apply for their visa. The CoS confirms the role, the salary and the duties.
A Skilled Worker licence currently lasts ten years before it needs renewing, provided you continue to meet your duties. It can be suspended or revoked if the Home Office finds you are not compliant.
Sponsorship carries an expectation that you will help prevent abuse of the immigration system. Treat it as a compliance obligation rather than a piece of paperwork and the licence looks after itself.
A Skilled Worker sponsor licence opens up the international labour market for roles you cannot fill domestically, and it does more than plug a single vacancy.
Employ overseas nationals in roles that meet the required skill level and salary thresholds for the Skilled Worker route.
Issue a CoS for each sponsored role so the worker can apply for, extend or switch into their visa.
Take on workers already here who need a new sponsor, or sponsor those switching from another immigration route.
Sponsored workers can usually bring eligible partners and children, which makes an offer considerably easier to accept.
Build a reliable international recruitment pipeline rather than relying on one off arrangements and short term fixes.
The Skilled Worker route can lead to settlement, which strengthens your offer against competing employers.
Since 22 July 2025, care workers and senior care workers can no longer be recruited from outside the UK, although transitional arrangements apply to workers already here. If you operate in the care sector, speak to us before you spend anything, so we can advise on what remains possible for your business.
A licence comes with ongoing legal duties. Meeting them is not optional. Failure can lead to suspension or revocation of the licence and curtailment of your workers' visas, which is a staffing problem long before it is a legal one. These are the core duties every sponsor must meet.
Keep specified documents for each sponsored worker, including right to work checks, contact details and records, in line with Appendix D.
Report relevant events through the Sponsor Management System, usually within 10 working days: a no show, a resignation, an absence, or a change to the role.
Carry out compliant right to work checks and monitor each worker's permission so you never employ someone unlawfully.
Only sponsor roles that genuinely exist, match the duties and hours on the CoS, and meet the skill and salary thresholds.
Pay at least the required salary. From 8 April 2026 the salary must be paid in full in each pay period; annual averaging is no longer permitted.
Allow compliance visits, respond to enquiries, and keep your key personnel and organisation details up to date on the SMS.
Nominate an Authorising Officer, a Key Contact and at least one Level 1 User to manage the licence and the SMS.
Maintain HR systems that let you track sponsored workers, prevent abuse, and act on issues promptly rather than at audit.
The rules tightened in 2026. Several breaches that were once dealt with by warning are now mandatory grounds for revocation, including a failure to report permitted changes within 10 working days, and a mismatch between a worker's actual duties and the occupation code on their CoS.
We build a compliance review into the process for existing sponsors, so you are audit ready from day one rather than the week UKVI calls.
We manage the application from the first consultation to the decision, and beyond it. Here is what working with us actually looks like.
We confirm your organisation is eligible, identify the roles you want to fill, and flag anything that needs attention before we apply.
We gather your corporate documents and the details of your Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User.
We check your HR and reporting processes against the sponsor duties and help you close any gaps before submission.
We prepare and submit the online application, then arrange payment of the Home Office fee.
We compile and send the required evidence within the deadline set by the Home Office.
Standard processing is currently up to 8 weeks. A priority service can reduce this to around 10 working days where it is available.
We set up SMS access for your key personnel and take you through assigning your first Certificate of Sponsorship.
These are the Home Office fees you should expect, separate from our fixed professional fee. The figures below are correct as at the date of this page and should be confirmed against gov.uk before you apply, because they change regularly.
| Fee | Small or charitable sponsor | Medium or large sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor licence application | £611 | £1,682 |
| Priority application service (optional) | £750 | £750 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship (per worker) | £525 | £525 |
| Immigration Skills Charge (first 12 months) | £480 | £1,320 |
| Immigration Skills Charge (each further 6 months) | £240 | £660 |
A sponsor usually qualifies as small if it meets at least two of: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, or 50 employees or fewer. The Immigration Skills Charge does not apply to every role. Visa fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge and any English language or maintenance costs are met by the worker and are not shown here.
We work on a transparent fixed fee for the sponsor licence application, agreed with you before we start. Tell us about your organisation and we will give you a clear quote.
The licence is granted once. The duties run every day after that.
SPONSORSERVE COMPLIANCE, A LAWYERY TOOL
Choose whichever suits you. Either way your details come straight to the Lawyery team, and there is no obligation.
Free and without obligation
Prefer to book straight in?
Self-book with Chris Dias ↗For a fuller, tailored opinion and quote
Send us a short enquiry and we will point you in the right direction. There is no charge for an initial conversation.