Sponsor Licence Guide for Manchester Employers 2026

If your Manchester business needs to recruit workers from outside the UK, you will almost always need a sponsor licence from the Home Office before you can employ them. Since the end of free movement, the same rules apply whether you are hiring from the EU or the rest of the world. This 2026 guide explains what a sponsor licence is, who needs one, how to apply, what it costs, and the ongoing compliance duties that come with it. It is written for employers across Greater Manchester by the immigration team at MCR Solicitors.

Immigration rules, fees and salary thresholds change frequently. Throughout this guide we flag figures that are time-sensitive and tell you to confirm the current position on gov.uk or with a solicitor before you rely on them.

What is a sponsor licence?

A sponsor licence is Home Office permission that allows a UK organisation to employ people who are not British or Irish citizens and who do not otherwise have the right to work in the UK. Once licensed, your business appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors and can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to each worker you want to sponsor. The worker then uses that CoS to apply for their visa.

Most Manchester employers apply under the Worker route, which includes the Skilled Worker visa, or the Temporary Worker routes for shorter-term and specific categories. The Skilled Worker route is by far the most common for ongoing, permanent roles.

The two broad categories of licence

Worker licence for long-term skilled employment, including the Skilled Worker route, the Global Business Mobility routes and Minister of Religion or International Sportsperson roles.
Temporary Worker licence for time-limited roles such as the Creative Worker, Charity Worker, Religious Worker, Government Authorised Exchange and Seasonal Worker routes.

A single organisation can hold a licence covering more than one route where it genuinely needs to sponsor different types of worker.

Does my Manchester business need a sponsor licence?

You need a licence if you want to employ someone who does not already have permission to work in the UK for you without sponsorship. You do not need to sponsor a worker who, for example, holds settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, indefinite leave to remain, a spouse or family visa with work rights, or a Graduate visa for its duration.

Before applying, ask yourself:

Is the role genuine and at the required skill level for the route?
Does the salary meet the relevant thresholds (see below)?
Is your organisation a genuine, lawfully operating business in the UK?
Can you meet the ongoing record-keeping and reporting duties?

Getting this wrong is costly. A refused application, or a licence that is later revoked, can disrupt recruitment for months and damage your ability to sponsor in future.

Eligibility: what the Home Office checks

To be granted a licence, your organisation generally must:

Be a genuine organisation operating lawfully in the UK.
Have no unspent criminal convictions among key personnel for relevant offences (for example immigration, fraud or money laundering offences).
Have appropriate HR systems in place to monitor sponsored workers and meet your duties.
Offer genuine vacancies that meet the skill and salary requirements of the route.
Have the appropriate people in place to manage sponsorship (see key personnel below).

The Home Office may carry out a pre-licence or post-licence compliance visit to inspect your premises, systems and documents. Being unprepared for a visit is one of the most common reasons applications fail or licences are downgraded.

Key personnel roles

When you apply you must nominate people to fill defined roles on the Sponsorship Management System (SMS):

Authorising Officer - the most senior person responsible for the licence and the actions of anyone using the SMS.
Key Contact - the main point of contact with the Home Office.
Level 1 User - the person who carries out day-to-day sponsorship activity on the SMS, such as assigning certificates and reporting changes.

These roles can be filled by the same person or different people, but they must be based in the UK and, in most cases, be employees, directors or office holders rather than external consultants. Your solicitor can act as a Level 1 User in limited circumstances but cannot replace the internal responsibility.

The Skilled Worker route: skill and salary requirements

Most sponsored roles fall under the Skilled Worker route. To sponsor a Skilled Worker you must show that:

The job is on the list of eligible occupations at the required skill level.
The salary meets both the general minimum threshold and the specific going rate for that occupation code, whichever is higher.
The worker meets the English language requirement.

Salary thresholds change regularly and were increased significantly in recent rule changes. There is a general minimum salary and separate, often higher, going rates for each occupation, along with discounted rates for certain workers such as new entrants and some health and education roles. Because these figures are updated frequently, always check the current thresholds and occupation going rates on gov.uk, or ask MCR Solicitors, before making an offer or assigning a certificate.

How to apply for a sponsor licence

The application is made online, followed by submission of supporting documents. In outline:

Choose the right licence type and routes based on the roles you intend to fill.
Check your eligibility and make sure your HR systems can meet the duties.
Appoint your key personnel for the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 User roles.
Complete the online application and pay the licence fee.
Submit supporting documents within the required window. The Home Office publishes a list of acceptable documents; most employers must provide several pieces of specified evidence proving the organisation is genuine and trading.
Prepare for a possible compliance visit and respond promptly to any Home Office queries.

The exact supporting documents depend on the type of organisation. Getting the evidence right first time is critical, because a single missing or non-compliant document can lead to refusal.

How long does it take?

Standard processing times vary and are published by the Home Office. Many straightforward applications are decided within a matter of weeks, and a priority service is sometimes available for an additional fee to speed up a decision, subject to daily limits. Because both timescales and the availability of priority processing change, confirm the current position on gov.uk before you plan recruitment around a specific date.

What does a sponsor licence cost?

The main costs to budget for are:

The sponsor licence application fee, which differs for small or charitable sponsors compared with medium and large organisations.
The Certificate of Sponsorship fee for each worker you assign.
The Immigration Skills Charge, payable by the employer for most Skilled Worker sponsorships, charged per year of sponsorship at a reduced rate for small or charitable sponsors.
Optional priority processing fees.
Visa application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge, though these are usually paid by the worker unless you agree otherwise.

All of these fees change regularly. Do not rely on figures you find in older articles. Check the current fees on gov.uk or ask us for an up-to-date cost estimate for your specific situation. Note that the Immigration Skills Charge in particular cannot lawfully be passed on to the worker.

Your duties as a licensed sponsor

A licence is not a one-off approval; it comes with continuing legal duties. Failure to meet them can lead your licence to be downgraded, suspended or revoked. Your core duties include:

Record keeping

Keeping copies of each sponsored worker's right to work check, passport or immigration documents and contact details.
Retaining evidence of recruitment and the genuineness of the role.
Keeping records for the period required by the sponsor guidance.

Reporting

You must report certain events to the Home Office through the SMS, usually within short deadlines (often 10 working days). Reportable events include:

A sponsored worker not turning up for their first day, or being absent without permission.
A worker stopping work, or their contract or role ending early.
Significant changes to a worker's job, salary or work location.
Changes to your business such as a merger, takeover, change of ownership or change of address.

Compliance and monitoring

Carrying out and correctly recording right to work checks for every worker, including using the online check where required.
Only sponsoring genuine vacancies at the correct skill and salary level.
Not employing sponsored workers in roles that differ materially from the ones on their certificate.
Co-operating fully with Home Office compliance visits and audits.

A good internal compliance framework, ideally reviewed by an immigration solicitor, is the best protection against enforcement action.

Assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship

Once licensed, you assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to each worker through the SMS. The certificate confirms details of the job, salary and the worker, and generates a reference number the worker uses in their visa application. You must only assign a certificate for a genuine role that meets the route requirements, and you should keep clear records of how you decided to sponsor that individual.

Licence duration and renewal

A sponsor licence is granted for a defined period, after which it historically had to be renewed. Recent changes have altered how licence validity and renewal work, so check the current rules on gov.uk. Regardless of the renewal mechanics, you must keep your details up to date on the SMS throughout the life of the licence and continue to meet your duties.

What happens if things go wrong?

If the Home Office believes you have breached your duties, it can:

Downgrade your licence to a B-rating, requiring you to follow a time-limited action plan to regain an A-rating.
Suspend your licence while it investigates, during which you cannot assign new certificates.
Revoke your licence, which usually curtails the visas of your sponsored workers and bars you from reapplying for a cooling-off period.

The consequences are serious, both for your business and for your employees. If you receive a compliance report, suspension notice or revocation decision, you should take specialist legal advice immediately. In many cases early, well-evidenced representations can prevent or reverse enforcement action.

How MCR Solicitors can help Manchester employers

Our immigration team advises businesses across Greater Manchester on every stage of the sponsorship process, including:

Advising whether you need a licence and which routes to apply for.
Preparing and submitting your application and supporting documents.
Auditing your HR and compliance systems before a Home Office visit.
Training your key personnel on their SMS duties.
Assigning certificates correctly and advising on individual visa applications.
Responding to compliance action, suspensions and revocations.

We combine detailed knowledge of the Immigration Rules with practical experience of what the Home Office expects from employers, so you can recruit international talent with confidence.

Call MCR Solicitors on 0161 466 1280 to speak to our immigration team about your sponsor licence. We will give you clear, current advice tailored to your business.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a sponsor licence?

Standard processing usually takes a number of weeks, and a priority service is sometimes available for an extra fee subject to daily limits. Both timescales and priority availability change, so confirm the current position on gov.uk before planning recruitment around a fixed date.

How much does a sponsor licence cost?

You pay a licence application fee that differs for small or charitable sponsors versus larger organisations, plus a fee for each Certificate of Sponsorship and, for most Skilled Worker roles, the Immigration Skills Charge. All fees change regularly, so check gov.uk or ask us for a current estimate. The Immigration Skills Charge cannot be passed on to the worker.

Can a small business or start-up get a sponsor licence?

Yes. There is no minimum size or turnover requirement. A start-up or small business can be licensed provided it is a genuine organisation trading lawfully in the UK, can offer a genuine role at the required level, and can meet the compliance duties. Reduced fees apply to organisations that qualify as small sponsors.

Do I need a sponsor licence to employ EU citizens?

It depends on their status. EU citizens with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme can work without sponsorship. EU citizens who arrived after free movement ended and have no other UK work rights generally need to be sponsored, just like non-EU workers.

What are the main duties of a licensed sponsor?

You must keep prescribed records including right to work checks, report certain events such as a worker leaving or a change of role through the Sponsorship Management System within short deadlines, only sponsor genuine roles at the correct skill and salary level, and co-operate with Home Office compliance checks.

What happens if my sponsor licence is revoked?

Revocation usually means you can no longer sponsor workers, and the permission of your existing sponsored workers is normally curtailed, giving them limited time to find another sponsor or leave the UK. You may also face a cooling-off period before reapplying. If you are facing suspension or revocation, seek specialist legal advice immediately.

This guide is general information and not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and thresholds change often. For advice on your specific circumstances, call MCR Solicitors on 0161 466 1280.

Skilled Worker Visa Sponsor Licence: A Guide for Manchester Employers