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At Hermes Legal, we specialise in guiding UK businesses, charities, educational institutions, and entrepreneurs through the complex process of obtaining and managing a UK Sponsor Licence. Whether you’re looking to recruit skilled international talent or expand your workforce with temporary workers, our immigration team delivers tailored legal support for every route.
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A Sponsor Licence allows UK-based employers and organisations to sponsor non-UK nationals to work or study in the UK under the Points-Based Immigration System. Once licensed, you can issue Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) to eligible workers or students, enabling them to apply for the appropriate visa.
The Home Office classifies sponsor licences under two major categories:
For long-term or skilled employment routes designed to help UK employers recruit international talent across various sectors. This licence enables businesses to sponsor foreign workers for permanent or temporary positions that cannot be filled by the domestic workforce, supporting the UK’s economic growth and addressing skill shortages in critical industries.
For short-term employment arrangements and specialized temporary work categories that meet specific UK economic, cultural, or humanitarian needs. This licence allows UK employers and organizations to sponsor foreign workers for limited-duration roles that contribute to various sectors including arts, sports, charity work, and seasonal employment, providing flexibility for both employers and workers while maintaining strict immigration controls.
Exclusively designed for legitimate educational institutions including universities, colleges, schools, and specialized training providers that wish to sponsor international students under the Student or Child Student Visa routes. This licence enables educational institutions to recruit talented students from around the world, contributing to the UK’s position as a global education hub while ensuring high academic standards and proper student welfare provisions are maintained throughout their studies.
Navigating the complexities of UK sponsor licence applications requires expert guidance and meticulous attention to detail. At Hermes Legal, we combine deep immigration law expertise with practical business understanding to deliver successful outcomes for our clients across all industries and sectors.
Our advisers have years of experience navigating complex sponsor licence matters.
Stay ahead of changes in immigration rules with proactive support.
We match the right sponsor category to your business model and sector.
We maintain exceptional approval rates through careful case preparation.
Whether you’re a startup applying for the first time or a large company managing hundreds of CoS, Hermes Legal provides structured, dependable support.
We understand that sponsor license applications can raise many questions about eligibility, requirements, and processes. Here are the most common concerns our clients ask about, along with expert answers to help you understand what’s involved in obtaining and maintaining your UK sponsor license.
The Home Office typically processes sponsor license applications within 8 weeks of submission, though this can vary depending on the complexity of your case and current processing volumes. We recommend starting the application process well in advance of when you need to recruit international workers. Our team ensures your application is complete and properly documented to avoid delays that commonly occur with incomplete submissions.
The Home Office fees vary by license type: £536 for small sponsors (up to 50 employees) and £1,476 for medium/large sponsors. Additional costs include legal fees, document preparation, and potential site visits. There are also ongoing costs such as Immigration Skills Charges (£364-£1,000 per year per sponsored worker) and Certificate of Sponsorship fees (£239 each). We provide transparent cost breakdowns during consultation to help you budget effectively.
Not all businesses are eligible. You must be a genuine, established UK employer with a legitimate need to recruit internationally. The Home Office requires evidence of trading history, appropriate HR systems, and genuine job vacancies that cannot be filled by domestic workers. Start-up businesses and shell companies typically face additional scrutiny. We assess your eligibility during our initial consultation and advise on strengthening your application where needed.
Sponsors have significant ongoing duties including maintaining accurate records, reporting changes in sponsored workers' circumstances within 10 working days, conducting right to work checks, and ensuring workers comply with their visa conditions. You must also maintain your own business compliance, keep contact details updated, and cooperate with Home Office compliance visits. Failure to meet these duties can result in licence revocation.
If refused, you cannot reapply for 6 months unless there's been a significant change in circumstances. The Home Office will explain refusal reasons, which commonly include insufficient evidence of genuine trading, inadequate HR systems, or failure to demonstrate need for international recruitment. We minimize refusal risk through thorough preparation and can assist with appeals or fresh applications where appropriate, addressing the specific concerns raised in the refusal decision.
Hermes Legal is a trusted UK-based immigration services firm dedicated to helping individuals, families, and businesses navigate complex immigration processes with confidence.
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