Employing EU citizens and non-EU nationals- Healthcare Professionals, IT Consultants, Business Managers
- Introduction
- Video on Sponsor Licence
- Eligibility Requirements
- Our Success Stories
- Health Workers
- IT Professionals, Management and other professions
- Employer sponsor licence
- Cost of Sponsor Licence
- Types of licences
- Processing time for licence application
- Certificate of sponsorship (CoS)
- Immigration skilled charge
- Our services
- Book services
- Services after licence approval
- Help
Introduction
Recruiting employees is a lengthy and cumbersome process. In particular, where recruited is from different countries. You might be busy doing interviews, screening, referencing and other business activities. In that case, you can trust for all visa and licensing requirements. We as an OISC Registered Immigration Consultants have competence and experience do all work on immigration side. We will take care of everything for you from making application for sponsor licence, issuance of Certificate of Sponsorship called CoS and making visa application for newly recruited employees from inside and outside UK. We have 100% success rate in sponsor licence applications since 2006, see latest decisions for our clients. We have clients range from IT companies, warehouses ,nursing homes to private medical groups. We are top rated visa advice business, establish in 2006. In whole 15 years of our history, customer service has always been on the top of our corporate values. That is the reason, our clients have rated us 5 Star on Trustpilot, Google, Yell, Facebook and other feedback platforms. As our immigration practice licence is for whole of the UK, therefore we can serve you in any part of the United Kingdom including England, Wales, Scotland and rest of the world.
Verify our Registration on UK Government website. We are Regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC, Home Office, UK). Registration Number: F201100207.
Video on Sponsor Licence
Our CEO Mr. Naveed covered following aspects of the UK Employer Sponsor Licence in this video:
- Who needs an Employer Sponsor Licence?
- Three Step Process
- Labour Market Test
- Categories covered under Licence
- Types of Employer Licence
- Licence Fees
- Validity Period
- Licence Rating
- Processing time
- Other Home Office Costs- Cos & Skilled Worker Charge
- Documents Required for License Application
- Our Services and Support
Eligibility Requirements to employ someone from outside UK
- Employer is required to have an appropriate sponsor licence. The UK Home Office deals with license applications.
- The employee has certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from your employer showing job role and job code
- Job must be on the list of eligible occupations
- Employee must be paid a minimum salary. The salary requirements varies and depend on the job role. The minimum salary for skilled worker visa is £25600
Health and Care Skilled Worker Visa for Medical Professionals
Newly introduced Health and Care skilled worker visa is a fast visa route for medical professionals to come and work in UK. The doctors, nurses, dentists, consultants and midwives around the world are equally eligible to apply as long as they are registered with the professional medical bodies in the UK. We offer one-stop shop solution and advise you all aspects of licensing and visa requirements. Read more details about Health and Care visa.

Sponsor Licence Application Approvals for Our Clients- Success Stories
The approvals for the Sponsor Licensing applications and issuance of CoS since since 2006.
A Recent Feedback for a Sponsor Licence Application
ZR visas has provided services for us to secure Sponsorship license. Naveed (from ZR Visas) was quiet cooperative and was keeping me up to date with the process and documentation. On top of that, they are quiet approachable. I am looking forward to work with them again.
5 July 2021, Trustpilot
Professions including IT Consultants, Healthcare Professionals, Management Experts
To sponsor an employee in a skilled worker job, the job mus fall into one or more the jobs specified in the recognised professions list or shortage occupation list. The professions which normally falls in the worker visa route are (but not limited to):
Financial managers, marketing managers, purchasing, human resource, storage and warehousing, information technology (IT), social care, doctors, nurses, chemical, biological scientists, engineers, Veterinarians, Actors, entertainers and presenters, Taxation experts, Importers and exporters, IT engineers. There are hundred’s of other professions. Contact us for full assessment.
Employer sponsor license
UK companies and businesses who wants to bring talent in UK should have been approved by the Home Office as an approved employer. Employers are issued a sponsor license. A sponsor licence is valid for four (4) years, project managers, graphics designers, Chartered and certified accountants, lawyers, solicitors, Quality control and planning engineers, Artists,
Cost of sponsor licence
The fees for licence depends whether you are a small sponsor or falls into large sponsor category. A company with less than 50 employees and annual turnover up to £10.2 is classed as a small sponsor for employer sponsor licence application.
For a small employer to employ worker and temporary worker, fee is £536. For medium and large sponsors, fee for worker licence is £1476 and for temporary worker fee is £536. If you would like to apply in worker and temporary worker category, the higher fee will be applied.
Types of Sponsor Licence
There are two types of sponsor licence Worker License and Temporary Worker License. The type of licence you need will depend on the type pf job you want to offer to your employees such as long term or short term. Skilled worker visa, minister of religion visas, intra-company transfer visas and sportsperson visas falls in worker licence. Seasonal worker, government authorised exchange worker for work experience, charity worker, religious worker, creative or sporting worker and international agreement worker comes in the definition of temporary worker license.
Processing time for sponsor license application
The most of the applications are decided within 8 weeks. For an additional fee of £500, application can be fast-tracked and decision is made within 10 working days. All businesses whose applications are approved will get A rating. The rating can be downgraded to B if business fails to meet the sponsor duties such as failed to report an employee absent from the work. Action plan is required to get the A rating again after implementing the recommendations of the Home Office.
Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)
These are electronic record in the sponsorship management system (SMS) and are issued to the employees. In simple words, these are electronic authorisation confirming that employee is being sponsored by an approved sponsor in the UK. Defined CoS are issued to the employees who are recruited from outside UK. The Home Office must approve the request for Defined CoS which usually take one working day. Undefined CoS are allotted to people employed inside UK and in all other categories not covered by Defined CoS. Employer are responsible for paying CoS fees.
Worker CoS Fee £199
Temporary Worker CoS Fee £21
Immigration Skilled Charge for Skilled Workers and Intra-company transfer visas
The CoS issued in the skilled worker visa and intra company transfer visas have to pay extra fee which is called Immigration Skilled Charge (ISC). Charge is only applicable if employing someone from outside UK for more than 6 months or inside UK for any duration of job. Some job are exempt from paying this charge.
Charge for 12 months is £364 for small sponsors and £1000 for medium and large approved sponsors
For each additional 6 months period, £182 for small approved sponsors and £500 for large and medium sponsors
For example, a small sponsor who employ someone for 2 years will pay £364 x 2, a total of £728.
Our Services: One Stop Solution from Licensing Application to Visas Applications and Citizenship
- We offer wide range of services:
- Full Employer Licence Application to become Home Office Approved Sponsor
- Check eligibility of your business for sponsor license to become an approved employer
- Sponsor Licence Renewal Application
- Home Office Action Plan Advice
- CoS Issuance
- CoS Annual Allocation Applications
- Sponsorship Action Plan Compliance for B Rated Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence (formerly Tier 2 Sponsors)
- Retention Services for sponsorship management system (SMS)
- Visa Application of Employees
- Visa Extension of Employees
- Indefinite Leave to Remain (Permanent Residence) of Employees
- Detailed Feasibility Reports for any of above matters
- Naturalisation applications for workers
Book Our Services Online– Pre Licence Services to become a Licenced Approved Employer
To become a UK Approved Licenced Sponsor to sponsor migrant workers from in the UK or from abraod, you need a sponsor licence. We can fully prepare your application. If you are not sure about your suitability, you can book an assessment service. Our fees are fixed and all inclusive.
Sponsor Licence is the first step to become a licenced sponsor. After approval of sponsor licence application, please see post licence services.
Services | Fees | Description |
Full application service for Sponsor Licence | £1,500 | Preparing and submitting sponsor application as UK registered advice firm. Unlimited support and advice until licence application is decided. |
Assessment service for sponsor licence application | £1000 | Full Assessment before making the sponsor licence application. To know eligibility and suitability. This service is assessment only. Application preparation is not included. |
Post Licence Services- After a Successful Sponsor Licence Application
As you now have a valid employer sponsor licence, you can start getting ready to sponsor migrant workers in your organisation. As mentione above, getting a sponsor licence approval is the first step, not the last. Before you can sponsor a worker, you need allocation (UK Home Office permission).
To sponsor migrant workers in the UK- In most of the sponsor licence applications, allocation (permission to sponsor skilled worker in UK who are already in UK on different visa such as students) is not granted. In some applications, allocation is also granted. Please check sponsor licence decision letter for your current allocation. Theforefore, an application need to be made to the Home Office for allocation. The allocation is valid for 12 months. Renewal of allocation may also be required and in some cases, absolute necessary if you wish to keep sponsoring migrant workers.
To sponsor migrant worker who are abroad- There is no allocation as part of sponsor licence. This is rule, no exceptions. Therefore, you will have to make an application to Home Office to get permission on ‘as and when required’ basis for number of migrant workers you wish to sponsor. Permission normally valid for 3 months. If not used witin 3 months, a new application will be required. Our fees does not include UK Home Office Official fees.
How we can help- We can provide full advice and support for all follow on services. We can only do that if we are your registered legal representative. You will need to add us as your legal representative in SMS (Sponsor online system for licenced sponsors) for all the services below. Once we are added as your legal representative, we can provide advice on the services below. After you book any of the following services, we will provide full guidance & support on adding us ‘Legal Representative’ in SMS without any additional cost to you. Depending on the circumstances, you may need following services. First 3 services are very commonly used services by most of our clients.
Services | Fees | Description |
UnDefined CoS Application- Annual CoS Allocation to Home Office/ Additional CoS Request (Sponsor worker from Inside UK) | £600 | Want to sponsor skilled worker from inside UK but do not have allocation. An application to the Home Office for annual CoS or request to increase the CoS quota to sponsor immigrants who are already in the UK on other visa caegories such as student, skilled worker visa. Home Office typicaly processing time 1-4 weeks. |
Defined CoS Application to Home Office (Sponsor workers from Outside UK) | £600 | Want to sponsor skilled worker from outside UK but do not have approved permission. An application to the Home Office for Defined CoS to sponsor migrants from outside UK. Home Office typicall processing time 8-10 weeks. UK Home Office approval will expire after 3 months. Therefore CoS should be used before that. |
Issue CoS to Employee (Minimum quantity 3) | £500 | Issue Certificate of Sponsor (CoS) to a potential employee. Minimum quantity 3 (£500 x 3 Employees = £1500. Any unused credit will expire after 12 months). Once issued, candidate will be able to use CoS to make visa application. You have to have prior allocation/Home Office permission to issue CoS to use this service. |
Visa Application for Employee | £600 | Fully prepare and submit visa application for skilled worker visa. Advice from start to the point of decision on the application by the embassy or Home Office. |
Licence Renewal Application | £1000 | Employer sponsor licence is valid for 4 years. Full application service to renew licence for another four years. Renew sponsor licence to keeping employing foreign professionals. Full application preparation and submission service. If licence not renewed on time, you will not able to continue sponsoring migrant workers. A new application for sponsor licence may be required. |
Skilled Worker Visa- Employee Assessment | £600 | Assessment of a proposed employee for their suitability of Skilled Worker Visa. Use this service if you are not sure if an potential worker will qualify for sponsorship under immigration rules. |
Home Office Action Plan | £2000 | When Home Office has downgraded licence rating from A to B when you applied to renew your licence or for your application to get a sponsor licence or during UKVI audit. Full advice to implement the action plan provided by the Home Office and follow up to achieve A rating. On B rating, will not be able to issue new certificates of sponsorship until you’ve made improvements and upgraded back to an A-rating. |