Sponsoring a Skilled Worker involves three layers of cost and some ongoing admin, so it is wise that you are scoping this out before committing.
- The licence itself. You apply online for a Worker sponsor licence, send in the submission sheet with any supporting documents, and pay the licence fee. The fee is £611 if you are a small or charitable sponsor, or £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor. You are usually classed as a small sponsor if at least two of these apply: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, and 50 employees or fewer. You must pay the licence fee yourself; the licence can be revoked if you ask the sponsored worker to pay it.
- How long approval takes. Most applications are decided in less than 8 weeks, although UKVI may visit your premises as part of the assessment. If you are in a hurry, there is a limited priority service costing an extra £750 for a decision within 10 working days.
- Per-hire costs. For each worker you assign a certificate of sponsorship (CoS), and on top of the CoS fee you pay the immigration skills charge. That charge is £480 for the first 12 months (small or charitable sponsor) or £1,320 (medium or large sponsor), plus £240 or £660 for each additional 6 months, paid up front when you assign the CoS. So the first year of sponsoring one worker can easily cost a small business £1,000+ in Home Office charges alone.
- Ongoing duties. As a sponsor you must keep the worker's documents, report changes such as the worker leaving or changing role, and maintain your sponsor management system with named key personnel (an authorising officer, key contact and Level 1 user). Compliance visits do happen, so keep records tidy from day one.
Practical tips: apply well before you need the hire (plan for the full 8 weeks), check that the role meets the skill and salary thresholds of the Skilled Worker route before you apply, and budget the skills charge across the whole visa length (sponsorship can run for up to 5 years).
