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For UK employers · Free · 30 minutes

Book a no-obligation sponsor licence consultation

Applying for your first sponsor licence, challenging a Home Office decision or preparing for a compliance visit? In a 30-minute scoping call, a regulated adviser will work out what you need and give you a clear plan for what to do next.

Cost
Free
Length
30 minutes
How
Phone or video
With
An IAA-regulated adviser

What happens in a sponsor licence consultation

  1. We get to know your organisation

    Whether you already hold a sponsor licence, the roles you’re looking to fill, salaries, start dates and where your candidates are now. This shapes the rest of the call.

  2. We focus on what you need now

    • No licence yet: whether you’re eligible, which licence type fits your hiring plans, the documents the Home Office will ask for, and who should hold the key roles on the licence.
    • Already licensed: sponsoring new hires, assigning Certificates of Sponsorship, or assisting with your ongoing licence responsibilities.
  3. We map out where you are and what you need

    We get a picture of how you currently handle right to work checks, records and reporting, and where you need to be, whether that’s ready to apply, ready for new hires, or ready for a Home Office compliance visit. That tells us what work is needed, which feeds straight into your plan.

  4. You leave with a clear plan

    The steps in order, the Home Office fees and decision times that apply to you, and a fixed-fee quote for the work you need, whether that’s a licence application, sponsoring new hires, a compliance audit or ongoing support. If you’re not ready to proceed yet, we’ll tell you what to fix first.

Who a sponsor licence consultation is for

Good for

  • UK employers applying for a sponsor licence for the first time
  • Businesses planning to hire from overseas
  • Licence holders who need help with sponsor duties, such as assigning Certificates of Sponsorship or reporting changes
  • Employers preparing for a Home Office compliance visit, whether before or after a licence is granted

Not suitable for

  • Individuals applying for their own visa

Applying for a visa yourself? Book a free discovery call →

Sponsor licence requirements, costs and duties

A short overview of what the Home Office expects from sponsors. We cover how each point applies to your organisation in the consultation.

Who needs a sponsor licence

Most UK employers need a licence to employ someone from outside the UK who doesn’t already have the right to work here. There are two types. A Worker licence covers longer-term skilled roles, including Skilled Worker and Senior or Specialist Worker. A Temporary Worker licence covers routes such as Government Authorised Exchange and Seasonal Worker. Many organisations only need a Worker licence.

Home Office fees

The licence fee depends on your size: small and charitable sponsors pay less than medium and large sponsors. On top of the licence fee you pay for each Certificate of Sponsorship and, for most hires, the Immigration Skills Charge, which also depends on your size.

Decision times and the priority service

The Home Office publishes a target time for deciding sponsor licence applications, and a priority service with a faster target is available for an extra fee, with a limited number of places each day. The Home Office may visit your premises before deciding, which can add time. We’ll give you the current timings on the call.

Your duties once you’re licensed

  • Right to work checks before employment starts, for every employee.
  • Appendix D record-keeping: copies of passports, right to work evidence, contact details and recruitment records for each sponsored worker.
  • Reporting changes on the Sponsor Management System, such as a worker not starting or a change to their job, usually within 10 working days.
  • Compliance visits, which can be announced or unannounced, before or after your licence is granted.

Breaching these duties can lead to your licence being downgraded, suspended or revoked, which affects every worker you sponsor.

What to have ready for your sponsor licence consultation

  • Your company details, including registration number, trading address and how long you’ve traded
  • The roles you want to fill, with job titles, salaries and start dates
  • How you check right to work today, and who in your team does it
  • Who would hold the key roles, such as the Authorising Officer and Key Contact
  • Any Home Office correspondence, if you already hold a licence

After booking you can add notes so we’re prepared for the call.

COMPARE

Which call should you book?

All three are with an IAA-regulated adviser, by phone or video call. Pick the one that matches what you need today.

Free discovery call

Free · 10 min

Formal advice on your case
No
Document review
No

Best for: getting clear on your visa route and seeing if we’re the right team to help.

Book this instead →

Immigration consultation

£150 · 30 min

Deducted from our fee if you instruct us

Formal advice on your case
Yes
Document review
One key document

Best for: individuals who want advice before applying or after a refusal.

Book this instead →
YOU’RE HERE

Sponsor licence consultation

Free · 30 min

Formal advice on your case
Scoped on the call
Document review
Scoped on the call

Best for: UK employers applying for, or holding, a sponsor licence.

Pick a time

Reviews from our clients

BECKO L.
I am incredibly grateful for the exceptional support I received from Xiaohan and Ligia at QC Immigration for my skilled worker visa application and my family's dependant visa application. Xiaohan was incredibly responsive and guided us through every step of the process with great expertise. Despite the tight proposed timeline, they made it totally feasible, and we received our visas just in time. I highly recommend QC Immigration for their professionalism, dedication, and excellent service.
Read the full review
Sponsor licence · Google review
Kai T.
Very professional service and responds quickly to every questions. Thank you Hafsah and the team to help my employer and I to get through the Tier 2 Visa application process. We are absolutely pleased with the service!
Sponsor licence · Google review
Kang Y.
Qiyin and her team has demonstrated outstanding professionalism, honesty, and expertise in my Tier 2 appeal application. I have been made very supported throughout a very daunting time period, and most importantly obtained a successful result at the end with their advice and support. I can never thank her team enough, and I highly recommend QC Immigration for their services.
Read the full review
Sponsor licence · Google review
Amin K.
Excellent service. QC responded promptly, provided me with thorough, precise and easy to follow advice. Exactly what I needed when I was stressing about my daughter's citizenship status. Thank you so much.
British citizenship · Google review
Monya R.
QC have been invaluable throughout Home Office procedures for Tier 2 /ILR applications. The entire team is dedicated, professional and responds swiftly to queries. The application process was straightforward thanks to QC's skilful team. Highly recommended.
Settlement · Google review
Danille D.
Once again, QC Immigration managed to help me with my visa extension. Without them, I'd have to deal with the stress of doing the application on my own. We made the right choice of continuing to work with QC Immigration. Thank you so much!!!
Visa extension · Google review
Mary
Outstanding service! QC provided precise, easy to follow advice and support throughout my permanent residence application process. The team is friendly, very professional, with invaluable in depth knowledge and advice that made the all process a pleasant experience. Highly recommended!
Settlement · Google review
Ching-Fei L.
QC Immigration handled our application in a way that was truly professional, clear and to the point. They explained all the options and procedures clearly to us and showed great respect for our privacy. The whole process was trouble-free and the result successful! Great value for money!
Visa application · Google review
Jessica C.
The are truly amazing and lovely as well as extremely professional. They not only helped us with all the paper work but also were supportive when we were worried and getting anxious. I will definitely contact them again when the next step comes and I highly recommend them.
Visa application · Google review
Warwick B.
QC guided me from application to naturalisation and passport with efficiency, knowledge, patience and care. They were recommended to me by a prestigious Law firm and I recommend them to you...
British citizenship · Google review
Anna R.
Having engaged QC Immigration to support my citizenship application I could not have been more satisfied with the service. My case was handled consistently by the same person. Ligia guided me through the process and made it all very simple. Any questions I had along the way were answered promptly. I have been putting off my application for years feeling overwhelmed by the bureaucracy involved. With QC Immigration support I was able to secure a successful outcome quickly and with no stress whatsoever. Charge for the service was very reasonable considering the quality of support and the responsiveness.
Read the full review
British citizenship · Google review
Diego G.
Xiaohan was so helpful with the process and we got accepted!
Visa application · Google review
Tala A.
My partner and I had a great experience with QC. Both Dorota and Ninder were professional and attentive. I’d definitely work with them again.
Partner visa · Google review
Scott C.
I recently engaged the services of QC Immigration to assist me in getting my first British passport. I applied from outside the British Isles and my situation was somewhat complex. Ninder and Dorota from QC treated me with the utmost of professionalism and courtesy. They took the time to review and explain my situation, and guide me through the steps of the application process, ensuring that my application stayed on track. With their expert assistance, my application was processed smoothly by HMPO and I received my new passport with no issues. I would highly recommend the services of QC Immigration to anyone who needs assistance navigating immigration, citizenship, or a VISA application to the UK.
Read the full review
British citizenship · Google review
Maria R.
We couldn’t be happier with QC Immigration. My partner and I applied for the UK Unmarried Partner Visa from Italy and received the decision in only 5 days after the biometrics appointment: truly incredible. Dorota followed us with exceptional kindness and professionalism, always available and supportive despite the large amount of documents we had to prepare. A special thank you also to Ninder! We felt fully supported and reassured throughout the entire process. We are over the moon and extremely grateful. Absolutely recommended!
Read the full review
Partner visa · Google review
Nicholas S.
QC Immigration successfully secured British Citizenship through descent for my son. It was by no means guaranteed, but their extremely thorough approach and direction ensured that everything was done clearly and successfully. A special thanks to Ligia W. who supervised the whole process with patience and diligence. Many thanks! they are extremely good at what they do and they deliver!
Read the full review
British citizenship · Google review
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