Can an employer sponsor your Skilled Worker visa?

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Verify the employer's legal entity

Ask which company will appear in the contract and Certificate of Sponsorship. Find that entity in the licensed sponsor register ↗ and check the relevant route. A similar trading name or Companies House registration does not establish permission to sponsor a Skilled Worker.

If the business has no licence yet, ask HR whether an application has been submitted, who manages it and when a start is realistic. A promise to arrange sponsorship later is not existing permission to work. Before leaving your current employment, agree how the new offer is conditional on obtaining the necessary visa.

Check the role and salary

Request the four-digit occupation code, actual duties, guaranteed annual salary and working hours. Under GOV.UK guidance ↗, the usual threshold is the higher of £41,700 and the occupation's going rate. Special salary categories, sector pay scales and transitional provisions may apply; their relevance must be established for your code and immigration history.

The code must reflect the actual work. Medium-skilled occupations face additional restrictions and lists. Do not accept fictional duties simply to obtain an eligible code. Bonuses, overtime or an informal total including benefits should not replace checking salary against the route's rules.

Obtain the CoS and document checklist

A sponsor assigns a CoS, an electronic record with a unique number ↗, rather than just sending an offer letter. Check passport information, role, salary, dates and the maintenance certification if the employer is providing it.

The CoS must be used for an application within three months, and you cannot apply more than three months before the stated employment start. Separately check English, financial evidence and any special documents, such as ATAS clearance or a criminal record certificate, required in your circumstances.

Allocate costs in writing

List the visa application fee, IHS, maintenance funds, translations, dependant applications and any faster-processing charge. The applicant's fee ↗ depends on location, duration and category; somebody else's application price is not a reliable quotation. Establish what the company voluntarily covers and whether any repayment clause applies when employment ends.

For Skilled Worker sponsorship, the sponsor must pay the CoS assignment fee ↗. Where applicable, the Immigration Skills Charge ↗ also cannot be passed to the worker. Do not sign an undefined obligation to repay all sponsorship expenses without an itemised breakdown and a check that recovery is permitted. Even a licensed employer cannot guarantee a Home Office decision.