Sponsor Licence Application

  • You are required to fill out an online application form and submit the required supporting documentation to apply for a Global Business Mobility Visa Sponsor Licence on the gov.uk website.
  • In order to qualify for the UK Expansion Worker Visa, you must provide documentation proving that you are a legitimate organisation operating legally in the UK, or that you have a UK footprint and credible plans to establish a UK presence.
  • You must also provide information about any associated foreign businesses.
  • There is a fee for your application when you apply for a Sponsor Licence. The fee depends on the type of licence you are applying for and what type of organisation you are.
  • In the case of a Senior or Specialist Worker Visa licence, the size or charitable status of your organisation will also be considered in the amount that you must pay.
  • The type of Sponsor Licence you’re applying for will also determine your final fee amount.

The fee to acquire a Sponsor Licence:

Type of licence Fee for small or charitable sponsors Fee for medium or large sponsors
Worker £536 £1,476
Temporary Worker £536 £536
Worker and Temporary Worker £536 £1,476
Add a Worker licence to an existing Temporary Worker licence No fee £940
Add a Temporary Worker licence to an existing Worker licence No fee No fee

The application procedure can be complicated because of the preparation required to gather all the documentation. Once a Sponsor Licence is issued, you will also be required to assign certain responsibilities to members of your staff, known as key personnel, some or all of them will have access to the Home Office Sponsorship Management System (SMS) once a Sponsor Licence is granted. This can become more challenging if you want to sponsor applicants for the UK Expansion Worker Visa and there are restrictions on who can serve as your authorising officer and Level 1 SMS User. The Home Office will further conduct a background check on everybody taking part in the sponsoring procedure.

It is usually recommended to seek professional legal guidance before submitting an application for a Global Business Mobility Route Sponsor Licence due to the complexity of the process. By doing this, you can increase the chances of approval on your application.

If your application is rejected or refused:

  • If your application is unsuccessful, the Home Office will either refuse or reject your application if they decide not to provide you with a Sponsor Licence.
  • There is no right to appeal, but there may be alternative choices available to you based on the situation and reasons behind the Home Office’s decision.
  • Applications that are regarded to be invalid typically receive ‘rejections’. This is frequently caused by easily fixable, small errors.
  • Normally, the application fee would be refunded, enabling you to submit a revised application.
  • ‘Refusals’ are given when the application has more serious or fundamental problems.
  • Refusals pose more of a difficulty because, in most cases, there is no refund for the application fee and there may be a 6 to 12-month “cooling-off” period before reapplying.
  • The duration of the ‘cooling-off’ period is based on the severity of the problems in the application.