Eligibility
This page explains the requirements you must meet to be able to apply for a licence to sponsor migrants under the points-based system to work and study.
Full details of all requirements are in section A - Applying for a licence - of the sponsor licensing guidance.
There are three main questions we ask when considering a licence application:
- Are you a genuine organisation operating legally in the United Kingdom?
- Are you trustworthy? We look at the history and background of your organisation, your key personnel and those in control of it. Any history of dishonesty or immigration crime will be viewed particularly seriously and can lead to refusal of the application;
- Are you capable of carrying out your sponsorship duties'? We look at your processes, like your human resource practices, to ensure you are able to carry out your duties. If we have significant doubts, we may award a B-rating or, in more serious cases, refuse the application altogether.
To confirm you are eligible to get a licence, you must send the right supporting documents in with your application. The sponsor licensing unit will use the documents to verify that you are a genuine organisation trading in the United Kingdom.
You must meet the following requirements to become a licensed sponsor:
- you must be a genuine organisation or sole trader operating legally in the United Kingdom and must provide the supporting documents when applying;
- your application must not fall under our grounds for refusal;
- if you are applying to become licensed under Tier 2 - intra-company transfers, you must meet the additional requirements for Tier 2 - intra-company transfers;
- if you are an educational institution and want to employ staff under Tier 2 (General) or Tier 2 - intra-company transfers, you must meet the requirements for educational institutions;
- you must nominate a key contact and authorising officer;
- you must comply with the sponsorship duties.
We published our statements of intent on 6 May 2008, which explain our planned policy for the following tiers:
- Tier 2 - general;
- Tier 2 - sports people;
- Tier 2 - ministers of religion;
- Tier 5 - temporary workers;
- Tier 5 - youth mobility scheme.
The information on these pages will be updated as we continue to develop the policy over the next few months.
See also
News & updates
Terms explained
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Educational institution
A school, college or university.
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Tier 2 (General) - skilled worker
A category of the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It applies to skilled people with a job offer who are looking for employment in the United Kingdom, or are self-employed or setting up a business.
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Tier 2 - intra-company transfers
A category of the points-based system for coming to the United Kingdom to work, train or study. It applies to sponsors who are transferring employees within an organisation to a skilled job under Tier 2.