Assigning a certificate of sponsorship

What Is a Certificate of Sponsorship?

A Certificate of Sponsorship is a virtual document that a licensed UK employer assigns to a worker they wish to sponsor for a Skilled Worker visa or other sponsored work route. It is created and managed through the Home Office's sponsorship management system.

The CoS is not a physical certificate. It is a unique reference number linked to a record in the SMS that contains details about the job and the worker. The worker uses this reference number when applying for their visa.

Types of CoS

• Defined: in GOV.UK’s words, for “people applying on a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK”. Each one is applied for individually, for a named worker
• Undefined: for “Skilled Workers applying from inside the UK, and applicants on all other visas” — which includes every Temporary Worker and Global Business Mobility route, wherever the worker is. These come from an allocation the sponsor holds, and a Level 1 User can ask for the allocation to be increased

The distinction is the location of a Skilled Worker applicant, not whether they are new to the organisation.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Sign in: a Level 1 User signs in to the sponsorship management system. The authorising officer and key contact have no access of their own unless they are also appointed Level 1 Users
2. Select the CoS type: Choose defined or undefined based on the worker's location
3. Enter job details: job title, occupation code, salary, work location, start date and hours
4. Enter worker details: Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and current immigration status
5. Check the salary against both tests: for a Skilled Worker, £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation code, whichever is higher. A lower threshold of £33,400 applies in defined cases, and the full going rate still applies alongside it
6. Pay the fee: £525 on a Worker licence, £55 on a Temporary Worker licence
7. Assign the CoS: Submit and assign the CoS to the worker
8. Share the reference number: Give the CoS reference number to the worker so they can include it in their visa application

Common Mistakes

• The wrong occupation code. The code sets the going rate and decides whether the job is sponsorable at all, so an incorrect one is a ground of refusal for the worker
• A role below the skill level. Since 22 July 2025 a new Skilled Worker application must be for a job at skill level RQF 6 — degree level. A job at RQF 3 to 5 can only be sponsored if the occupation code is on the Immigration Salary List or the Temporary Shortage List, and a Temporary Shortage List role cannot bring dependants
• Salary below one of the two tests. The general threshold and the going rate both have to be met; the higher of the two governs. Being on the Immigration Salary List gives the £33,400 threshold and a lower application fee — it does not reduce the going rate
• Incorrect personal details: Name and passport details must match the worker's documents exactly
• Assigning it too early. The worker must apply within 3 months of assignment, and must not apply more than 3 months before the start date on the certificate. A certificate assigned long before the start date can leave no valid window

Costs, and Who Pays Them

• The certificate: £525 on a Worker licence, £55 on a Temporary Worker licence
• The immigration skills charge: £480 for the first 12 months and £240 per further 6 months for a small or charitable sponsor; £1,320 and £660 for a medium or large one

The sponsor pays both, and cannot recover either from the worker. Part 1 of the sponsor guidance says the Home Office “will normally revoke your licence” if a sponsor recoups, or tries to recoup, the sponsor licence fee, the certificate fee, their associated administrative costs, or the immigration skills charge from a worker it is sponsoring. The dates it applies from are 31 December 2024 for a Skilled Worker, and 9 April 2025 for the Global Business Mobility routes, Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson, Scale-up and Seasonal Worker. See our guide on certificate of sponsorship fees for employers.

Employer Responsibilities

Assigning a CoS is just the beginning of the employer's sponsorship obligations. For the full picture, see our guides on employer responsibilities and sponsor duties.

After the CoS Is Assigned

Once the certificate is assigned, the worker uses the reference number in their own application, which the Home Office decides against the Immigration Rules. The service standard is 3 weeks for a work visa applied for outside the UK, and 8 weeks for a Skilled Worker application made inside it. The sponsor duties then require an HR file for the worker, including the right to work check, kept for the whole of the employment and 2 years after it ends.

If the worker's company later closes, the 60-day rule applies.

Further Resources

See the full sponsor guidance at GOV.UK. See also our guides on civil penalties, employing EU nationals, right to work, and curtailment.

You may also find our UK Visa Fees: Complete Guide andHome Office Contact Guide helpful.

Questions and answers