Employer Sponsor Hub

Sponsor licence and Skilled Worker decisions need careful planning.

For founders, HR teams, hiring managers and candidates whose UK work route depends on an employer being ready to sponsor correctly.

Employer Readiness Map

Before sponsorship becomes a promise, the business should check the whole route.

A candidate may be excellent and still not have a usable immigration route if the licence, role, salary, CoS timing or compliance position does not align.

Decision areaWhat to clarifyWhy it mattersUKIMMI output
Licence positionWhether the business already holds the correct sponsor licence or needs to applyLicence timing can control the whole hiring planSponsor readiness snapshot
Role fitJob duties, occupation code, skill level and whether the role matches the business needA wrong code or weak role description can undermine the routeRole and code issue list
Salary and hoursSalary threshold, going rate, working hours and any tradeable-points logicSalary assumptions often decide whether an offer can be sponsoredSalary pressure view
CoS timingUndefined or defined CoS need, allocation timing, start date and notice periodA viable role can still fail if timing is unrealisticHiring timeline map
Compliance exposureHR systems, record keeping, reporting duties, right-to-work controls and key personnelSponsorship creates operational duties, not only an application stepCompliance risk triage
Next Step

Use the lowest sensible review before deeper business spend.

The first step should identify whether sponsorship looks possible, what blocks the route and whether the business needs specialist legal support before making commitments.

01

Business facts

Company activity, licence status, HR systems, key personnel and hiring objective.

02

Candidate facts

Nationality, location, current status, role, salary, family members and deadline.

03

Route pressure

Licence, CoS, salary, occupation code, start date and compliance risk are compared together.

04

Next action

Business intake, sponsor readiness review, Skilled Worker check or regulated legal referral.

Business Scenarios

Common employer situations that need early triage.

These scenarios help employers and candidates understand when a short review can prevent expensive hiring mistakes.

New sponsor

First sponsored hire

The company needs to know whether licence application, HR readiness and candidate timing make the hire realistic.

Graduate

Retaining a Graduate visa employee

The business must compare role eligibility, salary, CoS timing and expiry date before the final months arrive.

Senior hire

Executive or specialist transfer

Global Business Mobility, Skilled Worker and settlement consequences may need comparison before assignment planning.

Founder

Founder building a UK team

Sponsorship may interact with founder route, expansion plans, family relocation and future hiring needs.

Offer risk

Candidate already has an offer

A signed offer may still need immigration checks before the candidate resigns, travels or relies on a start date.

Compliance

Business has sponsor duties

Record keeping, reporting changes and right-to-work controls should be understood before sponsorship scales.

Next Step

Turn what you have learned into a sensible first action.

Once you have identified a route, deadline or evidence concern, the next step is to match it to the level of review it needs.