Sponsor licence application
Get your sponsor licence application right first time. IAA-regulated help with documents, Key Personnel, 2026 fees and compliance. Based in Manchester.
Find out moreSponsor licence compliance support
Sponsor licence compliance support for UK employers: mock audits, record-keeping, reporting duties and Home Office compliance visit preparation.
Find out moreSponsor licence by industry
Sponsor licence by industry: guides for restaurants and hospitality, IT and technology, construction and engineering, and care homes, with 2026 rules.
Find out moreSkilled Worker visa
Skilled Worker visa help in Manchester: the £41,700 salary rule, B2 English, CoS, extensions and changing employer. IAA-regulated advisers.
Find out moreHow UK employers hire from overseas
To employ most workers from outside the UK, your business needs a sponsor licence from the Home Office. Once you have one, you assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to each worker, who then applies for their visa, usually a Skilled Worker visa.
Check the role before you start
Since July 2025, most new Skilled Worker roles must be at degree level and pay at least £41,700 a year, or the going rate if higher. Many roles that used to be eligible no longer are. Before you pay for a sponsor licence, we check that your roles qualify.
The real cost of sponsoring a worker
The employer pays the sponsor licence fee, the Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge, and these can't be passed on to the worker. For a small business hiring one worker for 3 years, the employer's Home Office costs come to over £2,500, before the worker's own visa fee and health surcharge.
Hire overseas workers help in Manchester
We help employers across Manchester and the North West, and businesses anywhere in the UK remotely, with licence applications, assigning certificates, right to work checks and ongoing compliance.
Official rules and fees: GOV.UK
Common questions
Can we employ international students?
Yes, within the limits of their visa: usually up to 20 hours a week in term time for degree-level students. To employ them full-time after their course, you can sponsor them on a Skilled Worker visa or they may have a Graduate visa.
How long does it take to hire overseas workers?
Allow around 8 weeks for the sponsor licence, then a few weeks for the worker’s visa. A priority service can speed up the licence decision.
What does it cost to hire overseas workers?
For a small business sponsoring one worker for 3 years, the Home Office charges paid by the employer come to over £2,500, plus our fee.