SPONSOR LICENCE MANAGEMENT FOR UK EMPLOYERS
From Certificates of Sponsorship to Home Office audits and suspension letters, our senior business immigration lawyers help you meet your sponsor duties and act fast when your licence is at risk.
Advice for UK employers and sponsor licence holders.
Have your Home Office letter and deadline ready
Every sponsor issue needs the right response
CoS requests, compliance audits, ownership changes and suspension letters each come with their own deadlines, evidence and risks. We identify what the Home Office needs, what applies to your business and the immediate risks to your sponsored workforce.
Employer-only advice. We do not publish or provide lists of revoked or suspended sponsors.
I need a CoS assigned
Request extra CoS allocation, priority processing or extensions with the right justification.
My licence is at risk
Suspended or revoked? Preserve the deadline, assess challenge routes and protect your sponsored workers.
I have a compliance visit or audit
Audit the records tested and correct weaknesses before further action.
Ownership or key people are changing
Report changes on time and update the SMS before they become a compliance issue.
What we manage for you
CoS and sponsored workers
We handle CoS assignment, additional allocation requests, priority processing and extensions, so you can fill roles without breaching your sponsor duties.
Compliance and audits
Mock audits, record-keeping reviews, SMS reporting and change-of-ownership notifications that keep you ready for a Home Office compliance visit.
Licence at risk
If the Home Office suspends or revokes your licence, we review the letter, prepare representations and protect your sponsored workforce.
How we help — from first call to ongoing compliance
01
Review your position quickly
Confirm your licence status, deadlines, CoS needs and any Home Office correspondence before the business takes further action.
02
Secure and test the evidence
Run a targeted review of SMS history, HR files, right-to-work checks, reporting, role data and sponsored-worker records.
03
Prepare the right submission
CoS requests, change-of-circumstance reports or representations, each backed by reliable evidence and proportionate corrective action.
04
Protect the licence and workforce
Manage Home Office contact, plan for sponsored workers and embed sustainable compliance controls after the immediate response.
Respond within the suspension deadline
Build representations around the precise allegations, contemporaneous records and practical remediation. Do not send an unstructured explanation that creates new inconsistencies.
Challenge a revocation where a route exists
There is no general merits appeal against revocation. Administrative review or judicial review may be relevant in limited circumstances, so the decision and timing need urgent legal assessment.
Check the cooling-off period
The period before a fresh application depends on why the licence was revoked and the guidance in force. Exceptions can apply, so do not assume that every revocation produces the same restriction.
Prepare a credible fresh application
A reapplication should demonstrate that the underlying governance, reporting, record-keeping and key-personnel failures have been corrected—not simply repeat the previous submission.
What this means for your sponsored workers
During suspension, existing sponsored workers may usually continue working but new sponsorship activity is restricted. After revocation, the Home Office can curtail workers’ permission, commonly giving a limited period to find another sponsor or leave the UK. Identify affected people, visa expiry dates and operational dependencies immediately.
Common compliance gaps we fix
Most suspensions follow compliance gaps that could have been caught earlier. A mock audit finds them before the Home Office does, and if a letter has already arrived, the response must stay tied to the allegations in it.
Late or inaccurate SMS reporting
Weak record keeping or worker monitoring
Right-to-work or attendance-control failures
Concerns about role genuineness, salary or duties
Unreported organisational or personnel changes
What happens if my sponsor licence is revoked?
The organisation loses permission to sponsor workers. Sponsorship activity ends, affected workers may face curtailment action, and the business may need to assess challenge routes or wait before making a fresh application.
Can a revoked sponsor licence be reinstated?
There is no general appeal that automatically reinstates a revoked licence. In limited cases, a public-law challenge may be available; otherwise the organisation may need to correct the underlying issues and apply again when permitted.
How long is the cooling-off period after revocation?
The applicable period depends on the reason for revocation and the Home Office guidance in force. Some circumstances are treated differently, so the decision should be reviewed before planning a new application.
What happens to sponsored workers if my licence is revoked?
The Home Office may curtail their immigration permission, usually allowing a limited period to find another sponsor or leave the UK. Employers should identify every affected worker and key date immediately.
What is the difference between suspension and revocation?
Suspension is an interim restriction while the Home Office considers concerns and representations. Revocation is the withdrawal of the licence and ends the organisation’s ability to sponsor workers.
How long do I have to respond to a suspension letter?
Use the deadline stated in the Home Office letter. Response periods can be short, so preserve the letter and evidence and obtain advice immediately rather than relying on a general timeframe.
Speak with a senior immigration lawyer about your CoS needs, an upcoming audit or a Home Office letter, and the safest next steps for your organisation.
