A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is necessary for migrant workers who are applying for their Skilled Worker Visa or Temporary Worker Visa. As a UK employer, you will need to hold a valid Sponsorship Licence to apply for the Certificate of Sponsorship for each employee you bring over.

The CoS must be applied for once the job offer has been made and includes detailed information on what your prospective employee will be doing. You must include information on their job role and expected salary on the application. If there is a discrepancy between the CoS and their actual job role, you may have your Sponsor Licence suspended.

The government issues two types of Certificate of Sponsorship – Restricted and Unrestricted. The Restricted CoS has a limit of 20,700 each year so applications must be done correctly the first time to ensure you are able to employ your migrant worker.