Having been granted a sponsor licence, the next step in employing a migrant worker is the assignment of a Certificate of Sponsorship (“CoS”).
However, before you can do this, you must first ensure that you have a CoS in the appropriate category.
A CoS is an electronic document issued by a sponsor to enable an applicant to apply for a visa under a category of the Points-Based System, such as the Skilled Worker, Intra Company Worker or Temporary Worker route.
There are two types of Skilled Worker CoS:
The type of CoS that a company requires will depend on the migrant worker’s circumstances and the vacancy that the migrant will fill.
Under the Skilled Worker route, a Defined CoS is needed for an applicant who is applying from outside the UK. An Undefined CoS is used for anyone applying in the UK.
An application for a DCoS can be submitted at any time, and will usually be assessed within 48 hours. However, UKVI are increasingly requesting additional information following a DCoS request, and it is therefore vital to be prepared to provide this information on request. This is likely to include details of how the candidate was identified or recruited.
Applications for a CoS are made via the Home Office’s Sponsor Management System. Once a CoS is approved, it needs to be assigned within three months.
Every year the Home Office allows companies holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence to apply for an allocation of Undefined Certificates of Sponsorship. The application requires the company to justify the number of CoSs they are requesting.
Applications for an annual allocation of CoSs are made via the Home Office’s Sponsor Management System. The allocation will then be available for a year.
If a company uses up its full allocation they can request additional CoSs during the year.
Contact us using our contact form by selecting a service from the drop down list below.
