Certificate of Sponsorship

The cost of the Certificate of Sponsorship will depend on what type you are applying for. Currently, the Tier 2 CoS costs £199 and the Tier 5 CoS costs £21.

You may also have to pay the ‘immigration skills charge’ if you are employing someone via the Tier 2 General or Tier 2 Intra Company Transfer route.

The Certificate of Sponsorship is not a physical document, it is an electric record. Each CoS has an individual number that must be included with an application for a Work Permit.

It is a necessary document for most applications to work legally in the UK.

There are two types of Certificate of Sponsorship. An Unrestricted CoS is for workers entering the UK to earn more than £159,000 per year. A Restricted CoS is for those who earn less than this.

The Restricted CoS has a limit of 20,700 each year. Ensuring your application is to the highest standard the first time is crucial.

The CoS is necessary for all Tier 2 Visa applicants and most Tier 5 applicants.

This does not include the Tier 5 Youth Mobility route, as an applicant’s country of origin will act as your sponsor for this type of visa.

You will also not need to sponsor those in the UK on a Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa to work for your company.

For a UK business looking to employ foreign workers, we have a range of corporate immigration services. To help you receive your Certificate of Sponsorship, we will:

• Assess the role and individual you intend to hire to determine which type of CoS is appropriate;
• Check all the details of your employee to ensure that they are meeting immigration requirements;
• Check that the role they will fill is either on the UK Occupation Shortage List or that it has passed the UK Labour Market Test;
• Support your company’s use of the Online Management System;
• Make sure you are carrying out your sponsorship duties correctly.

For more advice about your company’s circumstances, get in touch now to speak with an immigration lawyer.