Make a successful application of Certificate of Sponsorship for Expansion Worker Visa

The UK Home Office included 5 new visas under the Global Business Mobility category, which went into effect in April 2022. The UK Expansion Worker Visa is one of them. A Certificate of Sponsorship UK Expansion Worker Visa is one such mandatory document that permits an outsider business owner to enter the UK and set up a branch of his existing business.

And, to apply for a UK Expansion Worker Visa, the business owner MUST possess a valid Certificate of Sponsorship – also referred to as CoS.

As you read through this blog, you will precisely understand the Certificate of Sponsorship, how to apply for one, its process, and its importance to qualify for a UK Expansion Worker Visa.

Let’s go one step back. To receive a Certificate of Sponsorship, you first need to apply for a Sponsor Licence.

Allow us to break down the process briefly, step-by-step, of how you can receive a Certificate of Sponsorship –

• A Certificate of Sponsorship UK Expansion Worker Visa is a self-sponsored or self-certifying document, issued by a Sponsor Licence holder
• The Certificate of Sponsorship is not a physical document, but rather an e-document with a unique reference number
• If you want to nominate an expansion worker then you must apply for Sponsor Licence first
• With the Sponsor Licence, you can then –
  • Issue a CoS for yourself (e.g. if you are a sole proprietor) OR
  • Issue a CoS for a senior employee/specialist worker
• Having a valid Certificate of Sponsorship will allow the applicant to then make an application for UK Expansion Worker Visa
• When the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued, the person applying for the UK Expansion Worker Visa has only 3 MONTHS to submit their visa application

• Reference number
• Your full name, work designation, and annual salary which you will earn in the UK
• The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code for your job role in the UK
• The details of your business in your home country
• The Sponsor Licence number
• Confirmation if your employer is certifying maintenance

The fee depends on the type of Sponsor Licence you are applying for and what type of organisation you are into.
The UK Sponsor Licence fee (as of January 2023), is

• £536 for small or charitable firms
• £1,476 for medium or large companies

The cost to issue a Certificate of Sponsorship UK depends on the type of Sponsor Licence you have.

You are also required to pay the Immigration Skills Charge when you issue a Certificate of Sponsorship UK.
The amount you need to pay is based on:

• The size of your organisation, and
• The time period you or the nominated employee will work for your business in the UK

This can be calculated using the start and end dates on the Certificate of Sponsorship UK.
The start and end dates refer to when you or your nominated employee will physically commence business operations in the UK.