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Skip to content Complex regulations put firms at risk of noncompliance when it comes to issuing Certificate of Sponsorship to sponsored workers. If you require any information or help related to Certificate of Sponsorship UK you can get help from our immigration solicitors.
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A Certificate of Sponsorship is a reference number that a person who wants to get a supported work visa is given by the person who wants to sponsor them. It is not a physical document, but a computer record.
The CoS is needed before you can apply for a visa in the Worker and Temporary Worker categories. These include the Skilled Worker, Senior or Specialist Worker, and Scale Up Worker paths.
When a sponsor gives a CoS to a person, they are telling the Home Office that the planned job conditions meet the needs of the relevant visa route.
There are a lot of strict rules about how to give out the CoS. Take the CoS as an example. The worker must use it to apply for a visa within 3 months of getting it. However, the worker must submit their visa application no later than three months prior to the start date of the job specified on the COS.
The Home Office changed the visa rules in December 2020 so that “restricted” and “unrestricted” CoS could no longer be used. These were changed to “defined” and “undefined” CoS.
Defined certificates are only for people seeking a Skilled Worker visa from outside the UK. If you have a sponsor licence and want to give out a set CoS, you will need to apply through the online Sponsorship Management System (SMS). If UKVI agrees with the application, it can be given to the foreign worker so that they can apply for a visa. Usually, applications for defined CoSs are handled within one business day.
If you are looking for a Skilled Worker visa from inside the UK, or for any other type of sponsored visa, you will need an undefined certificate. When you apply to be a sponsoring company, you will be asked to guess how many undefined certificates you will need in the first year of sponsorship. It is possible to get this number raised by sending a request through SMS.
People who want to join or stay in the UK on a sponsored work visa must have a Certificate of Sponsorship. This includes: