Applying to Work in the UK
Latitude Law helps overseas workers navigate the complexities of the UK immigration system across all available working visas.
Holding a sponsor licence comes with a huge number of compliance and record keeping duties, which reflect the Home Office’s view that sponsorship is a privilege, not a right. Failure to adhere to the Home Office’s numerous guidance documents could result in a sponsor licence being suspended and possibly even revoked. Applying for a sponsor licence is not always an easy process, so it’s vital that you maintain it once you’ve got it.
If you are worried your sponsor licence may be at risk of being suspended or revoked, or it already has been, Latitude Law can help you with the next steps to increase your chances of retaining, or regaining your licence.
The Home Office will look to suspend a licence where they believe the company is breaching their sponsor duties and/or pose a threat to immigration control. The suspension of the licence basically allows them to make enquiries regarding any issues raised.
Following a suspension, you may even find that your licence is fully revoked as an outcome of those enquiries. Generally, whilst a licence is suspended, sponsored employees can keep working, but if it’s revoked, the employee may have to leave the country, or seek work elsewhere.
You can check the status of your sponsor licence by visiting the sponsorship management system, however, you’re likely to be contacted directly by the Home Office before or when this happens.
You’ll need to know if your sponsor licence is suspended so you can start working with UK-inbound immigration specialists to amend any potential issues which will be investigated.
When the Home Office suspends a licence, they formally notify the sponsor in writing. This has the effect of suspending all tiers under the licence; although any sponsored workers, who have valid permission to enter or stay, will not be affected at this stage.
The sponsor will not be able to assign any Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) while it is suspended. Some other functions on the Sponsor Management System (SMS) are also locked during this period.
The Home Office will give the sponsor 20 working days in order to respond to its allegations. This is your opportunity to seek a review of the decision and to set out any mitigating arguments. The response is made in writing and there is no opportunity to make oral representations.
The best next step to take following a sponsor licence suspension is to contact UK immigration law experts, who can help you assess the situation and take the appropriate steps to challenge the decision.
Latitude Law can help you coordinate a response, outlining any changes you will be making in ensuring sponsorship licence compliance moving forward, elevating your chances of the suspension being lifted.
We Can Help with UK Sponsor Licence Issues
Mr Maida04/2023Secured skilled worker sponsor licence
"I wanted to thank you for your amazing effort! This is a personal achievement for me as a director of a small SME. It feels great that our firm is now able to sponsor workers and we could only do it with your guidance and professional help."
The outcome of sponsor licence suspension proceedings will be one of the following:
When a licence is downgraded to a B-rating, the Home Office will normally reduce or set your CoS allocation to zero.
Action plans are made, implemented for a period of up to 3 months and can include directives such as making improvements to record keeping and improving control over staff who assign CoS.
At the end of the action plan, the Home Office will carry out a compliance visit. They will then make a decision on whether to reinstate the licence to an A-rating or take action to revoke it.
If the Home Office takes the step to revoke a licence, they will inform the sponsor in writing and it will be for all routes under the licence.
If you have received a sponsor licence suspension notice, you should contact an immigration law specialist who can help you understand the best next steps to take. We can help you to get all affairs in order regarding your management of your licence moving forward, and put into writing (to send to the Home Office) the improvements you’ll be making to your processes in order to retain the privilege of a licence.
Equally, if your licence is revoked, we can help you put into practice the action plan you’ve been given by the home office. This way, you can regain your sponsorship licence as quickly as possible, allowing you to continue as usual with business proceedings.
If you need support with a recent sponsorship suspension or revocation, or you’re worried your licence may be at risk, be sure to contact Latitude Law.
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When a licence is revoked, the sponsor will not be able to sponsor any more workers and action will normally be taken to cancel or shorten the permission of any sponsored worker. Any new CoS assigned will automatically become invalid.
As a sponsor, you will lose access to the SMS and their details will be removed from the public register of Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors. There is no right of appeal against such a decision.
Avoiding a sponsor licence suspension is done through following best practices as a sponsor at all times. Maintaining sponsor licence compliance includes:
Managing your skilled workers and records through a sponsorship management system allows you to remain compliant at all times. This is something else Latitude Law can help you with.
Let Us Support you with Maintaining UK Sponsor Licence Compliance
Do not take any chances when dealing with a sponsor licence suspension or revocation; your business and sponsored employees may be at risk if you fail to respond properly or meet compliance requirements. Call Latitude Law now on 0300 131 6767 or fill in our enquiry form and we will get back to you. Let our expert immigration solicitors will help you break down the application process and offer sponsor licence guidance.
A sponsor will generally not be eligible to apply again for a sponsor licence until at least 12 months (longer in some circumstances) have passed since the date of revocation.
Yes, sponsored staff can continue to work, and you can lawfully employ them until they come to the end of their 60-day visa cancellation period. In practice, the Home Office can take a considerable time to send visa cancellation emails to workers, and they are permitted to work for you during that period.
If an individual has an outstanding application based on a CoS assigned by the suspended sponsor, this will be put on hold until a decision on the suspension is made. If a sponsored worker has an outstanding settlement application, a decision will not be made until the outcome of the suspension is decided.
Content Correct as of September 2025
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