Sponsorship Licences

You’ll usually need a sponsor licence to employ someone to work for you from outside the UK.

 

Charity Worker

You can apply for a Temporary Work – Charity Worker visa if:

• You want to do unpaid voluntary work for a charity
• You meet the other eligibility requirements

This visa has replaced the Temporary Worker – Charity Worker visa (T5).

Sponsorship

You must have a certificate of sponsorship from a licensed employer before you can apply to come to the UK to work.

The work you do in the UK must relate to the work of your sponsor organisation.

 

Creative Worker

The Creative Worker route is for people who want to come to the UK to work within the creative sector and can make a unique contribution to the UK’s rich cultural life – for example, as an artist, dancer, musician or entertainer, or as a model contributing to the UK’s fashion industry. Eligible workers can come to the UK for up to 12 months initially, with the option to extend their permission up to 24 months (if continuing to work for the same sponsor). You should have an offer of a job as a creative worker from a sponsor that holds a valid Temporary Work – Creative Worker sponsor licence(which requires a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the role you wish to undertake)

 

Health and Care Worker

You must have a job offer from an approved UK employer before you apply for a Health and Care Worker visa. Approved employers are also known as sponsors, because they are sponsoring you to come to or stay in the UK.

You must have a job offer from:

• the NHS
• an organisation providing medical services to the NHS
• an organisation providing adult social care

1. Your employer – also known as your sponsor – will check that you meet the eligibility requirements. They’ll give you a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ to prove this.
2. The certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record, not a physical document. It will have a reference number, which you’ll need for your visa application.

 

International Sportsperson

The International Sportsperson route is for elite sportspersons or qualified sports coaches who are internationally established and can make a significant contribution to the development of their sport at its highest level in the UK. If you wish to sponsor an International Sportsperson, you must hold a valid sponsor licence for the International Sportsperson route. If you do not already hold such a licence, you must apply for one.

 

Ministry of Religion or Religious Worker

The Minister of Religion Visa (T2) is for individuals who have been sponsored to perform a mainly key leading role within their faith-based organisation or religious order in the UK.

If you wish to support the activities of a UK religious institution by conducting religious work such as working in a religious order or filling non-pastoral placements, for up to 2 years, you may wish to consider the Temporary Work – Religious Worker Visa instead.

 

Scale-up Worker

The Scale-up route allows employers who are in a sustained period of high growth to recruit people to work in the UK in highly skilled roles.

The worker must have a high-skilled job offer from a qualifying Scale-up sponsor at the required salary level for a minimum period of 6 months.

 

Seasonal Worker

The Seasonal Worker route allows employers in the horticulture and poultry production sectors to source overseas workers to do seasonal work with an approved scheme operator.

 

Skilled Worker

The Skilled Worker Visa category enables individuals to reside and work in the UK, provided they are sponsored for a particular skilled role by a UK-based company holding a valid Sponsor Licence.

 

Sponsor Management System (SMS)

The UK Visa Sponsorship Management System (SMS) is an online platform developed by the UK Home Office. It serves as a tool for organizations in the UK to manage their sponsorship of individuals applying for various visas.

 

UK Expansion Worker (Global Business Mobility)

UK Expansion Worker: this is for senior managers or specialist employees of an overseas business who are being assigned to the UK to establish a UK branch or subsidiary of the overseas business.

 

Worker on an International Agreement

The International Agreement route allows you to sponsor a person to come to the UK to provide a service covered under international law, such as a private servant in a diplomatic household or an employee of an overseas government or international organisation.