Work and sponsorship

Common situations we advise on

A job offer where the certificate of sponsorship has not yet been assigned; a move to a new sponsor part-way through a visa; a change of role or salary; and applications that have been outstanding longer than the published service standard.

Timescales are set by the Home Office

Processing times and priority-service availability are published by UKVI and are outside any solicitor's control. What can be influenced is whether the application is complete, consistent and properly evidenced when it is submitted.

Who this page is for

• Workers with a job offer waiting for a certificate of sponsorship to be assigned
• Sponsored workers moving to a new employer, or changing role or salary
• Workers whose sponsored employment has ended or whose sponsorship has been withdrawn
• Employers who need the sponsorship side of a recruitment handled properly
• Applicants whose application has been outstanding beyond the published service standard

How the process works

• A solicitor confirms the route, the requirements and the timing that apply on the facts
• The certificate of sponsorship details are checked against the intended application
• Written advice on the evidence required from both the worker and the employer
• Documents are reviewed and inconsistencies raised before submission
• The application is prepared and approved by a solicitor
• Where a decision is outstanding beyond the published service standard, we advise on and prepare escalation correspondence

Evidence and documents

Sponsored applications need the certificate details, identity and travel documents, evidence of the role and salary, and any qualification or English language evidence relied on. Where a worker has held earlier leave, the history of that leave matters too. Documents that contradict the certificate are one of the most common avoidable problems, so they are checked side by side.

Where applications most often run into difficulty

• Discrepancies between the certificate of sponsorship and the application
• Job start dates fixed before the immigration timetable was considered
• Changing employer without a new application where one is required
• Gaps between the end of sponsored employment and the next application
• Assuming a priority service will be available when it may not be

Processing times and priority-service availability are published by the Home Office and are outside any solicitor's control. What can be influenced is whether the application is complete, consistent and properly evidenced when it is submitted.

Fees

We agree fees in writing before substantive work begins, and we confirm what is included in the scope of work. How we charge, and the Home Office fees that are payable in addition to our professional fees, are explained on our fees page.

If you would like the position on your own facts reviewed, make an enquiry and we will confirm the next step in writing. An enquiry is a request for a consultation; it is not advice, and it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.