Certificate of Sponsorship

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  1. What is Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?
  2. How much does the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) cost?
  3. Who can apply for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?
  4. How long is the Certificate of Sponsorship valid for?
  5. When is the right time to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship?
  6. How many types of the Certificate of Sponsorship are there?
  7. What is an Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship?
  8. What is a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship?
  9. How can you change details on a Certificate of Sponsorship?
  10. How many active Certificate of Sponsorships can you have on the system?
  11. Can I request a premium allocation of a Certificate of Sponsorship?
  12. What are the processing times for a Certificate of Sponsorship?
  13. What happens when a Certificate of Sponsorship is rejected/refused/expired?
  14. How can Morgan Smith Immigration help with the Certificate of Sponsorship?

What is Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A Certificate of Sponsorship is an electronic record that must be assigned by an employer to any foreign employee, prior to their Skilled Worker (formerly known as Tier 2) or Temporary Worker (formerly known as Tier 5) visa application. It is a vital requirement for any migrant workers applying for a Skilled Worker Visa or a Temporary Worker Visa.  A CoS has a unique reference number associated with it, generated to allow a migrant worker to apply for a visa

How much does the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) cost?

All employers are required to pay for each Certificate of Sponsorship. Skilled Workers and International Sportspersons (more than 12 months) must pay £525 per certificate. Temporary Workers and International Sportspersons (12 months or less) are required to pay £55 per certificate. These fees apply from 8 April 2026. Sponsors cannot pass the Skilled Worker CoS fee on to the sponsored worker.

Who can apply for the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)?

A UK based employer who holds a valid Sponsorship Licence will be able to apply for a CoS for each employee they wish to sponsor except for UK Expansion Worker who can sponsor himself temporarily.

How long is the Certificate of Sponsorship valid for?

When the Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned to an employee, it is valid for up to 3 months. All sponsored visa applications must be submitted within the validity period. The employees must not apply for their visa after over 3 months (90 days). It is important to specify the start date of employment on the CoS and a valid visa application must be submitted prior to the start date.

When is the right time to apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship?

An employer should ideally apply for a CoS after they have made the job offer to the employee. They must also include comprehensive information on what their prospective employee’s job description will be, as well as their expected salary, on the CoS application. Employers must remember to fill out the application with great care since there is a risk of the Sponsor Licence getting suspended if a discrepancy is found between the CoS and the actual job description of the employee. 

How many types of the Certificate of Sponsorship are there?

There are two main types of CoS, namely, Defined and Undefined

What is an Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship?

Undefined CoS are meant for Skilled Workers or International Sportsperson applying from within the UK, as well as all other sponsored applicants. These also include foreign migrants who intend to switch sponsors from inside the UK or to extend their stay in the UK as a sponsored foreign migrant.

What is a Defined Certificate of Sponsorship?

Defined CoS are intended for workers seeking from outside the UK for Skilled Worker, International Sportsperson, or Temporary Worker visas. The application process for the Defined CoS for these foreign migrants must be completed using the sponsorship management system (SMS). The SMS authorising officer must not be related to the migrants to whom the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued.

Need help with your Certificate of Sponsorship?

Let Morgan Smith Immigration assist you with your Certificate of Sponsorship application. Click on the link below to request a Call back so we can review your application and offer a tailored advice.

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How can you change details on a Certificate of Sponsorship?

Only the authorising office can add specific notes to an already issued/assigned certificate of sponsorship. These notes are called “Sponsors Notes”. The authorising office can only use these to rectify minor changes. Bigger changes such as Job titles change, or address change or name changes will require a new Certificate of Sponsorship

How many active Certificate of Sponsorships can you have on the system?

As the Sponsorship Management system are all connected with the Home Office systems there can only be One certificate of sponsorship per individual regardless of the Sponsor or the job title.

Can I request a premium allocation of a Certificate of Sponsorship?

The Home Office has implemented a priority change of circumstances service which allows the sponsor to priorities certain request each day.

For the sponsored company to use this service, you must be

1. A-rated Sponsor with an active Sponsorship Licence
2. Have submitted a request
3. The request must not be in progress/ or allocated to a caseworker
The additional certificate of sponsorship, but only is applicable for undefined (Note: any defined COS requests will be rejected, and a refund will not be issued)
4. You must pay £200 per request and the processing time for the allocation is up to five working days. 

What are the processing times for a Certificate of Sponsorship?

A defined Certificate of Sponsorship will be granted within 24 hours of the request. An undefined Certificate of Sponsorship can take up to 18 weeks unless you opt for a premium allocation with an extra fee.

What happens when a Certificate of Sponsorship is rejected/refused/expired?

When a Certificate of Sponsorship is rejected/refused there is no right of appeal or admin review. The employer must request for another Certificate of Sponsorship.

How can Morgan Smith Immigration help with the Certificate of Sponsorship?

Our team of expert Lawyers will review your company profile and suggest the best immigration advice to request, review and assign Certificate of Sponsorships.

If in case your application for a Certificate of Sponsorship leads to further checks our team of Lawyers will further assist you replying to the Home Office to make sure you receive a successful outcome.

How can Morgan Smith Immigration Help?

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