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A certificate of sponsorship (CoS) is an electronic record with a unique number, not a physical document. Every worker you sponsor for a UK work visa needs one, and only a licensed sponsor can assign it, so you must apply for a sponsor licence first.
What is a certificate of sponsorship?
A CoS is a record in the Home Office sponsorship management system (SMS). It holds the job details, salary and occupation code, and has a reference number the worker quotes on their visa application. It works as your confirmation to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) that you are offering a genuine role that meets the route's rules.
Timing matters. Once you assign a CoS, the worker must use it to apply for their visa within 3 months. They also cannot apply more than 3 months before the job start date shown on the certificate (GOV.UK: Certificates of sponsorship, checked 12 October 2026).
Defined vs undefined CoS
Which type you need depends on the route and where the worker is applying from.
| Defined CoS | Undefined CoS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Skilled Workers applying from outside the UK | Skilled Workers applying from inside the UK, and workers on all other routes |
| How you get it | Apply for each one individually through the SMS | Assign from your annual allocation |
| How long it takes | Usually approved within one working day, but this is indicative, not guaranteed | Extra allocation: usually a decision within 12 weeks, or within 5 working days if you pay for the faster service. Both are indicative, not guaranteed, and can take longer if UKVI makes checks |
Source: GOV.UK: Certificates of sponsorship, checked 12 October 2026.
Getting this wrong is serious. The sponsor guidance says the Home Office will normally revoke your licence if you assign an undefined CoS where a defined one is required, or a defined CoS for a different job from the one in your request (Sponsor guidance Part 2, paragraph S2.11, October 2026 version).
How much does a certificate of sponsorship cost?
| Certificate type | Cost per CoS |
|---|---|
| Worker routes (including Skilled Worker), except International Sportsperson | £525 |
| Temporary Worker routes | £55 |
| International Sportsperson, assigned for more than 12 months | £525 |
| International Sportsperson, assigned for 12 months or less | £55 |
Sources: GOV.UK: Certificates of sponsorship; Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 October 2026. Both checked 12 October 2026.
The immigration skills charge
If you assign a CoS for a Skilled Worker or a Senior or Specialist Worker, you may also have to pay the immigration skills charge. It is based on the length of the CoS and the size of your business, and you pay it in one go when you assign the certificate. It applies if the worker is applying from outside the UK to work here for 6 months or more, or from inside the UK for any length of time. You do not pay it for jobs in certain research and higher education occupation codes (2111 to 2115, 2119, 2161, 2162 and 2311), for the worker's dependants, for a worker switching from a visa that allows study to a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa (including when they later extend on that visa), or for certain EU nationals temporarily transferred on the Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker route. There is also a narrower exemption for a worker assigned a CoS under Tier 2 (General) or Tier 2 (ICT) Long-term Staff before 6 April 2017. It is not automatic: it applies only if that CoS led to a grant of entry clearance or permission to stay, the worker did the role it was assigned for, and they have not since stopped having permission as a Skilled Worker (or Tier 2 (General)) or a Senior or Specialist Worker (or its predecessor routes).
| Period | Small or charitable sponsors | Medium or large sponsors |
|---|---|---|
| First 12 months | £480 | £1,320 |
| Each additional 6 months | £240 | £660 |
Source: GOV.UK: Immigration skills charge, checked 12 October 2026. You are usually a small sponsor if at least two of these apply: annual turnover of £15 million or less, total assets of £7.5 million or less, 50 employees or fewer.
Worked example: one 3-year Skilled Worker hire
| Cost | Small or charitable sponsor | Medium or large sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of sponsorship | £525 | £525 |
| Immigration skills charge, first 12 months | £480 | £1,320 |
| Immigration skills charge, 4 further 6-month periods | £960 (4 × £240) | £2,640 (4 × £660) |
| Total sponsor cost | £1,965 | £4,485 |
This leaves out the worker's own visa fee and the immigration health surcharge. Those are paid with the visa application; see GOV.UK for current figures. If you do not yet hold a licence, the licence fee is £611 for small or charitable sponsors and £1,682 for medium or large sponsors on a Worker licence (GOV.UK: Apply for your licence). Our sponsor licence page explains the application. Eligibility depends on your organisation's and the worker's circumstances, so treat this guide as general guidance, not advice on your case.
How to request and assign a CoS, step by step
- Get your sponsor licence. You cannot request or assign a CoS without one.
- Make sure your Level 1 or Level 2 users can log in to the SMS. Our article on SMS access covers the current login checks.
- For a Skilled Worker applying from outside the UK, apply for a defined CoS in the SMS. For anyone else, use your undefined allocation, or request more if you have run out.
- Enter the job details: occupation code, job description, salary, working hours and start date. These must match the role the worker will actually do.
- Check whether the worker needs an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you assign.
- Assign the CoS and pay the CoS fee and any immigration skills charge.
- Give the worker the CoS reference number. They enter it in their visa application and must apply within 3 months (GOV.UK: Certificates of sponsorship, checked 12 October 2026).
Common CoS mistakes that put your licence at risk
- Assigning the wrong type. An undefined CoS where a defined one was needed will normally lead to revocation (S2.11).
- Wrong occupation code or salary. The code and pay must reflect the real job. A wrong occupation code is a significant error that means withdrawing the CoS and assigning a new one (S3.45).
- Passing costs to the worker. You must not recover any part of the CoS fee, or related admin costs, from the worker. If you do, the Home Office will normally revoke your licence (S2.13 to S2.14).
- Assigning too early. The worker must apply within 3 months of assignment and cannot apply more than 3 months before the job start date. Assign too far ahead and the CoS may expire unused.
- Missing an ATAS check for roles that need one.
Assigning certificates correctly is only part of the picture. Read your sponsor duties for record-keeping and reporting once the worker starts.
Can a CoS be changed or withdrawn?
Yes, within limits. While a CoS shows as "Assigned", you can add a sponsor note to change the start or end date, update salary or working hours, or correct a single minor error, such as a mistyped name or date of birth (Sponsor guidance Part 2, S3.42 to S3.44). Once the worker has used it, changes go through the "Report migrant activity" function instead. A Defined CoS is stricter. The salary and job details from your application are pre-filled and cannot be edited when you assign it. A sponsor note can change the salary or weekly hours only if the new salary scores the same number of points as the original, and can change the start and end dates. Any other change, such as a different occupation code or job description, or a salary change beyond those limits, means you must tell UKVI so it can cancel the CoS (Skilled Worker sponsor guidance, SK12.32 to SK12.34).
For a significant error, such as the wrong occupation code, the wrong route, or more than one mistake in the worker's personal details, a sponsor note cannot fix it: you must withdraw the CoS and assign a new one (S3.45). Source: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors, Part 2, updated 8 October 2026.
Certificate of sponsorship FAQs
What is a certificate of sponsorship?
An electronic record with a unique reference number that a licensed sponsor assigns to a worker so they can apply for a work visa. It isn't a physical document.
How much does a certificate of sponsorship cost in 2026?
£525 for Worker routes such as Skilled Worker, and £55 for Temporary Worker routes (GOV.UK). The immigration skills charge may apply on top.
What is the difference between a defined and undefined CoS?
Defined CoS are for Skilled Workers applying from outside the UK and are requested individually. Undefined CoS cover in-UK Skilled Worker applications and other routes, from your annual allocation.
How long does it take to get a defined CoS?
Usually within one working day, but this is a guide, not a guarantee. It can take longer if UKVI needs to make checks.
How long is a CoS valid?
The worker must use it to apply within 3 months of it being assigned.
Can the worker pay for the CoS?
No. The sponsor must pay, and asking the worker to pay can lead to licence revocation.
Need help with a sponsor licence or assigning a CoS?
Worldwide Immigration Ltd is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA reference F201900032). Our IAA-regulated advisers help employers apply for a licence, set up SMS users and assign certificates correctly. Call 020 3488 2308 or speak to our IAA-regulated advisers.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026. Fees and guidance checked on GOV.UK on 12 October 2026.