Sponsor Licence Compliance Solicitors
If your business needs advice on meeting its sponsor licence compliance duties, our Solicitors, who have over 25 years of experience in business immigration law, can help.
Holding a sponsor licence creates ongoing legal obligations that run for the full duration of the licence. Those duties are set out in Part 3 of the Workers and Temporary Workers sponsor guidance. They require the business to carry out right-to-work checks before each sponsored worker starts, to keep records in a prescribed form, to report changes in a worker’s circumstances within ten working days, and to cooperate with compliance visits.
At Law Lane Solicitors, we advise licensed sponsors on compliance across the Skilled Worker, Temporary Worker, and Global Business Mobility routes. We work with businesses at every stage of the compliance cycle, from setting up HR systems that meet the Home Office standard at the point of initial licensing, through to advising on the correct response when a compliance visit reveals shortcomings.
Compliance errors are not always the result of deliberate failures. Many arise from HR staff who are unfamiliar with the rules, systems that have not been updated to reflect rule changes, or a misunderstanding of what constitutes a reportable event. We help businesses identify and correct those errors before they are identified during a Home Office visit.
Our Sponsor Licence Compliance Legal Services
We advise and assist with the following:
- Reviewing HR processes, record-keeping systems, and right-to-work procedures against the current compliance requirements.
- Advising on the reporting obligations under the sponsorship management system and the events that must be reported.
- Training HR teams and key personnel on their day-to-day compliance obligations.
- Advising on the correct procedure when a sponsored worker is absent without authorisation.
- Advising on the steps to take when a sponsored worker changes role, salary, or working location within the business.
- Preparing for Home Office compliance visits, including a review of the records and procedures the visiting officer is likely to examine.
- Advising on responses to Home Office requests for information during a compliance review.
- Advising on the prohibition on passing on the cost of the sponsor licence application fee or the immigration skills charge to a sponsored worker.
- Advising on record retention and the documents that must be held for each sponsored worker throughout the visa period.
- Advising on compliance issues arising from hybrid and remote working arrangements.
- Advising on the implications of a TUPE transfer, business sale, or corporate restructure for an existing sponsor licence.
- Advising on the steps to take when a licence rating is downgraded and what that means for existing sponsored workers.
Why Choose Law Lane Solicitors for Sponsor Licence Compliance Advice?
The Home Office visits sponsors without prior notice. When a compliance officer arrives, the business has no time to prepare. The records either exist in the correct form or they do not. We help businesses reach a state of readiness before any visit takes place.
Changes to the compliance rules in recent years have added layers of obligation that some businesses have not yet fully absorbed. The January 2025 prohibition on passing the cost of the licence application fee or the immigration skills charge to sponsored workers is one example. Hybrid and remote working reporting is another. We keep our clients informed of changes that affect their existing obligations.
We also advise on what happens when a compliance failure has already occurred. A sponsor whose rating has been downgraded, or who has received a letter identifying a concern, needs to respond appropriately and promptly. We advise on the response before it is sent.
Get in Touch
If you have questions about your sponsor licence compliance obligations, or if a Home Office visit is planned or has already taken place, contact us today.
Book a consultation and receive advice on the specific steps your business needs to take.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk

Law Lane Solicitors is proud to be accredited under The Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation.
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“I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the outstanding service provided by Law Lane Solicitors Limited. The entire team is highly professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to supporting their clients. In particular, I would like to thank Salman Shah and Mariya Hussain for their exceptional work. I had six very complicated immigration cases, and throughout the process they handled everything with great professionalism, expertise, and care. Salman Shah and his team worked diligently on each case, always providing clear guidance and support. Thanks to their hard work and commitment, all of our cases were successfully approved. I highly recommend Law Lane Solicitors Limited to anyone seeking reliable and professional immigration legal services.“ – T on Trustpilot (March ’26)
Frequently Asked Questions – Sponsor Licence Compliance
What are the main compliance obligations of a licensed sponsor?
A licensed sponsor must carry out right-to-work checks before each sponsored worker starts, keep copies of specified documents throughout the visa period, report changes in a worker’s circumstances within ten working days, cooperate with Home Office compliance visits, and comply with all UK employment law.
What events must be reported on the sponsorship management system?
Reportable events include a worker failing to start on the expected date, a worker being absent without authorisation for more than ten consecutive working days, the end of employment before the visa expiry date, a significant change to the role or salary, a change of working location, and a change in the personal details of a key personnel member.
What records must the business keep for each sponsored worker?
The sponsor must hold copies of the worker’s passport and travel documents, evidence that the right-to-work check was carried out before work began, evidence of the worker’s National Insurance number, and records showing the salary paid. Records must be retained throughout the visa period and for at least one year after employment ends.
Can a business pass the cost of the licence or the skills charge to the worker?
No. Since the end of 2024, sponsors are prohibited from passing on the cost of the sponsor licence application fee or the immigration skills charge to sponsored workers, whether through a direct charge, a salary deduction, or a contractual repayment clause.
What happens during a Home Office compliance visit?
A compliance officer will ask to see the records held for each sponsored worker, check whether reporting obligations are current, and assess whether the business is operating as described in the licence application. The visit may be announced or unannounced. It can result in no action, a rating downgrade, a caution, a suspension, or a revocation.
What does a sponsor rating downgrade mean?
Sponsors are rated A or B. An A rating is the standard rating of a compliant sponsor. A B rating is applied where the Home Office has identified compliance concerns but has not revoked the licence. An action plan must be completed within a specified period to return to an A rating. During the B rating period, the sponsor cannot assign new certificates of sponsorship.
What should a business do when a sponsored worker's role changes?
If a sponsored worker is promoted, changes job title, moves to a different work location, or receives a salary change that affects the threshold, the sponsor should assess whether the change is reportable and whether any action is required before the change takes effect.
Does a TUPE transfer affect the sponsor licence?
Yes. When a business transfer occurs under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE), the transferring sponsor’s licence does not automatically transfer to the new employer. The new employer must hold its own sponsor licence or apply for one before the transfer completes.
What are the consequences of a compliance failure?
Minor failures may lead to an action plan or a rating downgrade. More serious failures, including repeated non-compliance or employing workers without the right to work, can lead to licence revocation.
How often should a business review its compliance procedures?
A formal internal compliance review should take place at least annually, and whenever there is a significant change in the business or the immigration rules that apply to the route. We offer periodic compliance reviews for businesses that want assurance between Home Office visits.
What happens to sponsored workers if the licence is revoked?
If a sponsor licence is revoked, existing sponsored workers are sent a notification by the Home Office, and their leave may be curtailed to 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the UK. We advise employers on how to manage this process should revocation occur.
How much does an initial consultation cost?
We offer a fixed-fee initial consultation. At that meeting, we carry out an initial review of the business’s compliance position, identify any areas of concern, and set out what work is needed. Please call or email to arrange a time.
Get in Touch
Whether you are applying for the first time, extending your leave, or dealing with a problem mid-course, our immigration team is ready to help.
Phone: 020 7870 4870
Email: info@lawlanesolicitors.co.uk
Book a consultation with our immigration team and start your studies in the UK with your immigration status in order.
Immigration Team
Tahir Shahab Khan
Supervising Director, Solicitor AdvocateView Profile | ContactBook Appointment
Salman Shah
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Sikandar Ali Jatoi
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Ahmed Syed
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