Certificate of sponsorship: what to check before you apply for your visa
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Your certificate of sponsorship is an electronic record that your employer creates. Before you apply, ask for a copy and check your name, job title, occupation code, salary, hours and dates against your offer. Your employer can fix mistakes. Then apply within 3 months of the day it was assigned.
What is a certificate of sponsorship, and what do I get?
It's an electronic record, not a paper document. Your employer creates it on the Home Office's sponsorship system and gives you its reference number, which you use in your visa application. You only need the number to apply, but ask for a full copy so you can check the details. Keep the number private.
GOV.UK says your employer checks that you meet the eligibility requirements and then gives you a certificate of sponsorship to prove it. Assigning one doesn't guarantee a visa: GOV.UK's guidance for sponsors says you still have to meet every requirement of the visa. Our guide on when to tell an employer you need visa sponsorship shows where this step fits in hiring.
What should I check on my certificate?
Check every detail against your offer letter or contract. GOV.UK says you'll give your reference number, job title, annual salary, occupation code, employer name and sponsor licence number when you apply, and that the employer's name and licence number are on the certificate. Copy them from the certificate, not from your offer letter, so the two always match.
| What to check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Your name, date of birth, nationality and passport details. Compare them with your passport. | An employer can correct one small slip, such as a mistyped name. More than one wrong personal detail normally means a new certificate. |
| Visa route. It should match the visa your offer describes. | A certificate assigned on the wrong route has to be withdrawn and replaced. |
| Employer name. Search the register of licensed sponsors or our sponsor licence checker. | The Immigration Rules say the employer must be A-rated on the register. The rating is listed there too. |
| Job title and description. They should match your offer letter or contract. | The guidance says the role and job description must accurately reflect what you'll do. |
| Occupation code. Compare it with your duties, then look it up on our occupation codes and going rates page. | It decides whether the job is eligible and sets its going rate. A wrong code means a new certificate. |
| Salary. Compare it with your offer, counting base pay only. | It must be gross pay without allowances, and at least the minimum for your code and hours. See job offer below the going rate. |
| Weekly hours. They should match your contract. | The going rate is scaled to these hours. |
| Start date. Compare it with your own plans. | You can't apply more than 3 months before it, so leave room for the visa decision. |
| End date. Compare it with the length of the job you were offered. | You're granted permission until 14 days after this date. A certificate can run for up to 5 years, or 4 years for a new entrant. |
| Money to support yourself. Compare it with your savings. | If your employer completes the "sponsor certifies maintenance" section, you don't have to show savings. GOV.UK says it's under "Additional data". |
What if something on my certificate is wrong?
Tell your employer before you apply. GOV.UK's guidance for sponsors says an employer can correct a small error, or change a start date, end date, salary detail or working hours, by adding a note to a certificate that's still assigned. The employer must withdraw the certificate and assign a new one if the occupation code or route is wrong, or if more than one of your nationality, date of birth and surname is wrong.
Wait for the new reference number before you apply. The same guidance says the Home Office refuses any application that uses a withdrawn certificate, and that the certificate fee isn't refunded, so a new certificate costs the employer a second fee.
To ask for a copy:
Could you send me a copy of my certificate of sponsorship, not just the reference number? I'd like to check the details against my offer before I apply.
To report a mistake:
Thanks for the certificate of sponsorship. I've checked it against my offer, and the [occupation code] shows [what I see] but my offer says [what I expected]. Could you correct it, or assign a new certificate if it needs one? Could you also send me the new reference number before I apply?
When do I have to apply?
You must apply within 3 months of the day your employer assigns the certificate, and no more than 3 months before the start date on it. GOV.UK gives both limits. If the first window closes, the employer has to assign and pay for a new certificate to keep sponsoring you.
The two limits can leave a short window. Suppose the certificate is assigned on 1 March and the start date is 1 August. You can't apply before 1 May, the earliest date the start date allows, and you must apply by 1 June, the last date the assignment date allows. That leaves a window of one month. Had it been assigned on 1 May, you'd have until 1 August. Our certificate of sponsorship expiry page has a calculator for the last day.
Also leave time for the decision. GOV.UK says you'll usually get one within 3 weeks from outside the UK and 8 weeks from inside it, once you've applied, proved your identity and given your documents. Ask your employer for a start date that leaves room for that, and for delays. How you apply depends on where you are: apply from outside the UK or, from inside it, switch to the Skilled Worker visa.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a copy of my certificate of sponsorship to apply?
You only need its reference number to apply. GOV.UK says to ask your employer for a copy if you don't have one, and an employer can print one from the sponsorship system. Ask for it, so you can check the details your application repeats.
Can the start date change after the certificate is assigned?
Yes. Until the Home Office decides your application, your employer can report a new start date or end date by adding a note to the certificate. It doesn't need a new certificate. Tell your employer as soon as your plans change.
Does a certificate of sponsorship guarantee my visa?
No. GOV.UK's guidance for sponsors says assigning a certificate doesn't guarantee a visa. You still have to meet every requirement, including English and salary. Wait for the decision before you resign or give up your home.
Can I use the same certificate again if my application is refused?
No. Once the Home Office grants or refuses an application, the certificate shows as used. If it's refused and any administrative review fails, the employer has to assign and pay for a new certificate to keep sponsoring you. If the application was rejected as invalid or withdrawn, you can reuse the certificate until it expires.
Can I hold certificates from two employers at once?
Not normally. You can have only one certificate assigned for use in an application at a time, so the first employer has to withdraw its certificate before the second can assign one. Ask in writing. GOV.UK's guidance for sponsors lets you ask UKVI to cancel it if the employer doesn't withdraw it when you ask.