Tier 2 Sponsorship
WORKING IN THE UK: UKVI TIER 2 SPONSORSHIP
This section explains the role of sponsorship in the skilled worker category Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system (PBS). You must have a UKVI licensed Tier 2 sponsor, who will assign you with a certificate of sponsorship (COS) before you can apply to come to the UK to work.
Register of sponsors - This subsection explains what the register of sponsors is and how you should use it under Tier 2 General of the points-based system.
All employers who want to act as a sponsor need a UKVI licence. Once they get a licence, they are added to the register of UKVI Tier 2 sponsors. The UKVI Tier 2 sponsorship register has the name, location and rating of the organisation. All UKVI sponsors are given an A rating or B rating when they join the Tier 2 visa sponsorship register. A B rating is a transitional rating and means that the sponsor is working with us to improve their systems.
Employing migrants - This subsection explains what your UKVI sponsor must do before it can employ you to work in the UK under Tier 2 (General) of the points-based system.
A sponsor can employ a migrant to do a job on the shortage occupation list, or to do any other job for which it has complied with the UKVI resident labour market test.
Jobs on the shortage occupation list - The Tier 2 occupation list (shortages) has been developed with the independent Migration Advisory Committee. If you are applying under Tier 2 (General) to do a job that is on the UK shortage occupation list, you will automatically score enough points for your attributes. Your contracted working hours must be at least 30 hours a week in the shortage occupation job.
The UKVI resident labour market test - If your sponsor decides to employ you in the UK to do a job that is not in a shortage occupation, the sponsor must demonstrate that there are no suitable settled workers or nationals of a country in the European Economic Area (including the UK) to fill the job. To demonstrate this, the sponsor must comply with the resident labour market test before it assigns a certificate of sponsorship (COS) to you.
Certificate of sponsorship - This subsection explains what a certificate of sponsorship (‘COS’) is, including the difference between a live and valid certificate under Tier 2 General of the points-based system (Tier 2 PBS) to work in the UK.
What is a UK Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship (COS)? A Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship is not an actual certificate or paper document, but is a unique reference number, which holds information about the job and your personal details. Your sponsor will give you your certificate of sponsorship reference number. Having a UKVI certificate of sponsorship alone does not mean you will be successful in applying to come or stay in the UK. You must meet the requirements of the tier and category you are applying under as well. The certificate of sponsorship will run out if it is not used by you to apply within 3 months of the sponsor assigning it to you. If you apply using a certificate of sponsorship that has run out, your application will be refused.
What is a live UK Tier 2 certificate of sponsorship? Tier 2 sponsors assign certificates using the sponsorship management system (‘SMS’), and you can only have one live certificate of sponsorship in the system at any one time. A live certificate of sponsorship is one that the sponsor has assigned to you, but that you have not used yet to apply for Tier 2.
What must your certificate of sponsorship (Tier 2) show? Your certificate of sponsorship must have the same details as in your passport be assigned to you by your sponsor no more than three months before the date you apply and it must not have been withdrawn by your sponsor or us.
Withdrawing a certificate - This subsection explains how a certificate of sponsorship can be withdrawn by you, us or your sponsor under Tier 2 General of the points-based system to work in the UK.
What is a withdrawn certificate of sponsorship? A certificate of sponsorship can be withdrawn at any time by your sponsor. Once the certificate has been withdrawn, it becomes invalid and cannot be used.
What is a cancelled certificate of sponsorship? A certificate of sponsorship can be cancelled at any time by us. Once the certificate has been cancelled, it becomes invalid and cannot be used.
How do I withdraw a certificate of sponsorship as I want to take a different job with another sponsor? If you do not want to take the job from one UKVI sponsor as you want to take a job from another UK sponsor, you must contact the first sponsor and ask them to withdraw the certificate of sponsorship. You must do this in writing or by email and give the sponsor 5 working days to withdraw the certificate.
Sponsor’s role - This subsection explains the record keeping and reporting required by your sponsor under Tier 2 General of the points-based system when you work in the UK.
Your sponsor's record keeping - Your sponsor must keep a copy of your passport or UK immigration status document, (you should keep the original) and also your contact details.
Your sponsor's reporting - Your sponsor reports to us: if you do not turn up for your first day at work; if you are absent from work for more than 10 working days without the sponsor's permission; if your contract of employment (including if you resign or are dismissed) or if any registration you need to work in the UK (such as with a governing body) is ended; if they stop sponsoring you for any other reason, for example, if you move in to an immigration category that does not need sponsorship; if there are any significant changes in your circumstances, for example, a change of job or salary (but not job title or annual pay rise); any suspicions they may have that you are breaking the conditions of your permission to stay. You must give your sponsor all the information they need to be able to meet the reporting above.
Account manager or compliance officer visits - During a UKVI visit, our teams may want to speak to you and other migrant workers employed.