Employing overseas workers means holding the right licence, using it correctly and keeping it safe. Our business immigration solicitors act for employers at every stage, from a first sponsor licence to an urgent enforcement response, for organisations from single-site businesses to groups with several entities. We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and work from offices in Leeds, Sheffield and London.
If your licence has been suspended, or UKVI has told you it is going to visit, go straight to our urgent help below. For everything else, the four services below cover the work most employers need.
How we help employers
Sponsor Licence Applications
End to end preparation and submission, from eligibility and key personnel to the Appendix A documents and any pre-licence visit.
Skilled Worker Visas
The main sponsored work route, for employers and their workers, including occupation codes, the salary rules and refusals.
Suspensions, Refusals and Revocations
Urgent representations when a licence is suspended, refused or revoked, within the deadlines UKVI sets.
Civil Penalty Objections
Responding to a civil penalty for illegal working, from the information request to the objection and appeal.
Why employers instruct us
Our business immigration work is solicitor-led and regulated by the SRA. We act for employers and for their sponsored workers, so we see both sides of every sponsorship problem. We verify every piece of advice against the current guidance on the day we give it, because sponsor rules change often and quietly.
How engagement works
Start with a consultation. We scope the work, confirm the fee basis in writing before anything begins, and give you a named contact for the matter.
Employer FAQs
Do we need a sponsor licence to employ overseas workers?
Usually yes, including for EU citizens who arrived after 31 December 2020. You do not need one to employ Irish citizens, or people with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or people with indefinite leave to remain.
How long does a sponsor licence application take?
GOV.UK states most applications are decided in less than 8 weeks, with a limited paid priority service giving a decision in 10 working days (checked 7 July 2026). Preparation time before you apply is what you control.
What does sponsorship cost an employer?
Home Office fees depend on your organisation’s size and the certificates you assign, and sponsors must pay certain fees themselves by law. Our Fees page sets out the current figures and our own charges.
Can you support us on an ongoing basis?
Yes. Most sponsor clients combine scheduled compliance reviews with support on certificates and reporting as matters arise. Tell us how your team works and we will fit around it.
Speak to our business immigration team
Offices in Leeds, Sheffield and London. Book a consultation.