The UK updates Certificate of Sponsorship numbers

From January 1, 2021, employers in the UK will be required to have a sponsor licence for the purpose of recruiting any worker from outside the UK – this includes EEA, EU and Swiss citizens. 

 

This is in keeping with the implementation of the new UK points-based immigration system that seeks to provide an equal opportunity to all, regardless of their nationality.

 

Basic step-wise process for securing a sponsor licence

STEP 1: Checking if the business is eligible

STEP 2: Choosing the kind of licence – restricted or unrestricted – that the employer would want to apply for

STEP 3: Deciding as to who would be managing the sponsorship within the business

STEP 4 : Applying online and paying the fee

STEP 5: If application successful, a licence rating will be given

STEP 6: The employer can then issue certificates of sponsorship [CoS], provided they have jobs that require sponsorship

 

While the licence will be valid for a period of 4 years, the licence might be lost if the UK employer is unable to meet their responsibilities as a sponsor.

 

A certificate of sponsorship will have to be assigned by the employer to each of the foreign workers that they would be employing.

 

The sponsorship certificate is an electronic record and not a physical document as such. Each of the CoS has a unique number that can be used by the foreign worker for applying for a visa.

 

A certificate will be to be used within 3 months of their being assigned by the UK employer.

There are two kinds of certificates –

 

Unrestricted certificates Referred to as ‘unrestricted’ certificates as the employer can get as many as required by their business.   Evidence will have to be provided by the employer for proving a requirement for the number of certificates asked for.

Restricted certificates These are for – Tier 2 [General] workers currently overseas, to be paid less than £159,600 a year Dependents of Tier 4 migrants that are switching over to a Tier 2 visa Only a limited number of restricted certificates are available each month.

 

Once the certificate has been secured, the foreign worker can then proceed to submitting their visa application. Applications are to be considered on the first working day that follows the 10th day of the month. This is the “allocation date”.

 

Those applying after the 5th day of the month will have their applications put on hold until the following month’s allocation date.

 

The details for the “Allocations of restricted certificates of sponsorship” are regularly updated by UK Visas and Immigration.

 

The most recent update of the same was on November 11, 2020.

 

The document lists the monthly allocation of restricted certificates of sponsorship as per the limit on migration through Tier 2.

 

While the latest allocation meeting was held on November 11, 2020, the details of the same will be updated in December.

 

Allocations of restricted certificates of sponsorship in 2020 so far

 

	Date of allocation meeting
	October 12, 2020	September 11, 2020	August 11, 2020	July 11, 2020	June 11, 2020	May 11, 2020	April 11, 2020	March 11, 2020	February 11, 2020	January 11, 2020
Number of certificates of sponsorship from annual limit set aside for allocation meeting in the month	1500	2000	2000	2000	2000	2000	2200	100	1500	1500
Balance of certificates of sponsorship carried over from previous month	6055	5305	2897	2897	2051	1121	0	1581	1797	1196
Number of certificates returned during previous month	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Number of certificates reclaimed as not used within three months	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	1	2	254
Number of certificates granted by exceptional consideration outside of monthly allocation during previous month.	21	42	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5
Total number of certificates of sponsorship available for allocation this month.	7534	7263	4897	4897	4053	3122	2200	2582	3301	2945
Minimum point score for successful applications this month.	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	40
Total number of certificates of sponsorship granted this month.	1229	1208	1204	1204	1156	1071	1079	1663	1720	1148
Tier 2 [General – New hires under £159,600]	1204	1178	1194	1194	1144	1053	1071	1648	1706	1132
Tier 2 [General - Tier 4 dependant switching to Tier 2]	25	30	10	10	12	18	8	15	14	16
Balance of certificates of sponsorship carried over to next month.	6305	6055	4693	4693	2897	2051	1121	NA	1581	1797
Number of certificates of sponsorship available for allocation in next month.	7805	7555	5693	5693	4897	4051	3122	NA	2581	3297

 

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to the UK, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

The UK reveals new immigration rules for businesses