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Need to contact the Home Office about your sponsor licence? Get the right phone numbers, emails, and tips to reach UKVI faster. Updated guide for UK employers.

Expanding into the UK often starts with one critical question: How do we legally move senior people to the UK before we are fully operational? For overseas businesses without an existing UK trading presence, the UK Expansion Worker visa  is the Home Office’s answer. It allows international companies to deploy a small number of trusted senior employees to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary - but it comes with strict limits, tight compliance rules, and no margin for err

Hiring internationally is no longer just about finding talent. It’s about proving - clearly and defensibly - that your salary decisions meet UK immigration rules. At the centre of this is the Skilled Worker going rate . It’s one of the most misunderstood parts of sponsorship, and one of the easiest places for employers to fall out of compliance without realising it. In 2026, with higher salary thresholds and closer Home Office scrutiny, getting this wrong is no longer a low-r

For UK employers that rely on sponsored talent, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) has quietly become one of the most significant - and most misunderstood - costs of hiring internationally. Introduced to encourage investment in the domestic workforce, the ISC is not a fee you can negotiate, reduce, or pass on to employees. It is a fixed cost of sponsorship, payable upfront, and from December 2025 it will increase sharply. In this article, we explain what the Immigration Skil

Hiring international talent can be a powerful growth lever for UK businesses - but sponsoring someone for a work visa is a regulated process, not a simple job offer. Employers must secure Home Office approval, meet strict compliance standards, and maintain those standards for as long as they sponsor migrant workers. This guide explains, in clear and practical terms, how to sponsor someone for a UK work visa , what’s involved at each stage, and what employers need to plan for

Applying for a UK sponsor licence can be a slow process - even when everything has been prepared carefully. Standard processing times can stretch to several weeks, and for businesses with live hiring needs, that delay can have real commercial consequences. To help employers manage tight recruitment timelines, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) offers two fast-track options: Pre-Licence Priority Service  - for faster decisions on new sponsor licence applications Post-Licence Pri

The UK’s Global Talent Visa: Your Gateway to Exceptional Talent The UK’s Global Talent visa is designed to attract world-leading individuals in fields like science, engineering, digital technology, arts, and culture. It’s flexible, fast-tracked, and crucially - it’s unsponsored , meaning no employer licence is needed. If you're an employer looking to hire innovators, researchers, or creatives, or you're a high-potential individual aiming to relocate to the UK, here's everythi

The UK Graduate Visa: Your Pathway to Work in the UK The UK Graduate visa is one of the most accessible immigration routes for international students. It allows you to stay and work in the UK after completing your studies. Whether you’re a graduate eager to kickstart your career or an employer looking to tap into this talent pool, understanding this route is crucial—especially with upcoming changes on the horizon. ⚠️ July 2025 : The UK Government confirmed that the Graduate

Understanding the Scale-up Sponsor Licence A Scale-up Sponsor Licence allows qualifying UK businesses to sponsor overseas nationals under the Scale-up Visa route . This visa ties the worker to the sponsor for just 6 months . After that, they gain full work flexibility for the remainder of their 2-year visa. Once your licence is approved, you can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to qualifying candidates to support their visa application. ⚡ Imminova insight: This ro

The Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes offer powerful options for international companies to transfer staff to the UK or establish a...

In a major shift to sponsorship rules, the UK government has removed the requirement for most employers to renew their sponsor licence ...

Illegal working enforcement is a growing focus for the Home Office. Employers who fail to carry out proper right to work checks - or...

Holding a sponsor licence gives your business access to global talent. But with that privilege comes strict legal duties. The Home...

Holding a sponsor licence comes with serious responsibilities - and getting it wrong can lead to enforcement action by the Home Office,...

In 2025, right to work (RTW) checks remain a legal must for all UK employers - and the penalties for getting it wrong are only growing. Whether you're hiring a British graduate or an EU national with settled status, the law requires you to carry out a correct check before employment begins . This guide explains what counts as a compliant check , how rules have changed post-Brexit, and how imminova automates the pain points many HR teams face. 1️⃣ What Is a Right to Work Chec

If you're a UK employer looking to sponsor overseas talent, understanding SOC codes  is absolutely essential. The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code  isn’t just a box to tick - it's the foundation of any Skilled Worker visa application. Get it wrong, and you risk Home Office refusal , compliance breaches, or failed audits. This Imminova guide breaks down what SOC codes are, why they matter, how to select the right one, and how recent immigration changes (from Ju

The Skilled Worker visa remains one of the UK’s most vital immigration routes for employers looking to recruit overseas talent. From 22 July 2025 , the rules have undergone major updates , especially around salary thresholds and job eligibility. This guide offers a clear breakdown of everything UK employers need to know. 1️⃣ What Is the Skilled Worker Visa? The Skilled Worker visa allows UK-based employers with a sponsor licence to hire workers from outside the UK for eligib

Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are a key part of the UK’s Points-Based Immigration System. They act as a digital link between UK...

The Immigration Salary List (ISL)  is a key tool used by the Home Office to manage the UK’s Skilled Worker visa route. It outlines...

The Temporary Shortage Occupation List (TSL) is a new, time-limited route within the UK Skilled Worker visa scheme, introduced on 22 July...