Scale-up Sponsor Licence - Your 2025 Guide

The UK Scale-up visa is a fast-track immigration route designed to help innovative, high-growth UK companies attract world-class talent. But before hiring through this route, your business needs to hold a Scale-up Sponsor Licence.

In this imminova guide, we walk through how the licence works, who’s eligible, how to apply, what it costs post–April 2025, and how to stay compliant - with practical insight for scaling employers.

1️⃣ What is a Scale-up Sponsor Licence?

A Scale-up Sponsor Licence lets qualifying UK businesses sponsor overseas nationals under the Scale-up visa route. The visa allows the worker to be tied to the sponsor for just 6 months - then gives them 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 route appeals to top-tier talent because of the short sponsorship tie-in. It’s especially popular among software, fintech, and biotech firms looking to stay globally competitive.

2️⃣ Who Is Eligible to Apply?

You must meet the official definition of a "scale-up business" to sponsor under this route.

Your company must:

• Have grown by 20% or more in turnover or staffing year-on-year for at least 3 years, and

• Have had at least 10 employees at the start of that 3-year period

These growth metrics are verified using HMRC PAYE records and filed company accounts.

💡 Imminova tip: If you're part of a group, the Home Office will only accept evidence for a single UK legal entity - not group-level data.

3️⃣ Job and Salary Requirements (from 22 July 2025)

To sponsor someone under the Scale-up route, the job must:

• Be at RQF Level 6+ (graduate level), and

• Pay at least £36,300 per year or £15.88 per hour

This is aligned with the Skilled Worker salary threshold from July 2025.

Common eligible roles:

Job Title	SOC Code
Software Engineer	2136
Financial Analyst	3531
Data Scientist	2135
Civil Engineer	2121
Product Manager	3543

Note: Roles must be on the eligible occupations list for the Scale-up route.

4️⃣ How to Apply for a Scale-up Sponsor Licence

Step-by-step:

1. Create an account on the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) portal

2. Pay the sponsor licence application fee (see fees below)

3. Submit supporting documents within 5 working days

4. Nominate key personnel:

   • Authorising Officer

   • Level 1 User

   • Key Contact

5. Await a decision (usually within 8 weeks, or 10 working days with priority service)

💼 Imminova tip: HR and compliance processes will be assessed, so prepare your systems - we offer audits pre-submission to help you avoid rejections.

5️⃣ Home Office Fees (From April 2025)

The UK government is increasing sponsor-related fees across the board. Here’s what you’ll now pay for Scale-up sponsorship:

Fee Type	Amount (from April 2025)
Sponsor licence application (Scale-up/ Temporary)	£574
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)	£55
Immigration Skills Charge	❌ Not required
Priority service (optional)	£500

There’s no small/charity discount under the Scale-up route.

6️⃣ What Happens After You’re Approved?

Once licensed, your company:

• Receives an A-rating on the Home Office register of sponsors

• Gains access to the Sponsor Management System (SMS)

• Can request and assign defined CoS for eligible roles

The sponsored worker then uses the CoS to apply for a 2-year Scale-up visa. You only sponsor them for the first 6 months - after that, they can work for any employer without further sponsorship.

🧠 Imminova tip: While your obligations end after 6 months, early-stage compliance failures (e.g. not reporting start dates) can still lead to licence downgrades or revocation.

7️⃣ How Scale-up Differs from Skilled Worker Sponsorship

Feature	Scale-up Route	Skilled Worker Route
Visa length	2 years	Up to 5 years
Sponsorship requirement	First 6 months only	Entire visa duration
Salary threshold (Jul 2025)	£36,300	£38,700
Immigration Skills Charge	❌ Not required	✅ Required
Flexibility for workers	✅ High (after 6 mo)	❌ Limited
Licence fee (post-April 25)	£574 (flat fee)	£1,579 (large), £574 (small)

8️⃣ Sponsor Duties: First 6 Months Only

Even though the Scale-up visa becomes unsponsored after 6 months, during the initial period you must:

• Keep records of ID, right to work, and contract

• Report start date, absences, or early terminations via SMS

• Monitor visa expiry and keep HR systems up to date

🧠 Imminova tip: Use our portal to track document expiry, automate SMS reporting, and get alerts when anything’s missing.

9️⃣ What About Dependants?

Scale-up visa holders can bring dependants - including spouses, partners, and children.

Dependants can work, study, and may apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) after 5 years if eligible.

🔟 Should You Consider the Scale-up Route?

✅ You’re growing fast and meet the 20% growth test

✅ You want to attract high-calibre talent

✅ You need fewer sponsorship obligations

✅ You want a cost-effective alternative to the Skilled Worker route

✅ You’re in tech, AI, finance, or another innovation-driven sector

🚀 Imminova insight: Employers using this route gain early access to flexible talent without long-term sponsorship commitments - ideal for agile hiring models.

Need Help Applying?

At imminova, we support high-growth companies through:

• Pre-application eligibility check

• Document preparation and submission

• Sponsor Management System (SMS) support

• Ongoing compliance and audits

• Integrating your HR system with our tech-driven platform

🎯 Want to check if you qualify for the Scale-up Sponsor Licence? Book a free assessment call with our immigration and compliance team today.