Sponsoring Migrants

If you want to employ skilled workers from outside the EEA in a permanent or long-term job, you must sponsor them under Tier 2 of the points-based system.

If you want to employ skilled workers from outside the EEA on a temporary basis, you must sponsor them under Tier 5 of the points-based system.

If a highly skilled migrant from outside the EEA is already coming to or in the United Kingdom under Tier 1 of the points-based system, you can employ them without needing to sponsor them.

Tier 3 of the points-based system is currently suspended. This means that you cannot employ low-skilled workers from outside the EEA.

Key elements of the points-based system

  1. You must obtain a sponsor licence before you can employ skilled workers under Tiers 2 and 5.
  2. You must comply with your sponsorship duties.
  3. You must issue a certificate of sponsorship to each non-EEA worker who you want to sponsor, so that they can apply for a new visa or extension oftheir stay.
  4. You must use the sponsorship management system to issue and pay for each certificate of sponsorship, and to fulfil your reporting duties.

Tiers and categories

There are four categories of skilled worker in Tier 2:

  • General
  • Intra Company Transfer
  • Minister of Religion
  • Sportsperson

There are five categories of temporary worker in Tier 5:

  • creative and sporting
  • charity worker
  • religious worker
  • government authorised exchange
  • international agreement

(Tier 5 also covers the youth mobility scheme, which is not an employment route.)

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