UK Sponsor Licence Suspensions and Revocations Spike in 2025

The increase in enforcement didn't come out of nowhere. Throughout 2023 and early 2024, the government stepped up its scrutiny of businesses employing migrant workers. A surge in unannounced home office compliance visits and even Home Office raids in the beginning of 2025, when the UK government intensified its efforts to combat illegal immigration. Many of these visits targeted sectors known for high volumes of sponsorship, including care and hospitality.
 

The UK Immigration White Paper 2025 then cemented this trajectory with proposed reforms like higher skilled worker salary thresholds, higher skill thresholds, increased sponsorship compliance demands, etc. For many employers, it’s a clear sign that sponsor licence compliance is no longer a box-ticking exercise — it’s a core business risk.

If you're a UK sponsor licence holder, staying compliant means doing more than just getting paperwork in order. It’s about embedding good processes and staying ahead of requirements. That includes:

• Running accurate right to work checks using a valid share code UK.
   
• Knowing how to use the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
   
• Keeping detailed records of employees’ roles, salaries and immigration status, especially those on Skilled Worker visas.
   
• Understanding the rules around dependent visa UK holders and ensuring their documentation is correct.
   
• Staying on top of Certificate of Sponsorship UK allocations and usage.
   
• Your team also needs to be ready for Home Office interview questions, especially your authorising officer, who holds key responsibilities.

To stay compliant and avoid penalties such as a sponsor licence suspended or sponsor licence revoked status, employers must understand their core responsibilities. UKVI groups sponsor duties into three main areas:

1. Reporting Duties

To meet sponsor licence compliance standards, businesses must complete all required sponsor reporting duties via the Sponsorship Management System (SMS). This includes reporting changes to your organisation or sponsored workers — such as job title, salary, work location, or early termination — within 10 or 20 working days, depending on the situation.

2. Record-Keeping Duties

Maintaining proper records is a key part of sponsorship duties. Sponsors must keep documents for each worker, including:

• Right to work checks (e.g. passport copies, BRPs, and share code check proof)
• Up-to-date employee contact details
• Job descriptions, contracts, and salary records
• Absence and attendance logs
• Proof of qualifications and skills
• Visa documentation for dependents

These records must be kept for the length of sponsorship (or even longer) and be audit-ready in case of Home Office compliance visits.

3. Home Office Compliance with Immigration Laws

Sponsors must ensure that all sponsored roles comply with UK immigration laws and sponsor licence compliance requirements.

• Genuine Vacancy Rule
  Sponsored jobs must reflect real business needs. The job description must match what's on the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). The Home Office may investigate roles that appear inflated or created solely to enable immigration.
  
   
• Right to Work Checks (RTW)
  To meet UKVI right to work obligations, employers must carry out proper right to work check employer procedures before employment begins. This includes checking passports, visas, and BRPs. Ongoing monitoring is essential, especially for non-settled workers.
  • Initial Check: Before the employee starts, verify their right to work.
  • Ongoing Checks: Non-settled workers (e.g. Spouse, Student, Global Talent visa holders) require visa tracking and timely renewals.

For Skilled Worker visa holders (not directly sponsored), and for Student visa holders, RTW checks are required every 6 months. Use the official share code check to check someone's right to work online.
 

• ATAS Certification
  Certain science, engineering, and tech roles require ATAS certification. Sponsors must ensure it’s approved before employment begins.

Click here for a detailed Sponsor Licence Compliance Guide. 

This isn’t a trend to wait out. Whether you’re hiring for the first time or renewing a sponsorship licence, this environment demands action. Make sure your systems and staff are ready. Revisit your HR files. Schedule a mock audit. Use digital tools to make compliance easier — not harder.
 

Because the message from the Home Office is loud and clear: if you sponsor workers, you’re expected to do it right.