Tier 2 (General)
Changes to your sponsor's licence
This page explains how the status of your sponsor’s licence can affect you under Tier 2 General of the points-based system to work in the UK.
On this page
If we are thinking about taking action against your sponsor
If you are coming to the UK
If your sponsor has been told we are thinking about taking action against them for a breach of their duties, you cannot apply for permission to come or stay even if you have a certificate of sponsorship from the sponsor. We will hold your application until we decide on the sponsor licence.
If you have a certificate of sponsorship given before we were thinking about taking action against the sponsor, and have not yet travelled to the UK, we will try and contact you to tell you not to come until we have made a decision on the sponsor's licence.
If you are already in the UK
If you have already travelled to the UK, you will be allowed to enter and start work for your sponsor.
If your sponsor's licence is suspended
If your sponsor has their licence suspended, they cannot assign any new certificates of sponsorship, but this does not affect you if you already have your certificate of sponsorship and you are already in the UK.
If you are extending your stay
You can still apply to extend your permission to stay if it runs out when your sponsor's licence is suspended as long as you already have your certificate of sponsorship. But you cannot apply to come to the UK for the first time for permission to come to the UK until the suspension is removed. We will hold your application until the suspension is removed.
If you are coming to the UK
If you have a certificate of sponsorship given before the sponsor's license was suspended, and have not yet travelled to the UK, we will try and contact you to tell you not to come until we have resolved the suspension.
If you are already in the UK
If you have already travelled to the UK, you will be allowed to enter the UK and start working for your sponsor.
If your sponsor's licence is withdrawn
If your sponsor's licence is withdrawn, all the certificates of sponsorship it has issued will become invalid.
If you are coming to the UK
If you sponsor's licence is withdrawn, your certificate of sponsorship is cancelled by us and your application will be refused.
If you have been given permission to come but have not travelled yet, your permission to come is cancelled.
If you travel to the UK, you will not be allowed to enter.
If you are already in the UK
If you are already in the UK working for your sponsor when their licence is being withdrawn, then we will limit your permission to stay to:
- 60 days if you were not involved in the reasons why the sponsor had their licence withdrawn;
- immediately if we think you were involved in the reasons why your sponsor's licence was withdrawn.
We will not limit your permission to stay if you have less than 6 months left.
You may want to apply for permission to stay with another sponsor during this time.
If your sponsor is taken over
If your sponsor is taken over by another organisation and/or there is a transfer of employment, the new employer must apply to become a licensed sponsor within 28 calendar days of taking over the business.
If your new employer does not apply for a licence, we will limit your permission to stay to 60 days. You may want to apply for permission to stay with another sponsor. We will not limit your permission to stay if you have less than 6 months left.
If your new employer does not get a licence, then any certificate of sponsorship they issued is invalid.
If your sponsor does not renew their licence
If your new employer does not get a licence, then any certificate of sponsorship they issued is invalid. It is likely that we will limit your permission to stay to 60 days. We will not limit your permission to stay if you have less than 6 months left. You may want to apply for permission to stay with another sponsor.
If you have been given permission to come but have not travelled yet, your permission to come is cancelled.