Checks before you trust an offer
Run these three checks on any sponsored offer: one before you sign, one whenever money comes up, one if the sponsor's licence changes.
Checked against gov.uk, 7 October 2026
Stop. Nobody should charge you for a job or a Certificate of Sponsorship.
Three checks on the offer line
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Before you sign
Find every clause that moves a visa cost onto you. Read each one, then send HR one question per clause.
- F4
Spot a scam
The moment anyone asks for money
Flip six red flags about your own offer, then run three checks anyone can run: the register, Companies House, the email domain.
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If you hear your sponsor is in trouble
Learn the three licence states, the time usually allowed to find a new sponsor, and the message to send HR.
One fact settles most cost questions
Who pays the Immigration Skills Charge: The employer, never the worker.
gov.uk warns sponsors they can lose their licence for passing that charge on to you (source 1).
Read the offer first, then the checks
The checks sit on the offer line, between the offer and your visa. Start with the offer checklist: salary, hours, start date and who pays which fee. Then follow the steps from offer to visa.
If a check turns up a Stop, go back to your shortlist of sponsors and keep it moving while you sort the offer out.
Each script and check belongs to a stop on the whole playbook. To see which stops are yours, set your route on the network panel.
Sources
- gov.uk guidance, UK visa sponsorship for employers: Immigration skills charge (opens gov.uk)
"You must pay the immigration skills charge yourself. Your licence may be revoked if you ask the sponsored worker to pay the fee or any costs linked to your application."
Checked 7 October 2026
Updated Checked against gov.uk on
What changed
- 7 October 2026: First published.
This is a playbook, not immigration advice. Before you act, check the rule on gov.uk or ask a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor.