If your sponsor loses its licence through no fault of yours, you are normally allowed 60 days to find a new sponsor.
Checked against gov.uk, 7 October 2026
That period comes from caseworker guidance, not the Immigration Rules. It says the Home Office should normally allow it where the sponsor, not you, caused the problem, counted from when the decision is served on you (source 1).
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Subject: My visa and the sponsor licence
Hi [contact name],
I understand our sponsor licence may be under review. Could you tell me in writing what the current status is, whether my Certificate of Sponsorship or visa is affected, and who I should contact with questions? I would like to plan my next steps calmly.
Thank you,
[your name]
A sponsor licence can change in three ways. Each one is set out in gov.uk's guidance for sponsors, part 3. Find the state, read its section, then act.
Ask
The sponsor keeps its licence on a lower rating while it fixes problems.
gov.uk: The sponsor cannot assign certificates of sponsorship to new workers until it regains an A-rating; it must follow a time-limited action plan (no more than 3 months) or lose the licence; certificates can still be assigned to workers it already employs who want to extend.
Section C8. Downgrading your licence rating (opens gov.uk)
Do this. Check the rating on the register. For a new application the sponsor must be listed as A-rated; the rule makes an exception for a Skilled Worker staying with the same sponsor. Waiting on a certificate? Ask HR in writing what the rating means for it.
Ask
The licence is paused while the Home Office investigates. The outcome is not known yet.
gov.uk: The sponsor cannot assign certificates of sponsorship and is removed from the public register while suspended; workers it already sponsors who have valid permission are not affected unless the licence is then revoked.
Section C9. Suspending your licence (opens gov.uk)
Do this. Send HR the message below, check the register for the sponsor's entry, and start your next shortlist now, quietly, in case it is revoked.
Stop
The licence is taken away. Sponsorship through this employer ends.
gov.uk: The sponsor can no longer sponsor workers; the Home Office will normally cancel the permission of workers it sponsors. A worker who was not involved in the reasons for revocation will normally be left with 60 calendar days (unless they already have 60 days or less left).
Section C10. Revoking your licence (opens gov.uk)
Do this. Ask HR for the date the decision was served, then turn straight to your shortlist. The time usually allowed is 60 days, and it is not promised.
Ask your employer in writing first: the cue card does it in one message. Keep the reply with its date. Then check the register yourself, because HR may not know the full picture yet.
At the same time, restart the search. Shortlist sponsors in your field, then use the scripts for asking about sponsorship to contact them this week.
The register lists the organisations licensed to sponsor workers, with each one's route and rating. Search for your sponsor's exact name.
Not usually that day. Caseworker guidance says the Home Office should normally allow time to find a new sponsor where the problem was the sponsor's, counted from when the decision is served on you. Ask a regulated adviser about your own dates.
That choice is yours. A suspension is an investigation, not an outcome. Ask HR in writing, check the register, and get advice from a regulated immigration adviser or a solicitor before you act.
A new sponsor would assign you a new certificate, and you would make a new application. Build the shortlist first, then follow the steps from offer to visa on this line.
Flip each switch when it is done. They stay set on this device only.
Also on the offer line: the steps from offer to visa, spotting a sponsorship scam, or all three checks.
"Where the reason for cancellation is not the fault of the applicant but is, for example, due to the actions of their sponsor, you should normally allow them 60 days to find a new sponsor."Checked 7 October 2026
"SW 5.3. The sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in their last permission."Checked 7 October 2026
"This document lists Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors. It includes information about the category of workers they’re licensed to sponsor and their sponsorship rating."Checked 7 October 2026
"C8.3. If we downgrade your licence to a B-rating, you will have to comply with a time-limited action plan, for which you must pay a fee, and you will not be allowed to sponsor any new workers until you have regained your A-rating."Checked 7 October 2026
"C9.4. Workers you are sponsoring at the time of the suspension, and who have valid permission to enter or stay, will not be affected, unless or until we decide to revoke your licence."Checked 7 October 2026
"C10.2. If we revoke your licence, it will be revoked in all the routes in which you are licensed. You will not be able to sponsor any more workers and we will normally cancel the permission of any workers you are sponsoring."Checked 7 October 2026
"If we reasonably suspect that you are failing to comply with your sponsor duties, we may take action against you. This can include any of the following sanctions:"Checked 7 October 2026
"You may lose your licence if you do not meet your responsibilities as a sponsor."Checked 7 October 2026
Updated Checked against gov.uk on
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.