The concept of sponsorship is central to the points-based system. Companies that wish to employ a migrant worker must act as their sponsor during their stay in the UK. Before a company can sponsor a migrant, it must obtain a sponsor licence.

Companies or organisations can apply for a ‘Sponsor licence’ if:

• They are a genuine and legitimate organisation operating lawfully in the UK.
• They are honest, dependable, reliable, and have not engaged in behaviour or actions that are not conducive to the public good.
• They have the appropriate human resource (HR) recruitment systems in place to comply with their sponsorship duties.
• They can offer genuine employment that meets the skill level and salary requirements.
• There are no reasons to believe they pose a threat to immigration control.

Once the sponsor licence is granted, the company will receive a sponsor rating. For employers, this will be either an ‘A rating’ or a ‘B rating’ and they will be listed on the register of sponsors. Sponsorship licences are valid for 4 years.

The sponsor must also be A-rated, unless the applicant is applying for an extension to continue working for the same sponsor. Companies can apply to have different tiers and categories on one licence or have separate licences for different tiers and categories.