When You Can Sponsor Someone on a Skilled Worker Visa
To sponsor a worker on a Skilled Worker visa, there are a few key requirements to keep in mind:
Duration of Sponsorship:
You can sponsor a worker for a role that lasts between 12 months and 5 years. If the position is for less than 12 months, this isn't an option.
Job Role & Skill Level:
The role has to meet the required skill level (RQF Level 3 or above). The job also needs to be on the Home Office's approved occupation list.
If you do not know your job's occupation code, you can search for your job in the CASCOT occupation coding tool.
Salary Requirements:
The salary must meet the minimum threshold for that specific SOC code.
You can use our minimum salary calculator to help clarify the minimum salary for each different job role.
When You Can't Sponsor Someone
There are a few common scenarios where a Skilled Worker visa won't be possible:
Short-term Employment (Less Than 12 Months):
If the role is for less than 12 months, a Skilled Worker visa won't work.
Temporary or Part-Time Work:
The Skilled Worker visa is for full-time roles. If the position is part-time or offers an irregular work schedule, it will not meet the requirements for sponsorship under this visa.
Job Doesn't Meet Skill or Salary Requirements:
The job must meet a certain skill level and salary. If the role doesn't meet these criteria, the worker won't qualify for the Skilled Worker visa.
Not on the Approved Occupation List:
If the job isn't on the Home Office's approved occupation list, it's not eligible for the Skilled Worker visa. You'll need to check whether the role qualifies before you start the sponsorship process.
Ineligibility Due to Criminal or Immigration History:
If the individual has a criminal record or has previously breached immigration laws (e.g., overstayed a visa), they may be ineligible to apply for a Skilled Worker visa.
Suspended sentences (from 22 March 2026): A suspended sentence of 12 months or more issued on or after 22 March 2026 is a mandatory ground for refusal. There is no discretion available. The Borderless platform will block submission automatically if this applies to a candidate.
Afghan nationals (from 26 March 2026): Nationals of Afghanistan cannot apply for entry clearance as a Skilled Worker (i.e., from outside the UK). This does not affect Afghan nationals already in the UK who are extending or switching their visa. The Borderless platform will block this submission automatically.
đ©ș Switching to a Health & Care Worker Visa (SOC 6135 / 6136)
If the candidate is switching to a Health & Care Worker visa for the first time (for example, they are currently on a Student, Graduate, Dependant, or another visa type), they must:
Have been working for you for at least 3 months
Before we can assign a CoS
And before we can submit their Skilled Worker visa application
This 3-month employment requirement applies specifically to care roles under SOC codes 6135 and 6136. If the worker is already sponsored under the Skilled Worker route and is simply changing employers, this requirement does not apply.
How the Three Month Period Is Measured
The three months is measured against the date you assign the Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). It is not measured against the employment start date shown on the CoS, and not against the date the visa application is submitted. The Home Office wording is that the worker must have been legally working for you as a care worker or senior care worker for a minimum period of 3 months before the date you assigned them a CoS.
Worked example. A worker starts with you on 7 May, so the three month point falls on 7 August. If you assign the CoS on 26 July, only two months and nineteen days have accrued and the requirement is not met, even though the sponsored employment start date on the CoS is 30 August. Assigning on or after 7 August would meet it.
Check the date you are about to assign, not the start date you are assigning for. This is the most common way sponsors fall short on this requirement.
Who Is Exempt From the Three Month Requirement
A worker is exempt if they were last granted permission as a Skilled Worker in occupation code 6135 or 6136 (or the SOC 2010 predecessor codes 6145 or 6146) and have held continuous permission to work in one of those roles since then. In practice, a worker moving to you from another care sponsor, staying in the same care occupation and not changing visa route, does not need three months with you first.
The requirement does apply where the worker is switching into a care role from a different visa route, for example from a Graduate, Student or dependant visa, even if they already work for you.
If the Home Office Asks for Evidence of the Three Months
The Home Office may request evidence of the three months' employment once the visa application has been submitted. These requests usually carry a ten working day deadline, so respond within it rather than waiting to see what happens.
Send the employment contract, payslips and any other record covering the period from the worker's actual start date up to the CoS assignment date. If the period falls short, send the evidence you do have together with a short written explanation of the position, rather than the documents on their own. The Home Office can exercise discretion, and a clear explanation submitted alongside the evidence gives a better outcome than a partial response followed by further questions.
Contact your Borderless caseworker before you respond so we can review the wording with you.
Home Office guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers: sponsor a Skilled Worker