Understanding which type of Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation request your company needs depends on your CoS year expiry date. You can check this easily in Borderless.
đ Annual Reallocation Request
An Annual CoS Allocation is the total number of CoS you're allowed to issue over a 12-month period - called your CoS year.
If you don't have an annual allocation set up, you'll need to submit individual CoS requests every time you sponsor someone, which can take extra time.
To set up an Annual Allocation on Borderless, simply select "Yes" when asked "Is this an annual allocation request?" during your Undefined CoS request.
Please note:
Can be made only within 3 months before your CoS year expires.
Helps companies plan ahead for recruitment needs in the next year.
Essentially asks: "How many CoS do we think we'll need for the next full year?"
đ Where to Check Your CoS Year Expiry Date
You can view your CoS expiry dates easily in Borderless:
Go to the Home page
Navigate to 'CoS Allocation' on the Home page.
This will show you how many CoS you have available and the expiry dates relevant to your allocations.
đ Important: At the end of your CoS year, any unused CoS will expire - they cannot roll over to the next year.
⥠In-Year Allocation Request
If you run out of your annual CoS before the year ends, you can request an In-Year CoS Allocation to get more certificates.
These requests are reviewed case-by-case and require a strong justification.
Keep in mind your overall allocation might change if your organisation's situation changes (e.g., downsizing).
Any CoS granted on an in-year request sits inside your current CoS year and must be assigned before that year ends. They do not carry over into the next year.
Please note:
Covers the period until your current CoS allocation expires.
Essentially asks: "How many additional CoS do we need to cover the rest of the current allocation year?"
Defined vs. Undefined CoS â What's the Difference? đ
Defined CoS
For applicants applying from outside the UK (coming into the country).
Usually allocated to a specific individual.
Annual allocations do not apply here â you request these separately as needed.
Undefined CoS
For applicants already in the UK (switching sponsors or visa types).
Usually covered under your Annual or In-Year allocation requests.
đŠ Important:
If you have both an annual allocation request and an in-year request pending at the same time, a rejection of one may lead to a rejection of the other. â ď¸
To avoid this risk, we strongly recommend:
Do not submit an in-year CoS request within 3 months of your CoS allocation expiry year unless your annual allocation request has already been approved.
This helps reduce the chance of linked refusals and ensures smoother Home Office processing.
Linked refusal risk between annual and in-year requests
If you have both an annual CoS allocation request and an in-year request pending at the same time, the Home Office may treat them as linked. A refusal or reduction on one can cause the other to be refused or reduced in turn. To reduce this risk, avoid submitting an in-year request within three months of your CoS year expiry unless your annual allocation request has already been approved.
What happens at CoS year end
Any unused CoS at the end of your CoS year cannot be rolled over into the next year. Plan your in-year requests so that any CoS you expect to use are assigned before the year end date shown on your CoS Allocation page in Borderless.
How long does an in-year allocation request take?
If you need more undefined CoS than your current allocation, the Home Office must approve the increase before any CoS can be assigned. On the standard route this can take up to 18 weeks. On the priority route (ÂŁ350 government fee) you would normally hear back within 5 working days once a priority slot is secured, though slots are limited each day. If workers are needed urgently, or a candidate's current visa is close to expiry, the priority route is usually worth the fee.
Note that only one undefined CoS allocation request can be under review at a time, so plan requests together rather than in sequence. If you expect to need more CoS than your current request covers, increase the number on that request rather than planning a follow-up.
Government guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workers-and-temporary-workers-guidance-for-sponsors-part-1-apply-for-a-licence
Automatic renewal of your annual allocation
At the end of your CoS year you will either receive an automatic allocation for the next year, or you will need to submit a manual renewal request. Which of the two applies depends on your licence rather than on anything you do, so it is worth knowing which side you fall on well before your year end.
You will receive an automatic annual allocation if all of the following are true:
Your licence is A-rated.
Your current annual CoS allocation is marked as "active" in your SMS account.
You are licensed on an eligible route. Every Worker and Temporary Worker route is eligible except Seasonal Worker, Secondment Worker, Service Supplier and UK Expansion Worker.
The automatic figure is based on what you assigned, not what you were given. You receive a number equal to the number of CoS you assigned during the previous CoS year, not the number you were allocated. If your allocation was 15 and you assigned 10, your automatic allocation for the following year is 10. If you expect to need more than you used last year, you will need to submit a manual request to increase it.
If you do not meet all three conditions, nothing arrives automatically. You must submit a manual renewal request through your SMS account, which a UKVI caseworker considers. You can submit it up to 3 months before the end of your CoS year, and that is the only window for it.
On the Skilled Worker route, automatic renewal covers Undefined CoS only. You still have to request Defined CoS individually as and when you need them.
If you missed the renewal window
If your CoS year has ended, no allocation arrived, and the 3 month renewal window has passed, you are not stuck. You can submit an in-year request instead and we can do this with you. Two things to plan around:
Standard processing can take up to 18 weeks. The priority route is faster once a slot is secured, but slots are limited and securing one is not guaranteed. See Priority CoS Requests: How the Home Office Priority Service Works.
If a worker's current permission is close to expiring and no CoS is available, they may need to take separate steps to protect their status before it runs out. Contact us as early as you can and we will talk through the options with you and the worker.
If your expiries fall shortly after your CoS year end, an in-year request may not be the right tool. Any CoS granted on an in-year request has to be assigned before your current CoS year ends, so a request made in October for expiries in January will not help if your year ends in December. Speak to us and we will work out which route fits your dates.
Government guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers: guidance for sponsors part 2, sponsor a worker