Immigration Knowledge Base
A collection of additional guidance from our immigration team
By Petronella and 2 others3 authors55 articles
- Overseas Work and the 28-Day Start RuleWhat you need to know about overseas work during a visa extension and the 28-day delayed start rule.
- Unpaid Leave and Cumulative AbsencesThe 4-week cumulative unpaid absence threshold, exceptions, and how to report a breach on Borderless via Changes of Circumstance — plus curtailment risk.
- Ending Sponsorship - Cessation, Non-Renewal and the 60-Day Cure PeriodHow sponsorship ends, the 60-day cure period, and the interaction between CoS and visa end dates.
- Travel, Start Dates and eVisas for Sponsored WorkersHow visa valid-from dates govern entry and start of work, vignette versus eVisa, and travel during active sponsorship.
- Phishing emails impersonating the Home Office or UKVI: how to spot them and what to doRecognise scam emails targeting your Sponsor Management System (SMS) account, what to do if you receive one, and how to report to the Home Office.
- Changing a Sponsored Worker's Occupation CodeWhen a new CoS is required, when it isn't, and how to remediate a wrong-SOC-code situation.
- English Language Requirements for the Skilled Worker VisaIELTS for UKVI, the four components, when to take the test, and what to do if a visa is refused on language grounds.
- Hours and Pay Structure for Sponsored Care Workers (Travel Time, Training Hours and Live-In Shifts)How travel time, training hours, live-in care shifts and reductions in contracted hours interact with the CoS hourly rate.
- Career Progression for Sponsored Workers (Promotions and Added Duties)When a sponsored worker can take on senior duties under an existing CoS, and when a new CoS plus new visa is required.
- Dependant Visa Curtailment After Relationship BreakdownWhat employers must do when a worker on a dependant visa goes through a separation or divorce.
- Notice Periods When a Sponsored Worker Switches EmployerWhen the notice period begins, what current sponsors get wrong, and when the worker can start full-time with the new sponsor.
- What Happens in a Sponsor Licence AuditWhat auditors look at, the difference between sponsored worker checks and wider workforce checks, and an audit preparation checklist.
- Right to Work Checks for Sponsors (Updated May 2026)The two-limb RTW duty, who must be checked, how to check them, and what happens if you get it wrong.
- What Is an eVisa and How Do I Access Mine?What an eVisa is, how to set up your UKVI account, how to share your immigration status with your employer, and what to do if something goes wrong.
- My Passport Is Being Returned from a Visa Application Centre (VAC)What it means if your passport is being returned from a VAC while your application is still being processed, and what to expect next.
- What Does 'Operating or Trading' Mean for Sponsor Licence Applications?The Home Office's formal definition of operating or trading, what counts, and the two examples of what will not be accepted.
- Guidance Update: Sponsor Licence Refusal and Revocation for Sham Sponsors (May 2026)The new mandatory grounds for refusing or revoking a sponsor licence where the organisation exists mainly to facilitate immigration.
- Recruiting a worker who is already sponsored: why a CoS cannot be transferredWhat to check before sponsoring a candidate who is already sponsored by another employer, and why a CoS can never be transferred between sponsors.
- Retaining DBS Certificates: CQC Disposal Rules and Home Office Sponsor ComplianceWhether to keep the original DBS certificate or destroy it and retain a record, and how to satisfy both DBS Code of Practice disposal rules and Home Office sponsor record-keeping…
- Paying Sponsored Workers: Bank Accounts and Payment MethodsWhether sponsored workers need a UK bank account, which payment methods the Home Office allows, and what evidence sponsors must keep.
- August 2026 Immigration Rules Changes (HC 259) - What Sponsors and Workers Need to KnowThe Statement of Changes HC 259, laid on 9 July 2026, takes effect on 3 August 2026. What it changes for sponsors and sponsored workers.
- How Borderless is regulated: the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA)Who regulates immigration advice in the UK, what Borderless's IAA Level 1 registration covers, and what falls outside it.
- How Borderless validates payslipsHow Borderless reads a payslip and checks it against the Certificate of Sponsorship: the salary, hours and rolling window checks, the four statuses, and why a payslip might look wrong.
- Why was my payslip flagged, and how do I fix itWhat a flagged payslip means and the two ways to resolve it: correcting a misread figure, or recording a legitimate reason such as sick pay, maternity or a temporary reduction.
- Rolling Salary Compliance for Sponsored WorkersUnderstanding the three-month rolling salary test and how to keep sponsored workers compliant.
- Sponsor Licence Application Fees and the VAT MythWhat a sponsor licence actually costs, and why VAT does not apply.
- The 4-Week Cumulative Unpaid Leave RuleHow unpaid leave, sabbaticals, and extended absences affect sponsorship compliance.
- Bringing Dependants on a Care Worker Visa - March 2024 ChangesFrom 11 March 2024, the UK government introduced restrictions on adding dependents to Health & Care Worker Visas.
- How do I know when my employee's visa expires?Get help navigating between BRP, eVisa, Share Codes, CoS, RTWC and ECS expiry dates.
- When Can I Sponsor Someone on a Skilled Worker Visa (and When Can I Not)?This article outlines when you can and cannot sponsor someone.
- July 2025 Skilled Worker Visa Rule ChangesNew immigration rule changes from 22nd July 2025 that may impact your Skilled Worker visa application.
- Temporary Shortage List (TSL)July 2025 Home Office Changes.
- Health Care Specific New Changes - July 2025These updates affect Care Workers (SOC 6135) and Senior Care Workers (SOC 6136) sponsored under the Skilled Worker route from July 2025.
- July 2025 Changes - Supplementary EmploymentNew rule changes around supplementary employment as of 22 July 2025.
- Statutory Maternity Leave for Sponsored WorkersWhat employers must (and need not) do when a sponsored employee goes on maternity leave.
- Dependant Eligibility for Skilled Workers (Medium-Skilled Roles)Common reasons why dependants may not qualify under the Skilled Worker route, specifically for medium-skilled occupations.
- Section 3C Leave - Protecting Your Right to Work While Your Application is PendingUnderstand section 3C leave and where it can be applied.
- Supplementary Employment Rules for Sponsored WorkersUnderstand the rules around supplementary employment.
- What Happens When a Sponsor Licence Is RevokedUnderstanding he next steps when a sponsor licence is revoked
- Skilled Worker Visa Processing Times and Priority ProcessingThe latest guidance from the Home Office regarding skilled worker visa processing
- Switching from a Graduate Visa to a Skilled Worker VisaUnderstanding the requirements to switch from a Graduate Visa to the Skilled Worker route
- Salary Requirements and the Immigration Skills ChargeUnderstanding minimum salary requirements and when the Immigration Skills Charge is applicable
- ILR and the Five-Year Settlement PathwayUnderstanding the transition to ILR.
- The Employer Checking Service (ECS) -When and How to Use ItGuidance on using the Employer Checking Service.
- Right to Work Checks - A Guide for SponsorsUnderstanding your obligations when it comes to right to work checks
- Medium-Skilled Roles and the July 2025 Sponsorship Restrictions
- UK Immigration Guidance Changes - What Sponsors Need to Know (March 2026)Understanding the guidance changes being introduced from March 2026
- Home Office Immigration and Nationality Fees - What Sponsors and Workers Need to KnowUnderstanding the latest fees for skilled worker visas from April 8th 2026
- Completing the UKVI Identity Check Without a BRPUnderstanding these steps to take when you do not have a BRP to complete an identity check.
- What Happens After a Visa Application Is RejectedUnderstanding the next steps if your visa application is rejected.
- Changing a Sponsored Worker's Work LocationHow to change a sponsored worker's work location with the Home Office.
- Important update: overseas sponsorship for care workers and senior care workers is now closedLatest guidance on hiring of care workers from overseas
- Priority COS Requests: How the Home Office Priority Service WorksUnderstanding the Home Office Priority Service, its fees, and how the process works
- Sick Pay, Salary Deductions, and Sponsorship ComplianceUnderstanding the steps to remain compliant when handling sick pay and salary deductions
- Dependant Children Turning 18 During SponsorshipUnderstanding what to do when a dependent child turns 18 during a visa application