Automatic 10-year Extensions from 6 April 2024

The requirement for sponsors to renew their sponsor licence every four years is being abolished, under new Home Office rules confirmed today.

UK sponsor licences due to expire on or after 6 April 2024 are now being automatically extended by 10 years.

The changes are being introduced with the aim of streamlining the sponsor licence management process and saving time and resources for employers.

What are the new rules on sponsor licence renewals?

To allow for the new rules,  the UK Home Office confirmed on 24 January 2024 through the SMS that those sponsor licences expiring on or after 6 April 2024 have been automatically extended for 10 years from the original licence end date. To illustrate, as an example, a sponsor licence due to expire on 1 June 2026 will now expire on 1 June 2036.

Sponsor licence holders should check their licence summary page to confirm that the extension, if applicable, has been applied.

Sponsor licences due to expire on or after 6 April 2024

Sponsor licence holders do not need to take action for the extension to apply. The new expiry date will be viewable on the licence summary page on the SMS.

If you have already received a notification to renew your licence, you can ignore it.

If you have already made an application to renew your sponsor licence, the Home Office will contact you and arrange to refund your renewal fee.

Licences that are automatically extended will not end unless the licence is revoked by the Home Office or the organisation surrenders their licence.

Sponsor licences expiring between 25 January 2024 and 6 April 2024

Licences that will expire prior to 6 April 2024 continue to be subject to the existing requirements. Sponsor licence holders will still need to apply for an extension and pay for their licence renewal.

If you have a sponsor licence renewal pending

If your licence is expiring on of after 6 April 2024 and you have already submitted a licence renewal application, the licence will be updated automatically with the extension and you should be issued a refund of the renewal application fee.

If you intend to allow your sponsor licence to expire

If you no longer require a sponsor licence and planned to allow your sponsor licence to expire on its expiry date, you will now need to actively surrender the licence by notifying the Home Office.

Impact on employers of the new sponsor licence renewal rules

The development will come as welcome news for sponsor licence holders, who will no longer be subject to the four-year renewal cycle of applications, documents and fees, allowing resources and time to be redirected to other business activities.

Importantly, a ten-year licence validity will also provide a degree of certainty and allow for longer-term strategic workforce planning with the assurance of having a sponsor licence being in place.

However, sponsors licence holders remain subject to compliance duties and the Home Office retains its enforcement rights in response to compliance breaches, including the right to suspend or revoke licences. Employers must continue to ensure their immigration practices are lawful and compliant, to avoid

Need assistance?

While the new renewal rule will allow employers to place greater focus on growth and attracting talent without the licence extension hurdle, vigilance in maintaining compliance remains critical to mitigate risk.

If you have any queries or concerns about the sponsor licence renewal process and how the new rules affect your licence, contact us.

Last updated: 24 January 2024