A sponsor can issue a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) through the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
If you need to issue a defined CoS which is assigned to overseas Skilled Workers, then you will need to do this by creating and assigning an individual CoS on the SMS.
On the other hand, an undefined CoS is for workers being employed within the UK. For these, you will need to notify the Home Office as to how many undefined CoS you will need, and once they are approved, you can assign them to the workers.
Go through the following steps to issue a CoS:
Step 1: Go to the SMS and click on “create and assign” on the “workers” page.
Step 2: Select the visa route you want to sponsor the worker under, for example, “Skilled Worker.”
Step 3: Choose “create new single certificate.”
Step 4: You will be taken to a page called “create a CoS” where you will need to complete the worker’s details and the job information.
Step 5: Click “assign.”
Step 6: Agree to the terms and conditions.
Step 7: Make payment for the CoS.
Step 8: You will be given a CoS reference number.
Who can issue a CoS in the UK?
A CoS can be issued by an authorised person within the sponsor company who has permission to access the SMS. This is either the level 1 user or the level 2 user.
How is a CoS generated?
The CoS is generated by completing the information on the SMS which will ask you to provide details about the worker such as their name, nationality, date of birth, gender, country of residence, and passport information. In addition, you will need to answer questions about the job that you intend the worker to do in the UK.
How long does it take to issue a CoS?
This depends on how quickly the level 1 or level 2 user can input the information into the SMS to be able to generate the CoS. It is advised that you regularly save the CoS as the system times out after 20 minutes.
After the information is provided and submitted, it usually takes around 1 working day to be approved.
Who pays for the certificate of sponsorship?
The sponsor company pays for the certificate of sponsorship when assigned on the SMS. Once all the details are filled out on the CoS and it has been generated, you will be taken to a payment page to settle the CoS fee.