You can view your license start and end date and the date you can apply to renew your license using the ‘License summary’ function in your SMS account.

Your license end date is the last date you can apply to renew your license and if you do not apply by this date, your license will expire the following day.

If your renewal application is granted, your end date and future renewal date will be updated. If you have added extra routes to your license, the expiry date of the original license will apply to all extra routes.

Your license is normally valid for 4 years and cannot be licensed for more than 4 years on either the UK Expansion Worker route or the Scale-up route. If you do not apply to renew your license and it expires, you will no longer be a licensed sponsor and will not be able to access your SMS account or assign any more CoS. The permission of any workers you are sponsoring will usually be shortened to 60 calendar days and your details will be removed from the Register of licensed sponsors: workers on GOV.UK.

It is your responsibility to renew your license in good time and the UKVI will send you reminders. However, if you leave it until the last minute and encounter a problem, you cannot stop your license from expiring.

To renew your sponsorship licence, a nominated Level 1 User will need to log onto the Sponsor Management System (SMS) and go to the Licence summary, applications and Services screen, then select Licence renewal.

Sponsoring organisations will receive reminders from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) 120 days before their licence expires. Additional reminders will be sent at 30-day intervals until the last month, and finally two weeks before the expiry date. However, it is still the responsibility of the sponsoring organisation to submit a renewal application in a timely manner.

Renewal applications can be submitted at least three months before the current licence expires. The earliest date for submission can be found on the organisation's Sponsorship Management System (SMS). Sponsor licences are valid for 4 years and can be renewed shortly before they expire. If the renewal is successful, the licence will be extended for another 4 years.

How the Sponsorship Licence Renewal Process Works

The license renewal function in your SMS account can only be accessed by a Level 1 User and you should discuss your license renewal with your Authorising Officer before sending your application. The Level 1 User will confirm that they have the consent of your Authorising Officer when sending the application and will be asked to make an online payment to cover the license renewal fee. The Fee is £536 for Small Employers and £1476 for Large Employers.

If you pay the incorrect fee, your application will either be rejected and any fee refunded or accepted and the difference refunded. If your application is accepted, the UKVI will temporarily extend the expiry date of your license to allow them time to conduct any necessary checks. These checks may include asking for supporting documents or other information and you must send them within 5 working days.

If you do not send the requested documents within this time, the UKVI may take action against you such as reducing or removing your CoS allocation, downgrading your license to a B-rating, or suspending or revoking your license.

The UKVI may also conduct a compliance check when you apply to renew your license and they we have concerns about your actions as a sponsor, they may either grant your application but downgrade it to a B-rating or revoke your license.

If your license is suspended but due to expire, you must still apply to renew it. If you have been granted access to a dormant sponsor license due to a merger or takeover, you do not need to do anything about that license expiring.