You have the idea, the drive, and the cash to get started, but the path from “non-visa national” to “UK founder with full working rights” still feels like a black box. The good news: self-sponsorship UK is not a secret handshake club; it is a logical sequence of government forms, bank transfers and HR checklists. The bad news: one skipped step can cost you six months and thousands in re-submission fees. Below is a field-tested, step-by-step guide that walks you from choosing a company name all the way to boarding your flight with a UK Business Visa in your passport.
Every stage reflects the latest policy tweaks that took effect in August 2025, so you will not waste time on rules that expired in April.
Decide Whether You Qualify Before You Spend a Penny
Self-sponsorship UK is simply the strategy of creating or acquiring a UK company, securing a sponsor licence and then issuing yourself a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). You therefore need to fit the Skilled Worker criteria: you must be at least 18, score 70 points under Appendix Skilled Worker and choose an occupation code that sits at RQF 6 or above (unless it is on the Immigration Salary List). Check the latest salary thresholds: £41,700 for most roles, £33,400 for new entrants or PhD-linked posts, and £17.13 per hour as a hard floor. If you cannot meet these numbers, pause here; no amount of legal polish will rescue an underpaid application.
Form the Company and Open the Bank Account
You can incorporate online in 24 hours for £12, but resist the temptation to list yourself as both sole director and company secretary on day one. UKVI flags single-shareholder, single-director structures as higher risk, so add a second director or a non-executive shareholder if possible. Next, open a business bank account in the company’s name and fund it with at least three months of projected payroll. Transfers from your personal account are acceptable, but the entry description should read “share capital” or “director loan” so the money is ring-fenced from the salary pot you will declare later.
Build the Sponsor-Licence Application File Like a Prosecution Case
The Home Office will not take your word that you are a “genuine business.” Create a folder that contains:
- A signed lease or virtual-office agreement
- A basic business plan showing revenue, cost and salary forecasts for 24 months
- Latest set of accounts if you purchased a shelf company, or opening bank statement if new
- Job description matching the exact wording of the SOC 2020 occupation code
- Evidence of HR systems: sample contract, right-to-work checklist, sample payslip template
Every document should carry the same company letterhead, registered office address and company number. Inconsistent branding is the fastest way to trigger a credibility doubt.
Nominate Your Key Personnel—And Check Their Histories
You need three named roles: Authorising Officer (AO), Key Contact (KC) and Level 1 User (L1U). The AO has overall responsibility and cannot be the same person as the sponsored worker—you. Many founders instinctively list their spouse or a friend, forgetting that UKVI will run background checks on criminal records and previous immigration breaches. If your chosen AO has an old speeding fine, it will not matter; if they overstayed in 2019, the whole licence can be refused. Vet your nominees early and keep a scanned passport page ready for each.
Submit the Sponsor-Licence Application Online and Pay the Piper
Create a UKVI account, complete the online form and pay the licence fee (£574 for small sponsors, £1,579 for large). You have five working days to upload the supporting documents once the portal opens. Miss the window and you will forfeit the fee. Use a single, bookmarked folder in the cloud so nothing is misplaced. After submission you will receive a reference number starting with “SL-”; quote it on every subsequent email or phone call to avoid duplicate case files.
Pass the Compliance Visit or Remote Interview
Roughly 40% of new licence applications trigger a visit or video call. The caseworker wants to see that your HR files exist in practice, not just on paper. Have the AO, KC and L1U physically present or on Zoom, each with their own copy of the files. Expect questions such as: “How will you monitor absences?” and “What happens if the sponsored worker resigns?” Rehearse concise answers and keep a one-page “HR policy crib sheet” on screen so no one fumbles the details.
Issue Your Own CoS
Once the licence is granted, log into the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) and create a Defined CoS. Enter the exact start date, occupation code, salary and SOC description. Remember the anti-avoidance rule introduced in April 2025: any director loan or share purchase you made in the last 12 months must be subtracted from the gross salary figure.
Prepare the Skilled Worker Visa Application
You now have three months to use the CoS. Pay the visa fee (£719 in-country, £1,639 out-of-country for a three-year visa), the Immigration Health Surcharge (£1,035 per year) and any priority-processing top-up. Upload the following:
- CoS reference number
- Passport with at least one blank page
- Bank statements showing £1,270 maintenance funds held for 28 days (unless the company certifies maintenance)
- Criminal record certificate for any country lived in for 12 months or more in the last ten years
- TB test if you are applying from a listed country
Book Biometrics and Track the Decision Timeline
Once you submit, book a biometrics appointment within 45 days. Processing times currently run 8 weeks for standard applications and 5 working days for super-priority in-country. Track your case in the UKVI portal; if it goes “non-straightforward,” respond to any request for additional documents within 10 working days. Silence equals refusal.
Common Speed Bumps and Instant Fixes
- Mistyped CoS number: amend within 10 days via SMS or pay £200 for a correction.
- Salary dips below threshold: top up with a bonus within the same tax month and annotate payslips.
- Second director leaves: notify UKVI within 20 days and appoint a replacement AO.
- Change of trading address: update the licence before the next quarterly report or risk suspension.
Turn Paperwork into Profit
Self-sponsorship UK is not rocket science, but project management with higher stakes. Follow the ten steps above, keep your documents in one cloud folder and treat every deadline like a client deliverable. Suppose you would rather spend your energy pitching customers than decoding Home Office manuals. In that case, the team at A Y & J Solicitors offers fixed-fee packages that cover the entire journey—from company set-up and sponsor-licence drafting to the final UK Business Visa approval. Book your consultation now so that you will smoothly relocate to the UK to either build, hire or scale your company, and you won’t have to struggle with the complicated paperwork.
A Y & J Solicitors is a specialist immigration law firm with extensive experience in assisting with UK Business Visas. We have an in-depth understanding of immigration law and are professional and results-focused. For assistance with your visa application or any other UK immigration law concerns, please contact us at +44 20 7404 7933. We’re here to help!
