Glasgow-based immigration firm Five Star International has alerted sponsors that requests for additional ‘undefined’ Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) are now taking as long as 18 weeks—four times the statutory service standard.
Undefined CoS are used for in-country extensions and job changes under the Skilled Worker route. When an employer exhausts its annual allocation it must submit an online priority request; however, Five Star notes that priority slots sell out within minutes and the £200 fee is non-refundable if the slot is missed.
The backlog is attributed to surging demand following July’s immigration-rule changes, which pushed hundreds of social-care and hospitality roles out of sponsorship eligibility, forcing companies to amend staffing plans. Home Office resources are also stretched by the transition to digital eVisas.
![Home Office taking up to 18 weeks to issue extra Certificates of Sponsorship, consultancy warns]()
Amid these administrative bottlenecks, corporate mobility teams may find value in external support: VisaHQ’s UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) streamlines sponsorship and visa paperwork, offers real-time status tracking and deadline alerts, and liaises with Home Office channels, helping employers bridge gaps while their own CoS allocations are pending.
Businesses that run out of CoS cannot lawfully extend existing sponsored workers, creating sudden right-to-work risks and potential project delays. Five Star advises sponsors to audit headcounts quarterly, forecast CoS needs six months ahead and prepare evidence such as job descriptions and salary data before submitting allocation requests.
The warning is a reminder that HRIS systems should flag visa-expiry and CoS-allocation dates well in advance to avoid workforce disruption.
Undefined CoS are used for in-country extensions and job changes under the Skilled Worker route. When an employer exhausts its annual allocation it must submit an online priority request; however, Five Star notes that priority slots sell out within minutes and the £200 fee is non-refundable if the slot is missed.
The backlog is attributed to surging demand following July’s immigration-rule changes, which pushed hundreds of social-care and hospitality roles out of sponsorship eligibility, forcing companies to amend staffing plans. Home Office resources are also stretched by the transition to digital eVisas.
Amid these administrative bottlenecks, corporate mobility teams may find value in external support: VisaHQ’s UK platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) streamlines sponsorship and visa paperwork, offers real-time status tracking and deadline alerts, and liaises with Home Office channels, helping employers bridge gaps while their own CoS allocations are pending.
Businesses that run out of CoS cannot lawfully extend existing sponsored workers, creating sudden right-to-work risks and potential project delays. Five Star advises sponsors to audit headcounts quarterly, forecast CoS needs six months ahead and prepare evidence such as job descriptions and salary data before submitting allocation requests.
The warning is a reminder that HRIS systems should flag visa-expiry and CoS-allocation dates well in advance to avoid workforce disruption.
