Process & Timing
How Long After UK Job Offer to Get a Certificate of Sponsorship
Certificates of Sponsorship are typically issued 1–3 weeks after a job offer is accepted, depending on the employer’s SMS workload.
Key fact
CoS valid for 3 months from issue
Step-by-step
- 1Accept the job offer and complete the employer’s pre-employment checks.
- 2HR submits a CoS request via the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
- 3CoS issued and assigned to you (1–3 weeks typical).
- 4Submit visa application within 3 months of CoS issue date.
Common pitfalls
- !Defined CoS used to be quota-restricted but quotas were removed in 2024.
- !Undefined CoS for in-country switches has no quota.