Skilled Worker Visa
Secure the talent your business needs. Protect the Sponsor Licence you cannot afford to lose. We help UK employers with Sponsor Licences, Skilled Worker visas, sponsor licence compliance and Home Office audit support.
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Featured Skilled Worker Visa lawyers

Arona Sarwar
Founder and Principal Solicitor
Arona advises individuals, families and businesses on immigration, asylum, family law, wills and probate matters, with a practical and client-focused approach.

Laila Mahen
Immigration Solicitor
Laila is an Immigration Solicitor specialising in partner, parent, children, private life, entry clearance, settlement and naturalisation applications.
Many employers face increasing skills shortages across healthcare, IT, engineering, hospitality, construction, education, logistics and professional services. The ability to recruit, retain and support overseas workers can determine whether a business grows, survives or falls behind competitors.
At Arona St James Solicitors, we help employers obtain Sponsor Licences, sponsor overseas talent, manage compliance obligations and avoid costly Home Office problems that can disrupt operations. As Sponsor Licence solicitors in London, we provide practical, commercially focused advice to businesses that often do not have a dedicated HR department or in-house immigration team. We work closely with directors, business owners, finance managers and HR professionals to create systems that allow businesses to recruit and retain overseas workers with confidence.
Why Employers Need More Than Just a Sponsor Licence
Many businesses come to us after discovering that obtaining a Sponsor Licence is only the beginning. The real challenge is maintaining compliance while continuing to run the business.
Employers face increasing obligations including:
Right to work checks
Sponsor Licence compliance duties
Record keeping requirements
Reporting obligations
Changes in salary and job duties
Hybrid and remote working considerations
Home Office audits and inspections
Skills shortages and workforce planning
Retaining sponsored workers
Managing visa expiry dates
Supporting workers through settlement applications
Mistakes can be expensive. The cost of losing a key overseas employee often far exceeds the cost of obtaining a visa. Businesses can face recruitment costs, training costs, project delays, client dissatisfaction and operational disruption if a sponsored worker cannot continue working.
Sponsor Licences for UK Businesses
A Sponsor Licence allows UK employers to recruit skilled overseas workers under the Skilled Worker route and other sponsorship categories. We advise on Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence applications and ongoing sponsor licence compliance.
To obtain a licence, a business must demonstrate that it:
Is a genuine trading organisation
Has appropriate HR systems
Can comply with sponsor duties
Has suitable key personnel
Understands its reporting obligations
Is capable of monitoring sponsored workers
The Home Office is applying increasing scrutiny to sponsor licence applications and compliance systems. We help businesses prepare applications that demonstrate both operational credibility and compliance readiness.
Skilled Worker Visas
A Skilled Worker Visa allows overseas nationals to work in the UK for an approved sponsor. As a Skilled Worker visa solicitor for employers and sponsored workers, we advise on:
New Skilled Worker applications
Certificates of Sponsorship
Salary and occupation code assessments
Switching immigration categories
Extensions
Changes of employment
Sponsor transfers
Dependant applications
Indefinite Leave to Remain applications
Our focus is not just obtaining the visa, but helping businesses retain valuable employees long-term.
Retaining Overseas Talent
One of the most common concerns among employers is retention. Many businesses invest significant time and money recruiting overseas staff only to discover that they have no long-term workforce strategy.
We assist employers in developing immigration pathways that enable valued employees to progress through:
Skilled Worker Visa → Extension → Indefinite Leave to Remain → British Citizenship
By helping employers plan ahead, businesses reduce staff turnover, avoid recruitment gaps and improve workforce stability. Immigration advice for employers should support the full journey of retaining overseas workers in the UK, not only the first visa application.
Sponsor Compliance: The Area Where Most Businesses Need Support
The majority of compliance issues arise not from deliberate breaches but from a lack of systems, training or HR support. Skilled Worker compliance and right to work compliance are ongoing duties, not one-off tasks.
Common issues include:
Incorrect right to work checks
Missing employee records
Failure to report changes
Salary compliance concerns
Misuse of occupation codes
Poor record keeping
Changes in work location
Absence monitoring failures
Inadequate recruitment records
Many SMEs simply do not have the internal resources available to maintain specialist immigration compliance systems. This is where ongoing immigration support and HR support for Sponsor Licence holders can be invaluable.
Home Office Audits and Compliance Visits
A Home Office compliance visit can occur before a licence is granted or at any stage afterwards. We regularly advise businesses preparing for:
Pre-licence audits
Compliance visits
Suspensions
Revocation concerns
Action plans
Home Office investigations
A Sponsor Licence is a valuable business asset. Losing it can have immediate consequences for existing sponsored workers and future recruitment plans. Early Home Office audit support can reduce the risk of Sponsor Licence suspension and protect recruitment plans.
Businesses We Commonly Help
We regularly assist:
Care homes and healthcare providers
Hospitality businesses
Technology companies
Construction firms
Schools and educational providers
Professional services firms
Retail businesses
Logistics and transport companies
Manufacturing businesses
Start-ups and growing SMEs
Many of our clients have no dedicated HR department and need practical advice that is commercially realistic rather than purely theoretical.
Why Businesses Choose Arona St James Solicitors
Many law firms focus solely on immigration applications. We focus on helping businesses build sustainable workforces.
Our clients often instruct us because:
They need a Sponsor Licence quickly
They have no in-house immigration specialist
They do not have a dedicated HR department
They have received a Home Office compliance enquiry
They need support retaining skilled overseas workers
They want direct access to experienced solicitors
They need practical solutions rather than generic advice
With over 25 years of immigration law experience, we understand both the legal requirements and the commercial realities faced by UK employers. Our approach is relationship-driven. We work with businesses throughout the lifecycle of sponsorship, helping employers navigate complex and changing Home Office requirements while minimising disruption to day-to-day operations.
Case Studies
Sponsor Licence Granted for Growing Care Business
A care provider facing severe recruitment shortages needed to recruit overseas care workers quickly. We assisted with the Sponsor Licence application, compliance systems, HR processes and sponsorship strategy, allowing the business to expand its workforce and continue meeting contractual obligations.
Sponsor Compliance Issue Resolved
A business discovered several reporting discrepancies during an internal review. We conducted a compliance audit, identified weaknesses and implemented corrective measures before a Home Office inspection.
Protecting Settlement Following HR Changes
An employee approaching settlement became concerned after changes to job titles and internal HR records. We reviewed the sponsorship history, assessed compliance requirements and successfully prepared the settlement application, avoiding disruption to both employee and employer.
SME Without HR Department
A growing business employing overseas workers had no dedicated HR team. We provided ongoing sponsor compliance support, right to work procedures, reporting systems and annual reviews to ensure ongoing compliance.
How Arona St James Solicitors Can Help
As a Sponsor Licence law firm, we support employers at every stage of sponsorship — from first application through Skilled Worker compliance, Home Office audit preparation and settlement planning for valued staff.
Sponsor Licence applications and renewals
Skilled Worker visa and Certificate of Sponsorship advice
Right to work and sponsor compliance systems
Home Office compliance visit preparation
Workforce retention and settlement pathway planning
Speak to a Skilled Worker Visa Solicitor
If your business needs a Sponsor Licence, Skilled Worker sponsorship support, or help preparing for a Home Office compliance visit, contact Arona St James Solicitors. We provide clear, commercial immigration advice for employers across London and the UK.
FAQs
A Sponsor Licence allows a UK employer to recruit skilled overseas workers under the Skilled Worker route and other sponsorship categories. The business must show it is genuine, has suitable key personnel and can meet sponsor duties, including reporting and record keeping.
A Skilled Worker Visa allows an overseas national to work in the UK for an approved sponsor. Employers and workers may need advice on Certificates of Sponsorship, salary and occupation codes, extensions, changes of employment, dependants and Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Obtaining a Sponsor Licence is only the start. Employers must maintain right to work checks, reporting duties, salary compliance and accurate records. Weak systems are a common cause of Home Office concerns, including sponsor licence suspension risk.
A Home Office compliance visit can take place before a licence is granted or at any time afterwards. We help businesses prepare for pre-licence audits, compliance visits, action plans and investigations so that sponsorship systems stand up to scrutiny.
Yes. Many of our clients are SMEs without dedicated HR or in-house immigration support. We provide practical systems for right to work checks, reporting, record keeping and ongoing sponsor compliance reviews.
Client reviews
What clients say about our skilled worker visa team
“I highly recommend Arona Sarwar an immigration solicitor from Arona St James for her expertise with my ILR case as a child dependent to a skilled worker especially as I am now an adult. We had to work with the firm about my dependency and explore the continuous residence carefully, the case worker guidance was looked at as this can change throughout the several months and a grant emerged. I was nervous as I could not travel at firm due to my studies and time out exceeded the period but was discounted in the end which settled my anxiety over a possible refusal. My case as you can see had a few complications, but the immigration solicitors understood how children under support of their parents don’t live independently for some time once they turn 18. Arona Sarwar insights helped us a lot through this process and I can now just enjoy being young again without what the news alarming me that my future is uncertain. I highly recommend this small female run law firm which to me is incredibly knowledgable, well established, and diverse. I highly recommend this law firm for skilled worker dependents ILR advice.”
“I recently used the checking-in service offered by Arona St James Solicitors for my British citizenship application, and I was thrilled with the results. Arona Sarwar checked my application for merit and eligibility, ensuring every detail was in order once I had provided all the necessary documents. One aspect that particularly stood out was her assistance with a challenging question about my marital status on the form. Despite the seemingly straightforward nature of the question, I was uncertain about how best to answer it to avoid any doubts from the Home Office agent reviewing my application. Arona provided me with two clear and simple sentence options to address this concern. I submitted my application on August 20th, 2024, and by October 7th, I received an email from UKVI confirming that my application had been successful. The entire process was efficient, and stress free, thanks to Arona’s guidance. This wasn't my 1st positive experience with Arona St James Solicitors. They also successfully assisted me with my settlement application in 2019, providing the same level of expertise. I wholeheartedly recommend the checking-in service provided by this firm.Their attention to detail and efficiency at untangling complex situations truly set them apart. If you are looking for reliable and efficient assistance with your immigration matters, look no further than Arona St James Solicitors. Thanks Arona for making this process easy and ensuring my success!”
“I have known Arona Sarwar, Solicitor, for over 5 years, and she handles all my immigration affairs and other advice when I need it; she is supportive, highly knowledgeable and a very tactical solicitor. Her staff are friendly and also assist, so you feel supported by her team. I have just got my British Passport and now run a successful small business in London. I highly recommend those applying to seek her advice, as she is one of the best immigration solicitors out there and should be shouted about a lot more. I celebrate Arona St. James Solicitors as a firm enriched with diversity, my money goes to support the right business with huge expertise and will not be forgotten from my side, highly value this firm.”
“Arona is an excellent solicitor, has supported me and my family with applying as a skilled worker dependent route from Brazil with an EEA child as well, two processes, managed with care and precision on orientations, always responding to our questions, guided and successfully helped us to achieve such important step of our lives. Thank you very much!!”
“ILR secured We have been with London based Arona St James Solicitors from the start of our journey. They were part of my employers recommended solicitors and I have had researched the firm before hand. From the outset the advise from Arona an expert with over 20 years was clear considered and looked ahead. It helped me feel confident someone that has been practicing in the field could navigate our case with minimal disruption and she did; from entry clearance as a skilled worker five years ago to settlement today. In these turbulent times a solid immigration firm is vital. I am so grateful to our immigration solicitors helping us get our ILR. Our case was not straightforward, with skilled worker settlement, spouse and child dependent applications, continuous residence issues, more than 180 days outside the UK, and our child now being an adult. They guided us through everything with their expertise and were clear in their advice guidance and professional in their approach. The firm stands out as I and my family were always supported by them answering any issues looking back over any updates which we felt might impact us from what we were hearing in the news often out of hours as we were worried during the process. More so as we have uprooted our work our studies our home and developed our family life in the UK and we did this through hard work and successfully. We would highly recommend Arona an immigration lawyer from Arona St James solicitors to anyone dealing with a complex immigration case. ***Original review 5 years ago*** SKILLED WORKER SECURED I had a difficult and complicated application for Skilled worker visa that has been approved, thanks to the knowledge and professionalism of Arona in handling our delicate case. Words can not express my gratitude and appreciation for all involved. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED”
“I have lived in the UK for over 10 years relied on other solicitors but this firm changed my life, worked hard during this pandemic to help me successfully win my case and I would always recommend this firm as brilliant set of solicitors to work with expertise is formidable and very outcome based. I had the head of the team Arona Sarwar and her caseworker Emma work together to secure my win. Highly recommend”
“As an Egyptian who applied for asylum (international protection) in the UK I met with several immigration lawyers. They were helpful to me but the most helpful, and the person who had the most in-depth knowledge of both the conditions in Egypt and of my situation as a gay man was Arona Sarwar of Arona St James. She impressed me because she knew exactly what information was relevant to support my claim for international protection and she knew how to draft an effective personal statement and eliminate background information that was not relevant. I would therefore recommend her to anyone and especially to people from the Middle East who want a solicitor that has insightful and she is in my opinion, an outstanding solicitor who will guide you through this very difficult process. I got a distinction in my Master’s and I can’t wait to settle down in my career and build my home in the UK.”
“I had been here in 9years and fought to get international protection. I had 5 firms before I found Arona St James so I can compare the legal team here against others. From the outset firm had time for me, they listened to me, where I felt defeated and low they encouraged me to get to a happy place and then took my history. I felt supported that I could talk freely more to them which made the difference and I have no doubt this helped me secure my stay. This firm is incredibly knowledgeable and have years of experience within the field of immigration law and with dealing with a person’s case through to succession. A lot of the media talk about hostile environment faced by immigrants so having a strong law firm that supports you I think he is key when selecting your legal representative. The biggest step for me was first meeting with them and being told that they would act. I would encourage those who have strong cases and poor representation to go to Arona St James and you will find a brilliant Immigration Law firm, that will be honest and engaging with you. If they take on your case they will fight it like no other firm that I have dealt with in the past. They followed up on my immigration case, which had been stagnate for years at the Home Office, they accompanied me to my appointments and advised me throughout ( by phone, by email, and through our meetings) so I was confident handling myself more. They prepared my evidence for my hearing and instructed an exceptional barrister, again it was important that I felt relaxed around her, and from my initial meeting I knew she understood my plight, it was clear she had read the papers and fought my case. My solicitor Arona Sarwar is a powerful solicitor, when you meet her and work with her you know you are in safe hands, she is strategic and her legal expertise in this field is obvious, her presence is felt. Arona St James prepared my case for the hearing and for UKVI and this assisted my win. Without this firm I would not have secured my stay and I highly recommend them to all immigration clients.”
“I was recommended to Arona Sarwar of Arona St James. I am from Yemen and worked all my adult life as a police officer in the Dubai Police Force. I lost my job and my residency, whilst I came to visit my wife in the UK. Recently I was awarded Humanitarian Protection thanks to Arona Sarwar, as it is unsafe for me to return to Yemen. I am restarting my life with my family. I am now in a safe place and away from harm’s way. Yemen is a place of unrest and remains an unsafe country. This law firm has a great team of Immigration caseworkers who work long and hard on cases. I was accompanied to all my interviews and represented. I felt supported throughout and you noticed how determined Arona was to fight for me. She ensured she got to know me, my family before finalising my arguments. Also my family were pleased with having her on board. I would recommend her to those who want an intelligent confident solicitor that just makes you feel she will not give up. You know from the beginning she has the experience and will do what’s best for you. I am protected and sleep well at night now. My life has changed for the better. A big Thank you to everyone at Arona St James Solicitors”
“I am Hungarian EEA national. I applied for my permanent residence with my husband and was treated very poorly by the Home Office, they raided my home. The officers were quite hostile to me as my husband had moved out and I had not informed them. I thought up until I divorce I am still married, so could not see why they were shouting at me …….that I had lied to them and that It was too late and I would have to leave the UK. I have been in a relationship with my husband since 2009 and they made me feel like a criminal. I spoke with Arona about the visit, she intervened and made urgent representations addressing them that my husband would qualify for stay under retained rights as if I had divorced my husband he would still qualify and resolved matters for us both swiftly. This was important for me as well as I was securing my permanent residence and the whole process was unfair, they took three months and I was in limbo about my rights and my husbands. I have known Arona since 2010, she helped us secure our residence certificates. What I would like to say Arona Sarwar was very supportive, patient, understanding during our difficult period and her expertise just shines through, the ease at which she is able to unpick the mess and present it fairly and transparently helped us resolve all our affairs properly. For me she is one of the best Immigration solicitors around. Words can not express how grateful we are to her and her team. We can get on with our lives now Arona Sarwar is best of the best out there. Highly recommend her for her expertise and the best person to turn to on complex cases.”
“My journey with my solicitor, Arona Sarwar, is one of Tier 1 Investment client through to settlement. I came to the UK initially as an undergraduate student and remained one until I had secured my doctorate. As time passes, I realized that I belong here, and I started to nest. I slowly but surely moved much of my possessions over from New York including my prized Steinway piano and consequently decided to switch to an investment visa. Arona had helped me with the initial transition and then helped again to apply for my extension. On both occasions, I had elected the Super Premium Service. During the extension, I fell short in the investment funds that were invested due to a logistical error on my part, but she argued my case with the investment team at UKVI and successfully secured my grant, too my relief. I maintained my investments and recently applied for settlement. I am pleased to confirm that Arona had secured this for me despite the fact that I had only given her instructions a day before the expiration of my visa. She had dropped everything and worked very hard to resolve any issues which have arisen as a result. I can state that she is knowledgeable, meticulous, versatile and exceptionally talented immigration solicitor that I could and do always turn to whenever I need advise. Having a relaxed approach towards clients combined with a very tough and confident approach with the other side can be seen with time. One can notice the ease, at which she works, and that is reflection on her years of experience, which gave me comfort that I was in safe hands. I would advocate any commercial, high-networth immigration applicants to ensure they contact Arona for a honest opinion and successful approach. She certainly went on a journey with me, and I will no doubt turn to her when it is time to apply for nationality as I do have every confidence in her having ability and temperament to help me again in the future.”
“I have known Arona Sarwar through my business dealings with her for several years, through my accountancy practice, as she advices many of our high net worth business clients on business visa’s and investment routes into the UK. She is a highly regarded and respected practitioner. Our practice has instructed magic circle firms but have found her knowledge and legal service outshines their, her hands on approach and quick mind allows my practice to call her to strategically assess our clients needs and find the right solution. We have seen her take on cases and see them through positively. I personally used her services to apply for my wife's application for a UK visa under the priority service. As always I found her to be extremely helpful and knowledgeable with exceptional client care skills. Brilliance”
“I do not think I can put it in words just how brilliant Arona's law firm has been when dealing with my case. I must be their longest running case in their books and not due to the fact that they were not dealing with my case but because I was always too scared to move forward. Sometimes you are not ready to deal with things and that for me has been a long process. However due to Arona's patience and gentle persuasion, we were able to finally put forward my legal case. Arona's immigration team were brilliant; Jessica and Deborah (counsel) formed part of my formidable legal team. From the outset, they got to grips with my case and I could see that they got to know me in depth, understanding my personal situation., in order for me to secure international protection. it is noticable that Arona's team are incredibly committed to the LGTBQ issues and do all they can to help their clients. More importantly they make them feel comfortable and safe, something that is not easily achieved given what most all LGTBQ people seeking asylum has had to endure in their own unsafe country. Without Arona I would not have been granted my leave to remain, I am sure of that, the firm's hard work and determination got us here. Even after the home office refusal there was no doubt in their minds I needed to secure international protection, pushing forward with my case and vase managing my appeal; which we of course we won. All I can say is thank you team Arona Sarwar and to her team, Jessica and Deborah, you are simply the best immigration lawyers. And I will be recommending your firm to anyone who needs legal advice without a second thought.”
“Arona Sarwar was recommended to me. She has acted for my partner and secured his residence card, post a difficult time getting married. She also just secured my permanent residence as an EEA under the self employed route in a very difficult climate. Brilliant mind. Always on the other end of the line. Will always turn to her for my personal and business immigration needs and the ones of friends and family, to whom I will definitely keep recommending her. Sheer brilliance”
“Six years ago my partner and I were deeply worried with his status but fortunately after changing our immigration lawyers and having the step by step guidance Arona Sarwar and her friendly and dedicated team we are enjoying our lives together. We now use Arona Sarwar for all our immigration needs. I can wholeheartedly recommend their services.”
“I was desperately looking for a good lawyer to take on my asylum case. I first met Arona Sarwar in and around January, 2015. She took my case on, helped me from when I applied, she accompanied me to the Home Office with me and advice me on my application. I secured international protection two months after having had my substantive interview. I was over the moon and relieved that I can now begin to live my life. I can’t describe the weight that has been lifted off my shoulder. During my case preparation I met with Arona Sarwar every week. She is not only a good lawyer, she is understanding and friendly to those with asylum case, this helped me enormously as I felt so comfortable to share with her private aspects of my life. I appreciate the hours spent preparing my case and this gave me hope. Her dedication for clients is 100%. I am happy and completely satisfied with the legal advice received. I highly recommend her to those who are going to claim asylum in UK. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.”
Arrange a confidential consultation
Contact us today via email on assistance@aronastjames.co.uk or via telephone on 020 8175 5000 to arrange a confidential consultation and discuss your circumstances with one of our immigration solicitors.