Student Sponsor Licences

Welcoming international students to your institution starts with securing and maintaining a Student Sponsor Licence. We help independent schools, colleges and universities navigate this essential process with confidence and clarity.

Why a Student Sponsor Licence matters

To enrol international students, your institution must hold a Student Sponsor Licence granted by the Home Office. This licence allows you to issue Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), a critical step in the Student Visa and Child Student application process.

Since Brexit, a student sponsor licence is also required to sponsor European students. Maintaining compliance is vital: failure to meet Home Office standards can result in licence suspension or revocation, directly impacting your ability to recruit and retain international students.

How can we support you?

We combine legal expertise with hands-on experience managing student sponsor licences.  We offer strategic, practical support tailored to your education institution’s needs:

• Sponsor Licence applications and changes: We guide you through the licence application process or help you make changes to your existing student licence, within the mandatory reporting deadlines, ensuring everything is accurate and complete.
• Pre-licence readiness audits: Our pre‑licence mock audit assesses whether your institution has the right systems in place to meet future sponsor duties. It ensures you’re fully prepared for the mandatory Home Office visit, which can occur before or after your student sponsor licence is granted.
• Post-licence readiness audits: We also offer post‑licence mock audits, as the Home Office can visit at any point during your licence’s validity. Preparing in advance helps you identify risks early and avoid costly compliance mistakes.
• Staff training: We train your nominated staff, formally or on-the-job, so they’re confident in their roles and equipped to protect your student sponsor licence.
• Basic compliance assessment support: We help you prepare for the annual Basic Compliance Assessment, adapt your processes, and maintain your student sponsor status.
• Mock Home Office compliance visits: We accurately recreate a full Home Office compliance visit, using our in‑house experience to help you prepare effectively. Our mock audit strengthens your student sponsor compliance processes by identifying gaps in your sponsor duties or Right to Study checks before Compliance Officers arrive.
• Crisis support: If your student sponsor licence is at risk, we act fast. We’ll help you implement necessary changes and, where appropriate, challenge Home Office decisions to protect your ability to sponsor students.
• Visa support for students: We offer tailored visa guidance to your current and prospective students, helping improve your visa success rate.
• Outsourced licence management: Need ongoing support? We can act as Level 1 users on your licence, managing sponsor duties and annual licence activities so your team can focus on education.

Our team has spoken at UKCISA, ISBA and the Association of Colleges and co-chairs and presents at ILPA’s annual Student Sponsors Conference. We also maintain strong relationships with the UKVI Study Services team. Whether you’re applying for a licence or responding to a compliance issue, we provide clear, proactive, and commercially astute support every step of the way.