Specialist immigration consultancy Five Star International has warned corporate sponsors that the Home Office is now taking **up to 18 weeks to approve requests for additional ‘undefined’ Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)**—the document required to extend existing Skilled Worker visas or hire staff already in the UK. The advisory note, published on 15 February, cites multiple clients whose standard requests submitted in October 2025 are only now receiving decisions.
The delay stems from an internal re-allocation of case-workers to the forthcoming Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and eVisa projects, leaving the Sponsorship Operations team short-staffed. A paid priority service offering a five-day turnaround exists but is capped at 60 slots per day and regularly sells out within minutes of release.
![Sponsors Face 18-Week Waits for Extra Certificates of Sponsorship]()
For employers, the bottleneck means that running out of CoS allocation could strand key employees, trigger illegal-working penalties and disrupt project timelines. Five Star advises HR teams to audit visa expiry dates 12 months ahead and to submit allocation requests at least six months in advance. Where urgent extensions are needed, companies should prepare detailed justifications and supporting evidence to improve their chances of securing a priority slot.
The practical implication for mobility managers is clear: build contingency time into relocation plans, communicate the risk to line managers and, where budgets allow, purchase priority upgrades early in the process. Failure to do so could see talent unable to start assignments or forced to leave the country while permission is pending.
The delay stems from an internal re-allocation of case-workers to the forthcoming Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and eVisa projects, leaving the Sponsorship Operations team short-staffed. A paid priority service offering a five-day turnaround exists but is capped at 60 slots per day and regularly sells out within minutes of release.
For employers, the bottleneck means that running out of CoS allocation could strand key employees, trigger illegal-working penalties and disrupt project timelines. Five Star advises HR teams to audit visa expiry dates 12 months ahead and to submit allocation requests at least six months in advance. Where urgent extensions are needed, companies should prepare detailed justifications and supporting evidence to improve their chances of securing a priority slot.
The practical implication for mobility managers is clear: build contingency time into relocation plans, communicate the risk to line managers and, where budgets allow, purchase priority upgrades early in the process. Failure to do so could see talent unable to start assignments or forced to leave the country while permission is pending.
Source: Five Star International
