Can my own company sponsor me? The Skilled Worker route called "self-sponsorship", the sponsor licence and the costs
Published: Last checked: October 20265 min read
Short answer
"Self-sponsorship" is not an official visa: it means a UK company getting a sponsor licence and employing its owner as a Skilled Worker. The normal sponsor and Skilled Worker rules apply and the job must be genuine. Licence, certificate, skills charge and visa costs are paid separately.
In short
- This post is general information; it does not assess anyone's own situation. It is based on GOV.UK's sponsor and Skilled Worker pages and the Home Office's Skilled Worker caseworker guidance as they were on 17 October 2026.
- There is no visa called "self-sponsorship" on GOV.UK. The phrase describes a UK company getting a sponsor licence and employing its owner or founder on a Skilled Worker visa.
- There are no special concessions for this: the company must meet all the sponsor rules and the person all the Skilled Worker requirements.
- The Home Office checks whether the job is genuine; an application for a job created mainly so that someone can get a visa is refused.
- Both the company and the person pay costs: the licence, the certificate of sponsorship, the Immigration Skills Charge, the visa fee and the health surcharge.
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Official sources
This answer is based on the pages below. Check the source yourself before you decide.
- GOV.UK: UK visa sponsorship for employers, apply for your licence
- GOV.UK: Sponsorship management roles
- GOV.UK: Immigration Skills Charge
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, your job
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa, how much it costs
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker caseworker guidance
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