Most sponsor licence refusals arise because supporting documents contradict one another.

The Appendix A requirements are designed to cross-verify that an organisation exists, trades genuinely, and has systems capable of sustaining ongoing compliance.

The process is not concerned solely with whether documents are submitted. It assesses whether the evidence presented forms a coherent and credible operational picture.

Pre-Application Readiness: The Three-Way Consistency Check

Before completing the online application, ensure that the following three sources describe the same business reality:

  • Companies House accounts – registered revenue, trading status, and employee numbers
  • HMRC payroll documentation – actual salary payments and PAYE employee headcount
  • Premises evidence – lease, mortgage statement, or business rates bill confirming where the organisation operates

Most applications fail not because documents are missing, but because internal responsibility is unclear. HR often assumes Finance holds trading evidence. Finance assumes Legal holds registrations. Legal assumes HR is coordinating the submission. The application is filed with gaps or inconsistencies that no one identified in advance.

A simple internal ownership matrix reduces this risk: identify who obtains each document, who verifies it against other evidence, and the deadline for delivery.

Appendix A: What Each Table Is Testing in Practice

Table 1 – Established Businesses (Trading for 18 Months or More)

This table assesses whether the organisation’s commercial profile supports its sponsorship plans.

Common risk indicators include:

  • Accounts show three employees, while the application seeks to sponsor 15 workers
  • Annual revenue of £80,000, but proposed sponsored salaries exceeding £150,000
  • Director remuneration or drawings that are inconsistent with declared turnover

UKVI is not assessing future growth projections. It is assessing whether the current figures are commercially credible.

Table 2 – Newer Organisations (Trading for Under 18 Months)

Newer entities are subject to increased scrutiny due to the prevalence of shell companies in this category.

Additional evidence is required to demonstrate genuine trading activity, including:

  • Business bank statements showing client payments, not solely director capital injections
  • Multiple client contracts evidencing ongoing commercial relationships
  • Invoices supported by corresponding payment receipts

A common trigger for a pre-licence visit is a company incorporated less than a year ago, relying on a single related-party contract, while immediately applying to sponsor multiple workers.

Table 3 – Group Structures and Overseas Parent Companies

In group or multinational structures, UKVI examines whether the UK entity is operational rather than nominal.

A frequent refusal ground arises where figures do not align between:

  • overseas parent company accounts
  • UK subsidiary or branch filings
  • funds transferred into the UK entity

The flow of funds must be clearly evidenced. In practice, this is an area where multinational transaction documentation is often incomplete. This is regularly identified by legal advisors, such as A Y & J Solicitors, during application reviews.

Table 4 – Sector-Specific Requirements

Where sector-specific registrations apply, submission is mandatory. Failure to provide them typically results in refusal.

Examples include:

  • Care providers – CQC registration
  • Recruitment agencies – professional indemnity insurance
  • Construction businesses – CSCS or equivalent accreditation

Appendix A does not allow discretion in these cases. If sector approval is required, it must be evidenced.

Submission Mechanics: Understanding the 5-Day Deadline

Once the online application is submitted, UKVI issues a submission sheet. From that point, the applicant has 5 working days to upload all supporting documents.

The most common error is underestimating how quickly this window closes. Submitting an application on a Friday afternoon results in a deadline the following Friday. In practice, that period includes internal approvals, finance queries, and last-minute corrections, all of which compress available time.

File Presentation Requirements

  • Clear, descriptive file names (for example, Appendix_A_Companies_House_2024.pdf)
  • Minimum 300 DPI scan quality
  • Correct orientation and full legibility
  • No password protection

Document Currency

  • HMRC documents: issued within the last 12 months
  • Bank statements: most recent three months
  • Premises evidence: older documents are acceptable where the lease or ownership remains current

Key Personnel: Individuals Subject to Suitability Checks

UKVI assesses nominated individuals and the organisation itself.

Authorising Officer

Subject to criminal record checks, credit assessments, and review of immigration compliance history. Previous sponsor licence revocations or director disqualifications may render the individual unsuitable.

Key Contact

Receives all Home Office correspondence. Missed emails or unanswered deadlines frequently lead to refused applications.

Level 1 Users

Responsible for assigning Certificates of Sponsorship and are also assessed for suitability. Prior immigration offences or association with a revoked sponsor licence may be disqualifying.

A common error is nominating individuals who are due to leave the organisation shortly. Early personnel changes often prompt questions about organisational stability.

Processing Times and the Practical Limits of Priority Service

  • Standard processing: up to eight weeks from valid document submission
  • Priority service: £500 for a 10-working-day decision

Priority processing assists where applications are straightforward, evidence is clear, and no compliance visit is required.

It does not expedite cases that require a pre-licence visit. These typically take between 12 and 16 weeks, regardless of whether the priority fee is paid.

Sponsor Licence Fees

  • Small sponsor (fewer than 50 employees and turnover under £10.2 million): £536
  • Large sponsor: £1,476

The applicable fee is determined by filed accounts. Applicants cannot elect their category.

Common Document Issues That Trigger Refusals or Compliance Visits

Address Inconsistencies

For example:

  • Companies House records show a London serviced office
  • PAYE records list a Birmingham payroll address
  • Premises evidence relates to a Manchester warehouse

UKVI will seek to establish where the business actually operates and may conduct a site visit to verify this.

Misinterpreting “If Applicable”

For limited companies trading for more than 18 months, bank statements regulated by PRA and FCA are mandatory. Accounts that are “not yet filed” are not optional; their absence renders the application refusable.

Weak HR Systems Evidence

Insufficient HR systems and processes, especially in companies without a formal system in place, are one of the most common triggers for a pre-licence visit. UKVI expects clear evidence that appropriate systems already exist to monitor and manage sponsored workers. A software contract alone is rarely sufficient. Screenshots of live systems, with anonymised data, demonstrate operational capability more effectively.

UKVI typically looks for evidence of:

  • attendance monitoring that flags absences of 10 consecutive working days
  • payroll controls that identify salary threshold breaches
  • secure storage of right-to-work documentation

What to do when you can't provide mandatory documents

Contact UKVI before the 5-day deadline expires. Explain what's missing and why. If you're waiting for your accountant to finalise returns, give a realistic date when you'll have them. Explain the situation clearly.

What won't work: submitting partial evidence and hoping UKVI won't notice the gaps. They will notice and refuse the application rather than request clarification about the missing documents. The requirements exist to prove you're a genuine, compliant organisation capable of meeting sponsor duties. Preparing with that assessment framework in mind, rather than treating Appendix A as a checklist, materially reduces refusal and compliance-visit risk.