Daily Licence Checker UK

This article explains the Home Office Daily Licence Checker, a tool used to confirm the current sponsor status of UK employers. It covers how the checker works, why status can change quickly, and how both employers and overseas applicants should use it to manage immigration compliance risks. The content integrates best practice for HR teams and clarifies the legal implications of suspension and revocation events.

What this article is about
This article sets out what the Daily Licence Checker is and how to use it correctly. It explains that the checker reflects current licence status only (not historic status), why “daily” refresh matters, and how employers should embed checks at recruitment, onboarding, and visa extension stages. It also outlines the consequences of suspension and revocation, including curtailment for sponsored workers, the need to find a new sponsor or switch route within the curtailment period, and the risks of illegal working if employment continues without valid sponsorship. The aim is to help employers evidence monitoring as part of Home Office audits and to protect sponsored workers from avoidable disruption.

Section A: What is the Daily Licence Checker?

The Daily Licence Checker is an official tool provided by the UK Home Office to display the up-to-date status of organisations that hold a sponsor licence. It acts as a compliance safeguard for employers, workers, and applicants by confirming whether a business remains authorised to sponsor overseas nationals for work or study in the UK.

The tool is closely linked to the Register of Licensed Sponsors, which is the official public list of organisations granted a sponsor licence. While the Register provides the list itself, the Daily Licence Checker ensures the information is refreshed on a daily basis. This means that any change to a sponsor’s status—such as suspension or revocation—will be reflected without delay. It does not, however, provide historic licence information; it only shows the sponsor’s current status.

The Home Office makes licence status available to ensure transparency and accountability. Prospective employees and current sponsored workers can check the sponsor status of their employer, while businesses can confirm their own entry on the register and identify how they are categorised.

The “daily” element is significant. Licence status can change quickly, especially if compliance concerns arise. Employers who lose their licence will immediately appear as suspended or removed from the register. This prevents businesses with compliance failures from continuing to recruit or sponsor overseas workers, and it also serves as a warning to applicants considering a role with that employer.

Section A Summary
The Daily Licence Checker provides real-time confirmation of a sponsor’s licence status. It complements the Register of Licensed Sponsors by ensuring the information published is current and reliable. Employers, applicants, and HR professionals use it to verify that sponsorship permissions are in place and valid.

Section B: How Employers Use the Daily Licence Checker

Employers with a sponsor licence are responsible for maintaining compliance with Home Office requirements. A practical part of this duty is actively checking their licence status using the Daily Licence Checker. The checker is straightforward to use and provides reassurance that the organisation remains on the Register of Licensed Sponsors. It reflects the current status at the time of the search; it does not show historic status.

To use the checker, an employer or HR representative searches the business name or licence number. The results confirm whether the licence is active, suspended, or revoked, and identify the immigration categories the organisation is permitted to sponsor under, such as Skilled Worker or Global Business Mobility routes. Where a change occurs, the checker is updated on a daily cycle, allowing employers to act promptly.

For businesses, this information is critical at several points in the employment cycle. During recruitment, employers should confirm their licence is active before offering sponsorship and certainly before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship. At onboarding, HR teams should repeat the check before completing right to work checks for sponsored roles. For visa extensions and changes of employment, employers should verify licence status again before assigning a new or additional Certificate of Sponsorship.

The frequency of checks should be proportionate to the scale and cadence of recruitment. High-volume sponsors benefit from daily or weekly checks, recorded within HR compliance logs. Smaller sponsors may align checks with recruitment or visa events, but should still keep clear records to evidence monitoring. The Home Office can audit at any time and may ask for proof that licence status checks are embedded within HR systems and carried out consistently.

Failing to check licence status regularly exposes businesses to risk. Relying on an outdated register or assuming continuing validity can lead to unlawful sponsorship activity, enforcement action, and disruption for employees whose immigration status depends on the licence holder. Employers should document each check (date, time, search terms, outcome, and any action taken) to demonstrate compliance during audits.

Section B Summary
Employers should use the Daily Licence Checker routinely to confirm that their sponsor licence remains active and to identify permitted sponsorship categories. Incorporating documented checks into recruitment, onboarding, and extension processes reduces risk, supports right to work compliance, and provides audit evidence that the organisation responds promptly to any change in status.

Section C: Compliance and Legal Implications

The Daily Licence Checker is more than an administrative resource. It plays a central role in ensuring compliance with UK immigration law. Holding a sponsor licence requires organisations to meet strict duties set out by the Home Office. The loss, suspension, or revocation of that licence has immediate and serious legal consequences.

If a sponsor licence is suspended, the employer cannot issue new Certificates of Sponsorship until the Home Office completes its review. Current sponsored workers may usually continue in their roles during suspension, but new recruitment activity must pause. For applicants, a suspension creates uncertainty: they may no longer be able to rely on an offer of employment until the licence is reinstated.

If a licence is revoked, the consequences are more severe. Sponsored workers will generally have their visas curtailed, typically to 60 days, unless their visa expires sooner. During this period, the individual must secure a new sponsor or switch to another immigration route. Employers lose the ability to lawfully sponsor non-UK nationals, and the Daily Licence Checker will immediately show that revocation.

For HR teams, monitoring the Daily Licence Checker is an extension of compliance duties. Employers are expected to respond promptly to changes in their status. Continuing to employ workers under a revoked licence may result in illegal working, with the business facing civil penalties, reputational damage, and possible criminal liability. The risk extends to sponsored workers, who may suddenly find themselves without lawful status if they do not act within the curtailment period.

The tool also supports right to work compliance. When conducting checks on sponsored employees, HR professionals must ensure that the sponsor licence underpinning the worker’s permission is valid. Failing to do so could lead to illegal working, financial penalties, and scrutiny from the Home Office in future compliance audits.

Section C Summary
The Daily Licence Checker underpins legal compliance by providing immediate notice of changes to sponsor licence status. Employers must act on these updates, as suspension or revocation creates obligations to adjust recruitment and workforce planning. Ignoring status changes exposes organisations to penalties, reputational harm, and the risk of employing workers unlawfully.

Section D: Practical Guidance for Businesses

Employers holding a sponsor licence should treat the Daily Licence Checker as a core compliance tool. Incorporating its use into HR and recruitment processes helps protect against enforcement action, prevents illegal working, and reduces disruption to sponsored workers.

Best practice involves checking licence status at critical stages. During recruitment, employers should verify that their licence remains active before offering sponsorship or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. At onboarding, checks should be repeated before right to work documentation is finalised. For visa extensions, employers must confirm their licence status before assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship to avoid refusals or curtailments. Documenting these checks in HR systems provides the evidence required if the Home Office conducts an audit.

For larger organisations with frequent overseas recruitment, daily or weekly checks may be appropriate, with results recorded as part of ongoing compliance logs. Smaller businesses may only need to check when sponsoring a worker, but should still retain clear records to show monitoring. The Home Office has the power to audit at any time and may require proof that licence status checks are embedded in day-to-day processes.

Employers should also prepare for the possibility of suspension or revocation. If the checker shows a change in status, HR teams must act quickly. This may involve halting recruitment activity, informing sponsored employees of the risks to their status, and seeking legal advice on challenging or appealing the Home Office decision. Keeping written evidence of these steps is important to demonstrate responsible conduct.

Common mistakes include assuming the licence remains valid without checking, failing to evidence checks, or not communicating risks to employees when suspension or revocation occurs. These errors can turn a manageable compliance issue into significant operational and reputational damage.

Section D Summary
Businesses should integrate the Daily Licence Checker into recruitment and HR processes, ensuring checks are routine, documented, and auditable. Prepared response plans, clear communication with employees, and a consistent approach to monitoring protect against penalties and demonstrate to the Home Office that the organisation takes its sponsor duties seriously.

FAQs

What is the difference between the Daily Licence Checker and the Register of Licensed Sponsors?

The Register of Licensed Sponsors is the official public list of organisations authorised to sponsor workers or students. The Daily Licence Checker confirms the current licence status shown on that register (for example, active, suspended, revoked) and is refreshed on a daily cycle. It does not show historic status changes.

How often is the Daily Licence Checker updated?

It is refreshed daily by the Home Office. This allows changes such as suspension, revocation, or reinstatement to be reflected promptly, so employers and applicants can act on the most current position.

Can applicants use the tool themselves?

Yes. Prospective and current sponsored workers can search the checker to confirm an employer’s sponsorship status before accepting an offer, during onboarding, and when preparing visa extensions or changes of employment.

What happens if an employer’s sponsor licence is suspended?

The employer cannot assign new Certificates of Sponsorship while suspended. Existing sponsored workers can usually continue working, but new recruitment and applications must pause until the licence is reinstated. If the licence is later revoked, workers will typically face visa curtailment and must secure a new sponsor or switch to another route within the curtailment period.

Is using the Daily Licence Checker mandatory for employers?

There is no rule requiring daily checks, but sponsors must maintain oversight of their status and act on changes. Building regular, documented checks into recruitment, onboarding, and extension processes is best practice and provides audit evidence for the Home Office.

Conclusion

The Daily Licence Checker is a vital tool for UK employers managing sponsor licence compliance. By providing real-time updates on licence status, it helps businesses avoid the risks associated with relying on outdated information. Employers who use the checker at key recruitment, onboarding, and visa extension stages can demonstrate to the Home Office that they are acting responsibly and monitoring their status effectively.

For applicants, the checker provides clarity and reassurance that a prospective or current employer has the legal authority to sponsor them. For HR teams, it supports right to work compliance, reduces exposure to illegal working penalties, and strengthens the organisation’s audit trail in the event of a Home Office compliance visit.

Employers who embed the Daily Licence Checker into their compliance framework are better positioned to safeguard their workforce, maintain their sponsor licence, and protect their reputation in the eyes of the Home Office and their employees.

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