Self-Sponsorship Visa UK

Start a UK company and sponsor your own Skilled Worker visa. Expert legal guidance for entrepreneurs on the self-sponsorship route to settlement.

Build Your Business. Sponsor Yourself. Settle in the UK.

If you're an entrepreneur or senior professional looking to relocate to the UK on your own terms, the self-sponsorship route offers a powerful alternative to traditional work visas. Rather than depending on a UK employer to sponsor you, you take control: you establish a genuine UK company, that company obtains a Home Office Sponsor Licence, and it then sponsors you directly under the Skilled Worker visa.

This isn't a standalone visa category, it's a structured immigration strategy that combines company formation with sponsor licensing to create a legitimate, HMRC- and Home Office-compliant route into the UK. Done correctly, it gives you full ownership of your career, your business, and your immigration future, with a clear line to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR).

At Waltham Law Chambers, we guide founders through every stage of this route — from incorporating the right company structure to securing your personal visa — ensuring your application meets the Home Office's genuine business and genuine vacancy requirements at every step.

How the Self-Sponsorship Route Works

UK Company Formation

We advise on and support the setup of a genuine, operational UK company — structured correctly from day one to meet Home Office scrutiny around legitimacy, funding, and commercial activity.

Sponsor Licence Application

Once your company is incorporated, we manage the full Sponsor Licence application on its behalf, preparing the evidence needed to demonstrate a genuine, active UK business capable of sponsoring workers.

Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)

With the licence granted, we assist your company in issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship for your role, ensuring the position meets skill level, salary, and genuine vacancy requirements under the Skilled Worker route.

Personal Visa Application

Finally, we prepare and submit your personal Skilled Worker visa application, using the CoS issued by your own company, the final step in becoming your own sponsor.

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Why Choose the Self-Sponsorship Route

This route suits founders who want independence from third-party employers while still meeting the UK's sponsored work visa requirements. It's especially popular with overseas business owners, consultants, and senior professionals looking to expand into the UK market.

Full control over your business and your immigration status

A recognised, structured pathway to Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

No dependence on finding an external UK employer to sponsor you

Bring your partner and children with you as dependants