Why choose Britlaw Solicitors as your Manchester immigration solicitors
- Regulated by the SRA. Britlaw Solicitors is a trading name of Britlaw Chambers Ltd (SRA No. 8014739). Check us on the SRA register at any time.
- A full immigration practice. Personal and business immigration, sponsor licence compliance, settlement, nationality and complex matters, all under one roof.
- Planning, not one-off applications. We look at your long-term position, such as how a visa choice today affects your settlement options later, before we submit anything.
- Two offices. Manchester city centre and Blackburn, with appointments in person, by phone or by video.
Immigration services in Manchester
For employers and sponsors
For individuals and families
For professionals, researchers and founders
When a decision goes wrong
For a wider overview, see UK immigration solicitors.
Sponsor licence solicitors in Manchester
Any UK employer that wants to sponsor a worker from overseas needs a sponsor licence first. It is also one of the most heavily policed areas of immigration law, so getting the application and the ongoing duties right protects your whole workforce.
Applying for a sponsor licence
You apply online, pay the Home Office fee and send supporting documents within five working days. You must also appoint key personnel to manage the licence, and the Home Office may visit before or after granting it. A licence usually lasts four years and can be renewed. We handle the application end to end: checking that the roles you want to fill are eligible, choosing the right licence type, selecting evidence, appointing key personnel and preparing your team for a compliance visit. See our sponsor licence application page.
What it costs the Home Office side
These are the main government charges for a Skilled Worker sponsor, as at October 2026. They change, so we confirm current figures on GOV.UK before you pay.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sponsor licence application, small or charitable sponsor | £611 |
| Sponsor licence application, medium or large sponsor | £1,682 |
| Certificate of Sponsorship, per Skilled Worker | £525 |
| Immigration Skills Charge, small or charitable sponsor | £480 for the first 12 months, then £240 per further six months |
| Immigration Skills Charge, medium or large sponsor | £1,320 for the first 12 months, then £660 per further six months |
Staying compliant
Holding a licence brings continuing duties. Sponsors must carry out right to work checks, keep accurate records, assign Certificates of Sponsorship correctly, monitor sponsored workers and report relevant changes through the Sponsor Management System, generally within 10 working days. Breaches can lead to downgrading, suspension or revocation of the licence, and illegal working can also bring civil penalties. Our sponsor licence compliance service includes mock audits, reviews of HR processes and policies, training for the people who run your licence, and preparation for Home Office visits.
Suspended or revoked licence
The Home Office can suspend a licence while it investigates and revoke it if it is not satisfied by your response. Revocation can cut short the permission of your sponsored workers and stop you recruiting overseas, so speed and quality of response matter. We analyse the Home Office’s concerns, gather evidence, draft your response and, where appropriate, challenge a decision, including by judicial review. Start with our page on suspended or revoked sponsor licences.
Hiring a Skilled Worker in 2026
The key tests are a role at RQF level 6 or above (since 22 July 2025), pay of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher, and English at CEFR level B2 (raised from B1 on 8 January 2026). Read more about the Skilled Worker visa from both the employer’s and the worker’s side.
Immigration advice for individuals and families in Manchester
Spouse and partner visas
The UK-based partner generally needs gross income of £29,000 a year, or a mix of income and savings (£88,500 in savings alone). Most problems we see are about evidence, so we check income, accommodation and relationship documents carefully before submission. See our spouse visa solicitor page.
Settlement and the proposed ten-year rule
The Government has proposed lifting the standard ILR qualifying period from five to ten years. As at October 2026 that is still a proposal: the consultation closed in February 2026, no Statement of Changes has implemented it, and existing five-year routes remain open. Because the proposals could reach people already in the UK, timing is worth discussing early. Read our guide to earned settlement and ILR reform 2026, or speak to an indefinite leave to remain solicitor.
British citizenship
If you hold ILR or settled status, citizenship may be your next step. We advise on eligibility, good character, residence and the Life in the UK Test. See British citizenship.
eVisa problems
If your online status will not load, or a share code is rejected, we can help diagnose the problem. See eVisa and share code problems.
Global Talent, Innovator Founder and other professional routes
Greater Manchester’s universities, research centres, digital businesses and creative industries attract exceptional people. Two routes suit them well because neither depends on a sponsoring employer. The Global Talent visa is for recognised or emerging leaders in fields such as academia and research, arts and culture, and digital technology. The Innovator Founder visa is for entrepreneurs with an innovative, viable and scalable business idea endorsed by an approved body. Both can lead to settlement sooner than the standard route, depending on your circumstances. We assess whether you qualify, help you build the endorsement and application, and plan your path to settlement.
Refusals, appeals and judicial review in Manchester
Many appeals against Home Office decisions are heard in the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), including at the Manchester Tribunal Hearing Centre, Piccadilly Exchange, 2 Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester M1 4AH. Some hearings take place remotely.
What applies to you depends on the decision. Human rights and some other refusals carry a right of appeal. Most points-based refusals, such as Skilled Worker applications, do not, but you can usually ask for administrative review within a strict time limit. Where there is no other remedy, judicial review challenges an unlawful decision, and it must be brought promptly and in any event within three months.
See visa refusals and immigration appeals and judicial review for immigration cases.
If you have just been refused:
- Check the deadline on your decision letter today. Some are as short as 14 days.
- Keep the refusal letter, your application and everything you sent.
- Do not reapply in a hurry. A second application with the same weaknesses can be refused for the same reason.
- Speak to us so we can advise between appeal, administrative review, judicial review and a fresh application.
How to prepare for your first consultation
Individuals: passports, any eVisa or share code details, decision letters, Home Office reference numbers and a timeline of your time in the UK.
Couples: proof of your relationship, the UK partner’s payslips and bank statements, and details of your accommodation.
Employers: Companies House details, an organisation chart, job descriptions and salary information, and any existing sponsor licence details.
What does an immigration solicitor in Manchester cost?
Our fees depend on the type of work, the number of applicants, the complexity of the evidence, any earlier refusals and how urgent the matter is. Our fees page explains what is included in each service so you can compare options. Home Office fees, the Immigration Health Surcharge and similar costs are set by government and paid separately. [Confirm the fee model before publishing.]
Immigration solicitor FAQs: Manchester
How much does a sponsor licence cost?
The Home Office fee is £611 for a small or charitable sponsor and £1,682 for a medium or large sponsor, plus £525 per Skilled Worker Certificate of Sponsorship and the Immigration Skills Charge. Our own fees are additional and are on our fees page.
How long does a sponsor licence application take?
Home Office processing times change, and a priority service may be available for an extra fee. We will advise on the current position when you instruct us.
What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa?
The general threshold is £41,700 a year or the occupation’s going rate, whichever is higher, with lower rates for some categories. See our Skilled Worker visa page.
My sponsor licence has been suspended. What should I do?
Act immediately. Do not ignore Home Office letters or reply without advice. Contact us through our sponsor licence suspension and revocation page.
Can I appeal a Skilled Worker refusal?
Most points-based refusals have no right of appeal, but you can usually request administrative review within a strict time limit, often 28 days. Other remedies may exist, including judicial review. See immigration appeals.
Are the ILR rules changing to ten years?
That is a Government proposal, not yet law, as at October 2026. See our earned settlement guide.
Do I need to live in Manchester to instruct you?
No. We act for clients across the UK and overseas, with consultations by phone, video or in person at either office.
Visit Britlaw Solicitors in Manchester
Britlaw Solicitors, 125 Deansgate, Manchester, Greater Manchester M3 2BY Phone: [Manchester phone number] · Email: [email address] · Opening hours: [add hours]
We advise clients from Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Oldham, Bolton, Bury, Rochdale, Tameside and Wigan, as well as the rest of the UK. Prefer Lancashire? See our Blackburn immigration solicitors at 33 King Street.
Britlaw Solicitors is a trading name of Britlaw Chambers Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 8014739). [Add SRA digital badge.] This page is general information, not legal advice, and reflects the position at 17 October 2026.