The legal route: what international candidates need to know
If you require sponsorship to work in the UK, there is a legal process between accepting a job offer and starting work. This guide explains what happens, what Hirenza's role is, and what you need to do.
In one sentence
The legal route for sponsored candidates involves the employer issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship and the candidate applying for a Skilled Worker visa — Hirenza coordinates the introduction to Harveys Legal; the legal process itself is between the candidate, employer, and Home Office.
Quick answers
- The legal route only applies if you require sponsorship to work in the UK — if you already have the right to work, you go directly from offer to onboarding
- Hirenza coordinates an introduction to Harveys Legal at stage 7 of the hiring workflow — it does not manage the immigration process itself
- The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is issued by the employer, not Hirenza
- You will apply for a Skilled Worker visa using the CoS reference number — the application is made to the Home Office
- The Home Office makes visa decisions independently — Hirenza and Harveys Legal cannot predict or guarantee the outcome
When the legal route applies to you
The legal route applies if you do not currently have the right to work in the UK and the role requires you to obtain a Skilled Worker visa before you can start work. If you already have the right to work — through settled status, a graduate visa, an open work permit, or another route — the legal route does not apply. You move directly from offer acceptance to onboarding.
What the legal route involves
1. The employer issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). Once you accept a job offer, the employer generates a CoS reference number via the Home Office Sponsor Management System. This is an electronic record linked to your job offer, the employer's sponsor licence, and your personal details.
2. You apply for a Skilled Worker visa. Using the CoS reference number, you submit a visa application to the Home Office. The application requires your passport, English language evidence where applicable, financial evidence, and tuberculosis test results for applicants from certain countries.
3. The Home Office makes a decision. Processing times vary. Applications submitted from overseas under the standard service currently take approximately 8 weeks. The Home Office makes the decision independently.
Hirenza's role in the legal route
Hirenza coordinates the introduction between you, the employer, and Harveys Legal at stage 7. Once the legal route begins, Hirenza continues to support onboarding coordination — confirming the expected start date, chasing outstanding documents, and keeping communication clear.
What you need to prepare
Keep your passport valid and available. Gather your qualifications and references. If applicable, obtain a tuberculosis test result from an approved clinic. Be responsive — CoS validity is time-limited; delays in your application can cause the CoS to expire.
What Hirenza and Harveys Legal cannot do
Neither Hirenza nor Harveys Legal can guarantee a visa will be granted. The Home Office makes immigration decisions on the merits of each application independently.
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