Scope of advice
- Immigration due diligence
- Share and asset acquisitions
- Employee Ownership Trust transactions
- TUPE and similar worker transfers
- Group reorganisations and mergers
- Sponsor Management System reporting
- Replacement sponsor licence applications
- Sponsored-worker continuity and integration
01 / The approach
Map the transaction through legal entities.
Commercial labels are not enough. The analysis should identify the licensed entity, the transaction steps, any change in direct ownership, the employing entity after completion and the legal destination of each sponsored worker.
02 / The approach
Treat the licence as an operating dependency.
Due diligence should test more than whether a licence exists. Rating, routes, key personnel, reporting history, sponsored population, right-to-work evidence and prior Home Office contact can affect completion and integration risk.
03 / The approach
Fix reporting and application responsibility before completion.
Relevant corporate changes are subject to sponsor reporting and, in some structures, fresh-licence requirements. The buyer, seller and advisers should agree who will report, apply and communicate with affected workers before the timetable becomes compressed.
Questions before proceeding.
Does a sponsor licence transfer to a buyer?
No. A sponsor licence is not transferable. The required action depends on whether ownership, the employing entity, assets or workers transfer and can include reporting and a new licence application.
Does TUPE preserve immigration sponsorship automatically?
No. TUPE may protect the employment relationship, while sponsor guidance separately governs the immigration consequences. Both workstreams should be coordinated.
Can sponsored workers continue after a restructuring?
Potentially, but the answer depends on the transaction and the applicable sponsor guidance. Worker-by-worker mapping is needed to determine sponsor, role, reporting and any application action.
When should immigration due diligence begin?
Before completion, ideally during the main due-diligence process. That preserves time for licence applications, reporting, remediation and worker communications.
Primary material
Rules and official guidance.
Sponsor guidance Part 3: duties and complianceSponsor guidance Part 1: applying for a licenceTransfer of Undertakings Regulations 2006Continue your reading.
What happens to sponsorship during an acquisitionApplying for a new sponsor licence after restructuringSponsor risk after a hotel or restaurant changes operatorEOT transactions and sponsor licencesSponsor Licence ResilienceContinue within this subject
Follow the sponsor position from licence to continuing control.
Applications, sponsored roles, reporting, payroll and inspection readiness form one regulatory system. Continue with the part of that system that determines the present risk.
Sponsor insolvency and transaction review
Protect the licence, sponsored workforce and transaction timetable.
Quastels can review the insolvency appointment, sponsor licence control, reporting requirements, sponsored workers and the proposed sale.
Request an urgent sponsor insolvency review ↗︎