How to Apply and Get Restricted Certificates of Sponsorship (RCoS)

Jul 26, 2018
Paul Johnson

Applying for restricted certificates of sponsorship (RCoS) doesn’t guarantee that it will be granted. The primary determinant is how the sponsors apply for the RCoS, whether you make the mandatory and optional checks, and if the application was made promptly.

The restricted certificates of sponsorship represent the requirement and annual limit for some Tier 2 migrants. And sponsors of such migrants are to apply for an RCoS if they are in charge of the migrants’ sponsorship to the UK. The categories of migrants include:

  • Tier 2 new hire migrants coming to work in the UK from overseas
  • Dependents of Tier 4 migrants switching into Tier 2
  • Croatian nationals

To appropriately assign the restricted CoS, the sponsors must request RCoS for each named position. This must be carried out before assigning them to any of the categories mentioned above. More so, for Croatians nationals, the sponsor is required to assign the migrant a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from their allocation of RCoS. Although it does not count towards the annual limit.

How to apply for restricted certificates of sponsorship (RCoS)

The most crucial step for applying for RCoS is that the sponsors must be A-rated with a level 1 user. Only individuals or organizations in this category can only apply for RCoS. More so, the application must contain the following:

  • The category of RCoS required. Whether it’s for Tier 2, new hire or Tier 4 dependant switching to Tier 2
  • The number of RCoS needed in the category
  • The relevant job title and standard occupation code (SOC)
  • Salary
  • The appropriate details of the resident labour market test undertaken with exceptions in shortage occupations and creative posts
  • Further information indicating whether the post meets the shortage occupation criteria
  • The work start and end date

Validation of the RCoS application

As long as the application is made by A-rated sponsors and submitted by sponsor’s level 1 user. All the necessary validation is performed automatically by the sponsor management system (SMS) and Metastorm.

The sponsor management system (SMS) works through automatic validation, which includes:

  • Prevention of sponsor from applying if they do not hold the proper rating in the Tier or if the application doesn’t score the minimum required points of 32.
  • The SMS crosschecks the information provided by the sponsor for proper vetting. Details such as salary and standard occupation code (SOC). Also, it checks whether the provided information is exact and consistent all through the application. Wherefore, in cases of inconsistency, the application won’t be submitted

Metastorm, on the other hand, also works through automatic validation. It automatically validates the request to prevent RCoS being granted to sponsors who are not supposed to be issued. For instance, when sponsors made an application for RCoS when they were A-rated, and were later downgraded to a B or even got their license suspended. Metastorm automatically ensures that the RCoS is not issued to such sponsors.

Therefore, it’s not just enough to make an application for restricted certificates of sponsorship (RCoS). The appropriate thing is to meet the mandatory requirements and optional checks for the RCoS to be granted.