Employment start dates and immigration permission

An employment start date must be supported by the worker’s actual permission and the employer’s prescribed check. Sponsorship dates, an application receipt and an internal onboarding plan do not by themselves authorise the proposed work.

Coordinate HR, the sponsor team and the applicant’s adviser. Where an application is pending, assess current conditions rather than assuming permission extends to a new employer or role.

Distinguish the dates in the recruitment record

Sponsored recruitment involves several dates: the CoS assignment, intended employment start, application submission, decision notification and permission validity. These dates serve different purposes and should not be collapsed into one “visa start” field. The sponsor guidance explains how the CoS start date and later permission interact. Build a chronology before calculating any start or reporting deadline. ^[1]

Ask the recruitment owner to confirm which date the manager is using for induction and which date payroll has received. If these differ, resolve the discrepancy before work begins. A contract can describe an intended start while immigration permission remains pending, but that intention does not authorise the employee to perform duties before the relevant conditions are met.

Confirm permission before authorising the role

A worker can begin the sponsored role only when the necessary permission allows it and the employer has completed the required check. A CoS reference, application acknowledgement or booked biometric appointment is not approval. For a change-of-employment application, the new role must wait for the required permission even where the individual can lawfully continue their old job. ^[1]

Use the prescribed right-to-work route and compare the result with the actual duties and employing entity. Keep the check date and evidence, and tell the manager any relevant restriction. Our guide to Changing employers on a sponsored work route explains the distinction between serving notice for the old employer and starting with a new sponsor. The employer should not rely on a candidate's general statement that their visa “has been sorted” without checking the result. ^[2]

Apply the delayed-start rules to the correct trigger

The current sponsor guidance normally expects the worker to start within 28 days of the latest relevant date listed in the guidance, which can include the CoS start, permission valid-from date and decision notification. It is not simply 28 days from CoS assignment. Identify the applicable dates and retain the calculation so the sponsor can explain the deadline used. ^[1]

If the worker does not start within that period, the guidance requires the sponsor either to report the new start and reasons for continuing sponsorship or to stop sponsoring, with the specified reporting deadline. A reason for delay is not automatically accepted merely because it is recorded. The Home Office can consider whether continued sponsorship is justified. Obtain advice promptly where the business cannot meet the planned timetable.

Record changes at the stage they occur

Before the application or decision, a changed intended start can require a sponsor note under the guidance. After permission is granted, different rules apply to an earlier start or a delay within the permitted period. Do not use one reporting instruction for every stage. Identify whether the CoS is assigned, an application is pending or a decision has already been made before selecting the action. ^[1]

Keep supporting facts for delays such as notice obligations, travel disruption or serious personal circumstances. Avoid creating a generic explanation that does not match the worker's situation. If permission is cancelled or otherwise changes, the employer must reassess the right to work and sponsorship position. A previously agreed start date cannot override a later immigration decision.

Make the final start instruction operationally clear

The authorised instruction should state the actual first working day, the check completion and any restrictions or reporting still being monitored. Update paid training, rota, payroll and access arrangements consistently. A manager should not treat an earlier informal orientation session as outside the employment plan without assessing what the person will actually do. Keep the employee informed so they know which date is confirmed and which remains provisional.

For support through Sponsored worker application review enquiry, provide the CoS, application and decision dates, intended duties and reason for any change. Case-specific immigration advice must be delivered by an appropriately regulated or otherwise legally authorised adviser. Ask for the applicable start calculation, reporting action and evidence needed before work begins. Employment notice and pay consequences should be considered separately with suitable advice.

After the worker starts, record the actual date and close the provisional scheduling entries. Retain any required report and explanation with the sponsorship file. This prevents future reviewers from mistaking an abandoned recruitment date for the date employment actually began, particularly where several delays occurred during the application process.

Illustrative scenario

A hiring team wants a worker to begin training before the application decision. The adviser reviews whether the proposed activity is permitted and the employer confirms the check position before any work begins.

Preparation checklist

• Separate proposed and authorised dates
• Review current permission
• Complete the employer check
• Communicate the confirmed start conditions