Apply to be a lead sponsor for refugees
Lead sponsors support community groups, employers and universities to identify and sponsor refugees to come to the UK through the refugee sponsor routes.
Overview
You can apply to become a lead sponsor for the refugee sponsorship routes.
There are 3 routes:
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named community sponsorship route
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refugee study route
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refugee work route - this will open in spring 2027
These refugee sponsorship routes are separate from the existing Community Sponsorship Scheme.
Through these routes, lead sponsors support community groups, employers and universities to identify and sponsor refugees to come to the UK.
Refugees must meet the eligibility and suitability requirements for the relevant route. Full details of refugee requirements will be published separately.
What is a lead sponsor?
A lead sponsor is a charity or community interest company (CIC) that works with sponsors, refugees and the Home Office to support the delivery of sponsorship arrangements.
Sponsors may include community groups, employers and universities. They can identify a refugee they wish to sponsor themselves. Alternatively, they can work with a lead sponsor to identify a suitable refugee.
As a lead sponsor, your organisation is responsible for:
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supporting sponsors to fulfil their responsibilities
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submitting visa applications on behalf of sponsors and refugees
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acting as the main point of contact between sponsors, refugees and the Home Office
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monitoring sponsorship arrangements and providing assurance that sponsors are meeting route requirements
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helping to ensure sponsorship arrangements are safe and meet refugees’ needs
Eligibility
To be accredited as a lead sponsor, your organisation must demonstrate that it:
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is a registered UK charity or community interest company, registered for a minimum of one year
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has the capability, resources and networks required to fulfil the lead sponsor role
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can support multiple sponsors
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has a governance board where more than 50% of the members are British or Irish citizens
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has the required policies and procedures in place
What you need
As part of your application, you will need to provide:
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the name and UK-based address of your organisation
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the charity or company number
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information about key personnel
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information about board members
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details of partner organisations (if applying as part of a consortium)
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a statement of capability setting out how your organisation will fulfil the lead sponsor role
Key personnel
You must nominate:
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a key contact: responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the lead sponsor role
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an authorising officer: has overall responsibility for the organisation’s delivery of the lead sponsor role and compliance with route requirements
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a safeguarding lead: responsible for safeguarding oversight and advice
One person can hold more than one role, but the same person cannot hold all 3 roles.
You will need to provide their:
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full name
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date of birth
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nationality
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email address
You will also need to upload a photo of either a passport or driving licence for each of your key personnel. If your key personnel do not have either of these documents, the Home Office will contact you to provide a different form of identity document after you’ve submitted your application.
Board members
You will need to provide their:
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full name
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date of birth
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nationality
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passport number (if they have one)
This information will be used to assess whether your organisation meets the board composition requirement.
If a board member does not have a passport, the Home Office will contact you to provide a different form of identity document after you’ve submitted your application.
Capability statement
You must provide a statement explaining how your organisation will fulfil the lead sponsor role.
Your statement should include evidence of:
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experience and expertise: any relevant experience, expertise or transferable skills within your organisation, including experience of refugee resettlement, community sponsorship, integration support, safeguarding, volunteer management or supporting vulnerable people
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resources and networks: staffing, financial resources, partnerships and organisational capacity
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policies and procedures: how they will enable your organisation to support sponsors and fulfil the lead sponsor role
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monitoring and assurance: how you will monitor sponsorship arrangements and provide ongoing assurance that sponsors are meeting their responsibilities
If you are applying as part of a consortium, you must provide the role and responsibilities of each organisation.
If you are applying on the refugee study route, you’ll need to show how you will meet the additional requirements of the study route lead sponsor role.
Countries of operation
The refugee sponsorship routes will initially operate in:
- Bangladesh
- India
- Pakistan
- Malaysia
- Egypt
- Uganda
- Kenya
The routes will be open to persons who have sought protection in these countries and are recognised as refugees by the relevant competent authority. For further information read Lead sponsors: refugee eligibility criteria.
Apply
Read the full lead sponsor guidance before you start your application.
You will need to gather all your information before you start the application. You will not be able to save and come back to the form once you begin.
If you want to apply for both the refugee study and the named community sponsorship route, you will need to submit a separate application for each route.
What happens next
The Home Office will perform checks on your organisation, including checks on key personnel, board members, consortium partners and other people involved in the delivery of the lead sponsor role.
Your key contact may be contacted for further information and evidence.
If your application is successful
You will be invited to enter into a contract with the Home Office to become a lead sponsor.
If your application is unsuccessful
Your application will be refused if you don’t meet all the criteria. If your application is unsuccessful, we will explain the reasons for the decision.
You can apply again 3 months after the date of the refusal decision.
If your application is refused due to concerns about fraud, dishonesty, misconduct or other integrity issues, your organisation will not be eligible to submit a new application for 2 years from the date of the refusal decision.
Any future applications must demonstrate that any concerns identified by the Home Office have been fully addressed.
Further reading
You can read the government’s policy guidance on the refugee sponsorship routes.