A CoS is an electronic record — a reference number, not a paper certificate — that a licensed sponsor assigns to you for a specific job. Genuine signs: the employer appears on the GOV.UK sponsor register, you interviewed for a real role, and you paid nothing for it. Employers are not allowed to pass sponsorship costs like the CoS fee to workers, and anyone selling a CoS is running a scam that can get your visa refused and worse.
Updated July 2026