Registered UK charities and community interest companies can apply to become lead sponsors for the refugee sponsorship routes from 29 October 2026, with published eligibility criteria and required documents.
Key facts
- Who: UK-registered charities and community interest companies (CICs) applying to be lead sponsors for the refugee sponsorship routes
- From: 29 October 2026
- Source: Apply to be a lead sponsor for refugees
Body
Lead sponsors support community groups, employers and universities to identify and sponsor refugees to come to the UK. There are 3 refugee sponsorship routes: the named community sponsorship route, the refugee study route, and the refugee work route, which will open in spring 2027. The routes are separate from the existing Community Sponsorship Scheme.
A lead sponsor must be a charity or CIC. It supports sponsors to meet their responsibilities, submits visa applications for sponsors and refugees, acts as the main contact between sponsors, refugees and the Home Office, monitors arrangements, and helps ensure they are safe and meet refugees' needs.
To be accredited, an organisation must show that it:
- is a registered UK charity or CIC, registered for at least one year
- has the capability, resources and networks for the role
- can support multiple sponsors
- has a governance board where more than 50% of members are British or Irish citizens
- has the required policies and procedures
The application needs the organisation's name and UK address, its charity or company number, details of key personnel and board members, details of partner organisations if applying as a consortium, and a capability statement. Three key personnel must be nominated: a key contact, an authorising officer and a safeguarding lead. One person can hold more than one role, but not all 3. Each must give their full name, date of birth, nationality and email address, and upload a photo of a passport or driving licence. Board members must give their full name, date of birth, nationality and passport number if they have one.
The routes will initially operate in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Egypt, Uganda and Kenya, for people recognised as refugees by the relevant competent authority after seeking protection there.
The Home Office will check the organisation, key personnel, board members and consortium partners. Successful applicants are invited to enter a contract with the Home Office.
What this means for applicants
Organisations must gather all information before starting, because the form cannot be saved and resumed. An organisation applying for both the refugee study route and the named community sponsorship route must submit a separate application for each.
An application is refused if any criterion is not met. The organisation can reapply 3 months after the refusal decision. If the refusal is due to concerns about fraud, dishonesty, misconduct or other integrity issues, it cannot reapply for 2 years from the decision date, and any new application must show the concerns have been fully addressed.
