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UK Visas and Immigration
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lead-sponsor-guidance-named-community-sponsorship-and-refugee-study-routes/lead-sponsor-guidance-named-community-sponsorship-and-refugee-study-routes-accessible-version
Version 1.0
About this guidance
This guidance sets out the roles and responsibilities for lead sponsors participating in the named sponsorship and refugee study routes.
The government’s Restoring Order and Control policy statement set out reforms to refugee sponsorship, giving voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations a greater role in refugee resettlement through three new sponsorship routes: named community sponsorship, refugee study and refugee work. This guidance will be updated to include information on the refugee work route ahead of the route opening.
The routes enable community groups, universities and employers to identify and sponsor refugees for resettlement in the UK, while supporting their integration into local communities. The routes operate through a lead sponsorship model, through which the Home Office enables approved UK-based VCS organisations, to provide advice, support and assurance to sponsors and act as the primary point of contact between sponsors and the Home Office.
These routes operate separately from and alongside the existing UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), providing complementary pathways alongside government-led resettlement.
Organisations wishing to become a lead sponsor can apply online at: Apply to be a lead sponsor for refugees.
Further information about the routes is available at: Policy guidance: refugee sponsorship routes.
Terminology used in this guidance
Throughout this guidance:
‘lead sponsors’ refers to the VCS organisations approved by the Home Office to support and oversee sponsorship arrangements, provide support and assurance to sponsors, and act as the primary point of contact between sponsors and the Home Office
‘sponsors’ refers to the community groups, universities and employers participating in the named sponsorship, refugee study and refugee work routes.
References to ‘refugees’ in this guidance include:
- individuals who meet the definition of a refugee in Article 1 of the 1951 Refugee Convention; and
- individuals who are within UNRWA’s mandated area, are Palestinian and cannot access referral through UNHCR’s established resettlement process but whose protection needs have been assessed through an alternative process established by the Home Office
The use of this term does not alter the United Kingdom’s position on refugee status under the Refugee Convention.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the guidance was published:
version 1.0
published for lead sponsors on 29 October 2026
Introduction
The UK government has introduced three new refugee sponsorship routes that enable community groups, universities and employers to play a direct role in supporting refugees to come to the UK and rebuild their lives. The routes are:
named community sponsorship, which enables community groups to identify refugees they wish to sponsor
refugee study, which enables universities to sponsor refugees to study in the UK, working with specialist VCS organisations to identify suitable students
refugee work, which enables employers to sponsor and provide refugees jobs, working with specialist VCS organisations to identify suitable refugees
What is refugee sponsorship?
These refugee sponsorship routes enable community groups, universities and employers to identify refugees in need of protection and support them to come to the UK and rebuild their lives.
Previous comparable UK sponsorship schemes include the Community Sponsorship Scheme.
Under these routes, eligible sponsors can refer refugees for consideration and commit to supporting them after their arrival in the UK. Sponsors are responsible for delivering practical and integration support to help refugees resettle in the UK, while lead sponsors provide oversight, support and assurance throughout the sponsorship arrangement.
Unlike the Community Sponsorship Scheme, where refugees are referred through established UNHCR referral mechanisms, the named community sponsorship, refugee study and refugee work routes enable sponsors to identify a specific refugee they wish to sponsor. Any individual referred under the routes must meet applicable identity, security and eligibility requirements. The Home Office will continue to work in partnership with UNHCR to confirm that individuals meet the relevant refugee or protection requirements.
What does a lead sponsor do?
Lead sponsors are organisations approved by the Home Office to help deliver refugee sponsorship. They support sponsorship arrangements by providing advice, oversight and assurance, and act as the main link between sponsors and the Home Office.
Lead sponsors play a key role in helping sponsorship arrangements succeed. They work with sponsors throughout the sponsorship period, helping them understand their responsibilities, assessing proposed sponsorship arrangements and providing ongoing support and oversight. They help ensure sponsorship arrangements are safe, sustainable and capable of meeting refugees’ needs, while maintaining consistent standards across the routes and identifying and addressing any concerns at an early stage.
To become a lead spo