Is it possible to add further branches to a sponsor licence where all of the entities have the same parent company, but the parent company or head office itself is not the licence holder? Also, what is the situation if one operating company applies for the licence, but the intention is to subsequently form a parent company and other subsidiaries which will also need to sponsor workers?

Linked companies in a group structure can come within (and be added to) the same sponsor licence (as ‘head office’ and ‘branches’), if they so choose, where there is a specified relationship of common ownership and control. See government guidance: Workers and Temporary Workers—guidance for sponsors part 1: apply for a licence, in particular section: ‘How you can apply if you have multiple branches’.

As such, one company in the UK can obtain a sponsor licence, and subsequent group companies linked by a specified relationship of common ownership and control which are created in the UK can either join the existing sponsor licences as branches showing common ownership, or get their own sponsor licence.

However,