Maintaining Your Sponsor Licence: Sponsor Management & Compliance Support

Only employers with a sponsor licence as an employer of workers on a Worker or Temporary Worker route can use the SMS (Sponsor Management System). A sponsor can use the SMS to meet their requirements as an employer sponsoring Worker and Temporary Worker visa holders. 

What is the SMS (Sponsor Management System)?

The SMS is an online platform provided by UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) for licensed sponsors to manage their sponsorship activities. It is used to issue CoS (Certificates of Sponsorship), report changes, renew licences, and maintain compliance with Home Office rules. Sponsors are required to maintain SMS properly to avoid sanctions such as sponsor licence suspension or fines up to £20,000 per non-compliance instance.

Who needs to maintain sponsor management? 

Employers sponsoring migrant workers under any of the following UK immigration routes must use the SMS (Sponsorship Management System) to manage their sponsor licence and workforce:

• Skilled Worker route

• Global Business Mobility 9GBM) – Senior Worker or Specialist Worker route

• Minister of Religion route

• International Sportsperson route

• Charity Worker route

• Creative Worker route

• Global Business Mobility (other sub-routes) route

• Government Authorised Exchange route

• International Agreement route

• Religious Worker route

• Scale-up Worker route

• Seasonal Worker route

For each of the routes listed above, the SMS is the Home Office’s official channel for maintaining sponsorship. Organisations must use it to assign CoS, request allocations, report changes in business or worker circumstances, and respond to Home Office requests. 

Sponsors must have access to SMS and use it properly to meet its sponsor duties, which, if they fail to do, they may be at risk of enforcement action and ultimately losing the ability to sponsor workers. 

What is SMS used for?

A sponsor can use the SMS to:

• Maintain or renew their organisation’s licence or services

• Create and assign CoS (Certificates of Sponsorship) to prospective Workers or Temporary Workers 

• Report changes of circumstances of their sponsored workers, including withdrawal of sponsorship

• Report changes to their own circumstances, for example, a change of owner or a new location  

The Sponsor Management System is the online UKVI portal that is used to administer your day-to-day sponsorship duties and activities, and to fulfil many of your requirements and responsibilities as an employer sponsoring Worker visa and Temporary Worker visa-holders.

The SMS is designed to allow level 1 and level 2 users to perform various sponsorship activities (listed below) online on behalf of the organisation.

1. Replace AO (Authorising Officer) or KC (Key Contact)

A sponsor must only use the function to replace an AO or KC if the AO or KC role is to be assumed by a different person. If they want to amend their current AO or KC details, they must use the “Amend your current Authorising Officer’s details” or “Amend your current Key Contact’s details” function.

• On the "Licence summary, applications and services" page, select Request changes to Licence Details.

• On the Request changes to licence details page, select Replace your AO or KC.

If the sponsor’s new AO will also be their KC, they will only need to complete either the Replace your Authorising Officer or Replace your Key Contact function.

• From the Replace your AO or Nominate a new KC page (depending on the function selected), complete all mandatory fields, then select Next.

If the AO and the KC are the same person, tick the box at the top of the screen. This will mean that they will not be required to send separate requests to amend the details for each of these roles. The Address required is the person’s work address, not their home address.

• From the Request change of circumstances declaration page, complete the date, your name, position in the organisation, and tick the declaration box. After completion, select Submit.

Replacing Key Contact: On the Submission successful page, take note of your change request number, then select Home from the main menu to continue.

Replacing Authorising Officer: On the Submission successful page, select Submission sheet. You must complete and send the submission sheet together with all required supporting evidence to the stated email address.

2. Request and withdraw CoS (Certificates of Sponsorship)

A sponsor can follow the step-by-step instructions stated below to request an increase in their allocation of CoS during an allocation year, and to withdraw a request. You are allowed to perform this action at any point during the allocation year.

• From the Licence summary, applications and services page, select Request CoS allocation increase.

• From the Request additional CoS page, select Add a request next to the worker or temporary worker route in which you wish to increase the allocation.

If you cannot add a request, your current allocation of CoS could have expired, and you may need to renew it. Select Cancel, then from Licence summary, applications and services menu, select Request renewal of annual CoS allocations. On the same request, you can request increases to more than one of your allocations. You can use this function as many times as required during the allocation year.

• On the Request additional CoS page, enter the number of CoS you require and provide detailed reasons for this request. After completing all details, select Save. You must explain the reasons for the request in full.

You are returned to the Request additional CoS page. If you require, you should repeat the above process to request an increase in another immigration route. If you need to change the number of certificates you requested or the reasons you provided, you should select Edit next to the request you wish to amend. If you have no further amendments, select Submit to confirm your request(s).

You can only edit a request before you have submitted it. After submitting your request, you can only withdraw it, not edit it.

Your request(s) have been submitted. Select OK to return to the Request additional CoS page.

Withdrawing a request

In order to withdraw a request, select Withdraw next to the applicable request. You can only withdraw a request that has been submitted and is still pending. The withdrawal request will not be completed until you confirm the action.

From the Withdraw request for additional CoS page, select Confirm withdrawal. From the Request additional CoS page, you can now see that the request has been withdrawn and will not be considered.

3. Report individual migrant activity

One of the primary responsibilities as a sponsor is to report any relevant migrant worker activity, if a worker’s circumstances change, including any failure to attend their work, repeated absences from their work, and sponsorship withdrawal. Only a Level 2 user can report migrant worker activity on CoS that they have personally created and assigned, or for any CoS that a Level 1 user has transferred to them.

A sponsor can follow the step-by-step instructions below to report migrant activity to UKVI, for example, if the migrant has been delayed and has not entered the UK, or if you are no longer sponsoring the migrant. This function is crucial to fulfilling duties as a sponsor.

Please note, Level 2 users can only report migrant activity for CoS that they have personally created and assigned, or for CoS that have been transferred to them.

• From the “Workers” page, select Sponsorship duties.

• From the “Sponsorship duties” page, select Report migrant activity.

• From the “Report migrant activity – CoS search” page, enter your search parameters, and then select Next.

- You will see a long list of CoS if your search parameters are not specific. You need to select the CoS on which you wish to report.

- You can only report against a CoS that has been used in a migrant’s application for leave to enter or remain, or worker authorisation.

• From the “CoS search results” page, check that you have got the correct CoS. If not, select Back. Select Next if it is the correct CoS.

• From the “Report new activity drop-down menu”, select the appropriate reason, then select Next.

You will be able to see previously reported activity on this page, under the Reported activity heading.

• From the “Report migrant activity – date and reason” page, select a further reason from the Select details drop-down menu, complete the date, and provide complete details. When it is complete, select Save.

You are returned to the “View and report migrant activity” page, where you can see your report activity listed at the top of the Reported activity section.

One can only view the initial activity type selection of the submitted report.

4. Viewing licence summary

Follow the step-by-step instructions stated below to see the Licence summary displaying your CoS allocation, key licence dates, and licence details. Only a Level 1 user can see the Licence Summary screen.

• Select Licence summary from the Licence summary, applications, and services page.

Your licence summary is displayed here. Organisation name, organisation address, Head Office or registered / trading name (if applicable), and address (if applicable). If any of these details are not correct, you must make a request to change them using the Amend your organisation details function.

Sponsor licence number, number of employees (the number of employees that you have told UKVI are currently working in your organisation, as stated in your original licence application, unless changed by you). Business sector in which you operate, and your nominated Authorising officer’s details. If your AO has left, or you wish to appoint a new AO, you should use the Replace your Authorising Officer details function.

Key contact (the details of your nominated Key Contact). Representative (if you have appointed one). Licence start date and end date, as well as the opening date of your licence renewal period.

The remainder of the page shows your allocations by immigration route. You can see your limit of CoS under each route, how many you have assigned since the allocation year started, the number of CoS you have left to assign for the allocation year, the allocation year’s expiry date, and your rating for each route. Unless automated annual allocations are in place, you can apply to renew your annual CoS allocations no more than 3 months prior to the allocation expiry date, or after that date.

5. Amending your details 

Follow the step-by-step instructions stated below to amend your details. You can use this to notify UKVI of changes to your details, such as changes to your name and/or organisation address.

• On the Licence Summary, applications and services page, select Request changes to licence details.

• On the Request changes to licence details page, select Amend your organisation details.

• On the Amend your organisation details page, select the relevant reason for change from the Reason for change drop-down and give details of the change in the text box. Details of your current organisation, which appear on your sponsor licence, are pre-populated on this page. Make the necessary changes here to your organisation details, then select Next.

• On the Request change of circumstances declaration page, complete the date, your name, and position in the organisation, and tick the declaration box. When completed, select Submit.

The changes have been submitted, and if applied automatically, you can view them on the Licence summary page. Importantly, in all circumstances, you must submit the submission sheet to UKVI for review. Select the Submission sheet.

You must complete the submission sheet and sent together with all required supporting evidence to the stated email address.

6. Requesting other changes to your details

Follow the step-by-step instructions stated below to request others' changes to your details.

Use this function to surrender either your whole sponsor licence or licence in specific routes. This function can also be used for other changes to your licence, including:

• Changes resulting in you coming under new ownership;

• Appointing, amending, or removing a representative;

• Even though multiple representatives can be added to a licence, the SMS will only display the first appointed representative on the Licence summary page. The details of other appointed representatives will be held internally.

• Adding or removing a site, branch, linked entity, partner intuition, or contract.

• Changes to registration status or body;

• Changes to the inspection body or status, renewal of the sporting body endorsement;

• Changes to key personnel if you are registered in the GBM (Global Business Mobility) UK Expansion Worker route with a licence rated as ‘provisional’;

• Notify UKVI that your AO is in the UK (GBM UK Expansion Worker only); or,

• Any other change.

You must use this function only to request changes that cannot be notified using the Amend your licence details, amend your current AO, amend your current KC, replace your KC, and Replace your AO functions.

• On the Licence summary, applications and services page, choose Request changes to licence details.

• From the Request changes to licence details page, choose Request any other change to your licence details.

• On the Request change of circumstances page, choose the appropriate reason for change from the Select reason for change drop-down list. In the Change details (within 2000 characters) field, give complete details of the request, then select Next.

• On the Request change of circumstance declaration page, complete the date, your name, and position in the organisation, and tick the declaration box. When completed, select Submit.

• On the Submission successful page, select Submission sheet.

You must complete and send the submission sheet together with all required supporting evidence to the stated email address.

7. Adding PAYE references (Only for Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors)

From the 1st of December 2020, sponsors must provide PAYE information on CoS assigned in the UK Skilled Worker and Intra-company Routes.

Follow the step-by-step instructions stated below to add a PAYE reference number to your sponsor licence. When a PAYE reference number is added to a licence, this is available to select when creating a CoS in a route where providing PAYE details is mandatory.

• On the Licence summary, applications and services screen, select PAYE References.

• On the Manage PAYE references page, you can see any PAYE reference numbers already added to the licence, the date on which each reference was added, the Level 1 user ID of the SMS user who added each PAYE reference, and the SMS user’s name who added each PAYE reference. Select Add to add a new PAYE reference to your licence.

• On the Add PAYE Reference screen, enter a valid PAYE reference number. When completed, select Add to save. Select Back to go to the previous screen without saving.

You are sent back to the Manage PAYE reference screen. You can repeat the above process to add another PAYE reference.

Reporting and compliance through SMS

The SMS or Sponsor Management System is the primary source of data that the Home Office uses to monitor whether a sponsor is fulfilling its reporting obligations. Every licensed sponsor must report changes by the relevant deadlines and requirements that are set out in sponsor guidance. If a sponsor fails to comply, even due to oversight, they can jeopardize their licence validity and the immigration status of sponsored workers. For maintaining a sponsor licence, approved sponsors must treat reporting duties as a routine function of compliance.

How can Visa and Migration help?

The services we provide include initial assessments of your business and reviews to identify your business's suitability to join and hold a sponsorship licence. We will provide a detailed report and recommendation to ensure successful maintenance of SMS, and maintain long term commitment to assisting your organisation in remaining under the scheme. Upon registration, as a Sponsor, our specialist advisors can assist your HR departments in issuing CoS (Certificates of Sponsorship) and maintaining satisfactory records and systems to comply with strict Home Office guidelines. In agreement with you, we can carry out additional ad hoc inspections to ensure your organisation maintains necessary records and completes reporting procedures, in order to maintain your sponsorship status as an employer.

For expert advice and queries, you can call us at +44 (0)20 3411 1261 or write at info@visaandmigration.com