The UK Sponsor Management System (SMS) is the Home Office portal that licensed sponsors use to assign Certificates of Sponsorship, report changes about sponsored workers, and manage the licence. Access is restricted to nominated Key Personnel — Level 1 Users get full access, Level 2 Users restricted access. Most reporting duties have a 10-working-day deadline.
SMS is where sponsor licence compliance lives or dies. Missed reports, sloppy CoS assignments, or untracked changes are the most common audit findings — and the most common reasons for licence revocation.
Who can access SMS
The Home Office allows sponsors to nominate up to four roles:
Authorising Officer (AO)
- The most senior person responsible for the licence.
- Must be a director, partner, or equivalent.
- Cannot be an immigration adviser (they''re an external service provider).
- Has overall accountability but typically doesn''t use SMS day-to-day.
Key Contact
- UKVI''s main point of contact for any licence issue.
- Can be the same person as the AO, or a senior HR / Legal lead.
Level 1 User (L1)
- Day-to-day SMS access. Assigns CoS. Makes most reports.
- Most sponsors have at least 1 Level 1 User; larger sponsors have 2-3.
Level 2 User (L2)
- Restricted SMS access — can only update or report on workers, not assign new CoS.
- Useful for delegating routine reporting to HR admins.
Key Personnel must:
- Be paid employees or office holders of the sponsor (with limited exceptions).
- Be based in the UK (with limited remote-working flexibility post-COVID).
- Have no unspent criminal convictions for relevant offences.
- Complete identity verification under the post-ECCTA 2023 rules.
What SMS does
The main functions:
1. Assign Certificates of Sponsorship
The CoS is a digital record on SMS, not a paper document. Each CoS is unique, tied to one role, one person, and contains the SOC code, salary, hours, location, and duration.
Two CoS types:
- Defined CoS — for entry-clearance applications (visa applied for from outside the UK). Allocated annually to the sponsor in batches; additional allocations available on request via SMS.
- Undefined CoS — for in-country switching. Issued from the sponsor''s rolling allocation.
Assignment process:
- Log into SMS.
- Navigate to "Workers" → "Sponsored workers" → "Assign CoS".
- Choose Defined or Undefined.
- Enter: SOC code, role title, salary (£), hours per week, work address(es), start and end dates, applicant''s personal details.
- Confirm and submit.
- The CoS reference is generated — pass to the worker for their visa application.
A CoS expires 3 months after assignment if unused. Once used, it''s permanently locked to that visa application.
2. Report changes about sponsored workers
The Sponsor Guidance specifies reporting duties — most due within 10 working days of the change. Common reportable events:
| Event | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Worker fails to turn up to start the job | 10 working days |
| Worker absent without authorisation for 10+ working days | 10 working days after the 10-day absence |
| Worker''s salary changes | 10 working days |
| Worker''s working hours change | 10 working days |
| Worker''s role changes (different SOC code) | 10 working days |
| Worker''s work location(s) change | 10 working days |
| Worker''s employment ends (resignation, dismissal, end of fixed term) | 10 working days |
| Worker is promoted within the same SOC code | 10 working days |
How to report:
- SMS → "Workers" → search for the worker.
- Select "Report changes" or specific change-type.
- Enter details and submit.
Each report receives a reference number. Save it.
3. Manage the licence
Other SMS functions:
- Update licence details (registered office, key personnel changes).
- Request additional Defined CoS allocations.
- Apply for licence renewal (every 4 years).
- Pay annual fees.
- Surrender or downgrade the licence.
Key Personnel changes must be reported within 20 working days.
Common SMS mistakes
1. Late reporting
The 10-working-day deadline is hard. UKVI checks SMS records on audit — a pattern of late reports leads to "B-rating" downgrades.
Fix: build SMS reporting into the HR workflow. Every change to a sponsored worker triggers an SMS update task with a 5-working-day SLA (giving you 5 working days of buffer).
2. CoS salary doesn''t match payslips
UKVI cross-references the CoS salary against actual pay. If the worker''s payslips show a different number, the licence is at risk.
Fix: if salary changes, report on SMS immediately AND update payroll. The two must always match.
3. SOC code mismatch with actual duties
The CoS specifies an SOC code. If the worker is doing duties materially different from that SOC code (different occupation level, different responsibilities), the genuineness of the vacancy comes into question.
Fix: review SOC codes when roles evolve. Promotions or role changes that move the duties beyond the original SOC should trigger a new CoS, not just a salary update.
4. Work location changes not reported
A common omission. If a worker''s work location changes (move to a new office, addition of a new site, shift to remote/hybrid), it must be reported.
Fix: SMS update on every workplace move.
5. Personal admin tasks done by external advisers
Some sponsors delegate SMS work to immigration lawyers. The lawyer isn''t technically a Level 1 User — they''re a third party. Direct SMS access is restricted to employees / officers of the sponsor.
Fix: lawyers can advise and prepare. The actual SMS click must be done by a nominated Key Personnel role-holder.
What UKVI checks on audit
When UKVI conducts a sponsor audit (pre-licence or post-licence), they specifically examine:
- Every sponsored worker on the SMS register.
- SMS reporting log — was every reportable event reported within deadline?
- Match between SMS salary and actual payslips.
- Match between SMS SOC code and actual duties.
- Match between SMS work location and actual workplace.
- Right-to-Work check evidence for every sponsored worker.
- Authorising Officer interview — testing knowledge of the system.
Findings of failed reporting, salary discrepancy, or role-duty mismatch are common drivers of licence revocation.
What to do this month
- Audit your current SMS records. For every sponsored worker, verify the SMS data matches reality (salary, role, location, hours).
- Review your reporting log. For the last 12 months, were all reports made within 10 working days?
- Build the SMS workflow into HR. Every change to a sponsored worker triggers an SMS check.
- If you''re unsure of any SMS task, get an immigration lawyer to review your records before UKVI does.