Date updated: Wednesday 17th January 2018

Once you have obtained your sponsor licence, you can use the Sponsorship Management System. The SMS can be used to:

  1. Manage or Renew your organisation’s license or services
  2. Create and assign certificates of sponsorship (CoS) (tier 2 or 5)
  3. Report changes of circumstances.

 There are specified appointments that need to be made to manage the sponsorship process. The roles are:

  • Authorising officer (AO) – usually the person with overall responsibility for recruiting employees
  • Key contact (KC) – the main point of contact with UKVI
  • Level 1 user – responsible day-to-day management of the licence

It is possible to appoint the same person in these roles. A level 2 user may also be appointed.

You are able to make the following changes through your SMS:

  • Replace your AO or KC
  • Amend details of your current AO or KC
  • Amend your details
  • Request other changes to your details
  • View and withdraw recent and outstanding requests
  • View your licence summary
  • Request and withdraw a request for a CoS/CAS allocation increase
  • Request a renewal of annual allocation.

Suitability checks

You and your staff’s suitability will be considered, you may not get your licence if anyone involved in sponsorship has:

  • any unspent criminal convictions
  • been fined by UKVI in the past 12 months
  • been reported to UKVI
  • broken the law
  • been a ‘key person’ at a sponsor that had its licence revoked in the last 12 months
  • failed to pay VAT or other excise duty.

You and your allocated staff must also:

  • be based in the UK permanently
  • be paid members of staff, or office holders - not be a contractor or consultant contracted for a specific project. There are a few exceptions, such as a legal representative
  • not be subject to a bankruptcy restriction order or undertaking, or a debt relief restriction order or undertaking
  • not have a history of non-compliance with sponsor requirements.

 

At Stone King we are able to support you through the Sponsorship process. As members of the Law Society and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority we are able to use your SMS and support you in applying and complying with your sponsorship duties.