Getting a sponsor licence is only the start — keeping it means meeting strict ongoing duties. This 2026 guide explains what sponsors must do (records, monitoring, reporting), how compliance visits work, and what happens if your licence is revoked.
The three core duties
- Record-keeping — keep the right documents, accessible (since March 2026) ideally within one working day of a request: passports/immigration status, employment contracts, job descriptions matching the CoS, payslips and right-to-work check evidence.
- Monitoring — track your sponsored workers’ attendance, contact details and that they only do permitted work.
- Reporting — report relevant changes (e.g. a worker leaving, changing role or salary) to UKVI via the SMS within the required timeframes.
Key personnel and right-to-work checks
Your Level 1 User runs day-to-day SMS tasks — assigning CoS, reporting changes and maintaining records. You must also carry out right-to-work checks on the workers you sponsor (guidance updated 20 May 2026 confirms this applies even where the worker isn’t directly employed by you).
Compliance visits
UKVI conducts compliance inspections — with notice or, increasingly, unannounced. Officers check your right-to-work checks, record-keeping, monitoring, reporting deadlines, the readiness of key personnel and the genuineness of your business.
If you fail: suspension or revocation
Failings can lead to your licence being downgraded, suspended or revoked. Revocation means you immediately lose the ability to sponsor: all CoS are cancelled, sponsored workers typically get 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave, and you can’t reapply for at least 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
What are a sponsor’s main duties?
Keeping correct records, monitoring sponsored workers, and reporting relevant changes to UKVI on time.
What records must a sponsor keep?
Passports/immigration status, contracts, job descriptions matching the CoS, payslips and right-to-work checks — accessible within about one working day.
Who is the Level 1 User?
The person who handles day-to-day SMS tasks: assigning CoS, reporting changes and maintaining records.
Do sponsors have to do right-to-work checks?
Yes — on the workers you sponsor, including where they aren’t directly employed by you.
What happens during a compliance visit?
Officers (often unannounced) review your right-to-work checks, records, monitoring, reporting and key personnel, and assess whether your business is genuine.
What happens if my licence is revoked?
All your CoS are cancelled, sponsored workers usually get 60 days, and you can’t reapply for at least 12 months.
