UK visa sponsorship for employers
Sponsorship management roles
You need to appoint people (known as ‘key personnel’) within your business to manage the sponsorship process when you apply for a licence.
The main tool they’ll use is the sponsorship management system (SMS).
The roles are:
- authorising officer – a senior and competent person responsible for the actions of staff and representatives who use the SMS
- key contact – your main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
- level 1 user – responsible for all day-to-day management of your licence using the SMS
These roles can be filled by the same person or different people.
You can no longer appoint level 2 users – someone who can use the SMS with more restricted access than a level 1 user.
If you have existing level 2 users, before 9 March 2027, you must either:
- change them to a level 1 user if they continue to need to use the SMS
- deactivate their account if they do not need to use the SMS
Level 2 user accounts will be deactivated automatically after 8 March 2027.
Suitability checks
You and your staff will be checked to make sure you’re suitable for these roles. You may not get your licence if anyone involved in sponsorship has:
- an unspent criminal conviction for an offence listed in annex L4 of the guidance for sponsors on applying for a licence
- been fined by UKVI in the past 12 months
- been reported to UKVI
- broken the law
- been ‘key personnel’ at a sponsor that had its licence refused in the last 6 months
- failed to pay VAT or other excise duty
You may also not get your licence if anyone involved in sponsorship has been ‘key personnel’ at a sponsor when they had their licence revoked either:
- in the last 12 months
- in the last 24 months, if they’ve been ‘key personnel’ for more than one licence that has been revoked
At least one level 1 user must be:
- an employee, a partner or a director in the sponsor organisation
- a ‘settled worker’ - check who counts as a settled worker in section S1 of the guidance for sponsoring a worker
You and your allocated staff must also:
- be based in the UK most of the time
- not be a contractor or consultant contracted for a specific project
- 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
Your allocated staff must usually be paid members of staff, or office holders.
If you’re applying for a UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence, you can appoint an overseas worker as authorising officer if you do not have suitable staff based in the UK to do this role.
Read the full guidance on appointing ‘key personnel’ in section L4 of the guidance for sponsors on applying for a licence.
HR contractors
You can have additional level 1 users who are employed by third-party organisations that provide you with HR services.
UK-based legal representatives
You can appoint a UK-based legal representative as a key contact when you apply. Your representative must be qualified to give immigration advice or services.
Once your licence is granted, you can also appoint them as a level 1 user.