When your organisation holds a UK sponsor licence, the Home Office’s Sponsorship Management System (SMS) is the central hub for all visa-sponsorship activities. The SMS Level 1 User is the indispensable link between your business and UK Visas & Immigration, tasked with managing day-to-day licence duties, reporting changes and safeguarding your right to employ overseas talent.

What Is the Sponsorship Management System (SMS)?

The SMS is a secure online portal where sponsors:

• Apply for and assign Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)
• Report changes affecting sponsored workers or the business
• Manage licence-holder personnel and access levels
• Track Home Office messages, requests and licence renewals

Mastery of the SMS is essential to keep your licence active and remain compliant with immigration rules.

Who Is the Level 1 User?

The Level 1 User is the primary SMS administrator responsible for executing all licence-related tasks. They act as the engine room of your sponsorship operation, ensuring that every CoS assignment, update and report happens accurately and on time.

Key points:

• Must be a paid employee or office-holder (e.g., director) of the licence-holding entity on initial application
• Can be an in-house staff member, a dedicated HR provider or a qualified solicitor once the licence is granted
• Shares oversight with the Authorising Officer (AO) and Key Contact (KC), but focuses on SMS operations

Appointment Criteria and Vetting

Before naming your first Level 1 User, the Home Office will check they:

• Hold settled status in the UK (British citizen, Indefinite Leave to Remain or equivalent)
• Have no relevant unspent criminal convictions
• Are not subject to bankruptcy or debt-relief restrictions
• Have a clean record on previous sponsor-licence compliance

If they cease to meet these requirements—because they leave the business, relocate overseas or fall foul of Home Office rules—you must appoint a replacement promptly to avoid licence suspension.

Core SMS Duties of a Level 1 User

Day-to-day tasks carried out by the Level 1 User include:

• Requesting, allocating and withdrawing CoS for visa applicants
• Monitoring CoS quotas and applying for increases when needed
• Reporting key changes:
  • Employee absences or terminations
  • Updates to worker job titles, salaries or work locations
  • Business-level changes, such as new trading addresses
• Adding and removing SMS users (Level 1 and Level 2)
• Submitting licence-renewal applications and handling premium-service requests
• Reviewing and actioning UKVI messages and compliance questionnaires

Accurate, timely completion of these activities keeps your sponsor licence in good standing and avoids enforcement action.

Appointing Multiple Level 1 Users

While you must name at least one Level 1 User at application stage, you can add as many more as your organisation needs once the licence is live. Consider multiple administrators if:

• You sponsor a high volume of workers
• You need cover for holidays, illness or staff turnover
• You want to segregate duties across teams (e.g., one user for CoS allocation, another for reporting)

However, too many users can complicate oversight. Strike a balance based on your licence size and operational demands.

For Level 1 User service, schedule a meeting: https://tidycal.com/stconsultancy/15-minute-1-1

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