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27 March 2023

New rules for sponsor licence holders introduced

The new rules make it easier to make changes through the Sponsor Management System.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
New rules for sponsor licence holders introduced

There are new rules for sponsor licence holders, which changes how you can update some of your sponsor licence details. 

From 23 March 2023, requests that you submit from the sponsorship management system (SMS) to replace your Authorising Officer, replace your Key Contact and add new Level 1 Users will be fulfilled immediately, providing certain criteria are met.

This comes in addition to the immediate fulfilment of requests to update the details of your Authorising Officer, Key Contact, Level 1 users and organisation details. 

Furthermore, if you hold a licence for an eligible route, your annual allocation for Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) will automatically renew (subject to certain criteria being met.)

These functions have been introduced to ensure you can keep your licence details as up to date as possible without having to wait for these requests to be agreed by the Home Office.

What criteria must you meet under new rules for sponsor licence holders?

The criteria for these requests being fulfilled immediately are:

  • your licence is active
  • you are an A-rated sponsor
  • the postcode of the address stated for the new Authorising Officer, Key Contact or Level 1 User matches either the postcode of your main organisation address or that of your head office address


If these criteria aren’t met, your request will be submitted to the Home Office and be considered as usual. 

When they are met, you’ll be able to see the details of the new Authorising Officer or Key Contact on the Licence summary screen in SMS immediately, and the request statuses on the screen will be ‘Accepted’. 

The Home Office will still conduct necessary checks on these requests and, if there are concerns, you will be contacted accordingly. For requests to replace your Authorising Officer, you will still need to provide a submission sheet and any required supporting evidence. 

Renewal of Allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS)

If you are an A-rated sponsor license holder, and you are currently ‘active’, your annual allocation of CoS will be renewed if it is due to expire more than 3 months from 24 March 2023. 

If your annual allocation expires within 3 months, or your allocation status is ‘expired’, you will still need to apply to renew it.

How can we help?

We assist companies of all sizes in their successful application and management of their Sponsor Licences. If you have any questions about the new Sponsorship Management System Updates, contact us on 020 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.

Ready for assistance?

If you have any questions, or want to book an appointment with one of our legal experts, contact Woodcock Law today. Call us on +44 (0)20 7712 1705 or email info@woodcocklaw.co.uk.

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