What Does a Sponsor Management System Level One User do?
Is your business intending to apply for a sponsor licence and debating about the appointment of key personnel to comply with your sponsor licence reporting and recording duties? If so, you aren’t on your own. Many businesses say they struggle to understand what the Home Office sponsor management system is all about and what is expected of a level one user.
In this article, our immigration solicitors look at the role of the level one user in the operation of the sponsor management system so your business has a better idea of what the role entails before you appoint your key personnel to manage your sponsor licence.
UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For advice on sponsor licences or sponsor licence management services call the London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.
What is the sponsor management system?
Prior to understanding the role of the level one user, applicants for a sponsor licence first need to understand what the Home Office sponsor management system is.
The official answer to the question ‘what is the sponsor management system?’ is that it is an online tool that allows sponsor licence holders to sort out administrative sponsor licence activities, such as:
- Applying for certificates of sponsorship and renewing allocations
- The assignment of certificates of sponsorship to work visa applicants
- Reporting changes to a sponsored worker’s circumstances
- Managing the details of key personnel and the sponsor licence
Sponsor licence holders are encouraged by the Home Office to study the various SMS manuals to help sponsoring employers understand the technical aspects of SMS.
If you don’t want to train your staff on the detail or recruit additional staff to manage your sponsor licence, then Sponsorship Licence lawyers can provide:
- Sponsor management system training for key personnel
- Audits of key personnel use of the sponsor management system to avoid problems with sponsor licence retention or issues when you come to apply to renew the sponsor licence
- A professional sponsor management service to take the hassle out of complying with all the Home Office reporting and recording duties
If you aren’t sure how much sponsor management service help you require its best to discuss your problems with our Sponsorship Licence lawyers so we can find a solution for you that is tailored to the needs of your business.
For example, a busy London restaurant sponsoring a few staff on skilled worker visas may not want to invest training time in a level one user and prefer to outsource its sponsor management system compliance whereas an SME employing a large number of skilled worker visa holders may prefer Sponsorship Licence lawyers to work with their HR staff so all their key personnel, including level one users, have regular training and telephone support if they encounter a problem.
What is a level one user?
The allocated level one user is the person responsible for the day to day management of your sponsor license. They will need to use the Home Office sponsor management system to carry out their role.
The immigration rules say that the level one user can be a business owner or employee or an immigration solicitor. The main point to note is that whoever is appointed to fill this role needs to be computer proficient, organised and efficient and to understand the importance of their role.
In essence, the level one user is the lynch pin to the successful operation of the sponsor licence. If the level one user doesn’t do their job properly your sponsor licence could be at risk. Without a sponsor licence you can't recruit overseas workers on skilled worker visas or retain your existing sponsored workers. The job of a level one user therefore should not be taken lightly.
A level one user can ‘just’ be the level one user for your business or they can wear more than one hat and also be appointed to hold other key personnel functions, such as:
- The authorising officer – the person responsible for employees who use the sponsor management system and/or
- The key contact – the person who is the main point of contact between the business and the Home Office
What does a level one user do?
The job description of a level one user includes carrying out the sponsor management system reporting and recording duties. Tasks include:
- Requesting extra level one users
- Adding or removing level two users
- Assigning certificates of sponsorship
- Applying for certificates of sponsorship
- Informing the Home Office of change in business circumstances – such as a change of address
- Reporting notifiable absences of sponsored workers
- Reporting on contact detail changes for sponsored employees, such as a change of home address
- Reporting if a sponsored worker leaves the employment of the sponsor licence holder
- Applying to renew the sponsor licence
- Reviewing and actioning messages on the sponsor management system
Choosing your level one user
A level one user can either be:
- An employee of your business or
- An employee of the organisation that your business outsources its HR function to or
- An immigration advisor
A level one user can't be a temporary worker or an agency worker or a freelance worker or a consultant.
You also should not appoint someone as a level one user who:
- Is the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or undertaking or a debt relief restriction order or undertaking
- Has a history of non-compliance with sponsor licence reporting and recording requirements
- Has unspent criminal convictions or has broken the law
- Has been fined in the past twelve months or reported to the Home Office
- Has failed to pay excise duty or VAT
- Was appointed as key personnel in a business that had a sponsor licence revoked in the last twelve months
Sponsorship Licence lawyers say its usual to appoint the authorising officer as the level one user when applying for your sponsor licence but that once you have secured your sponsor licence you can either change the level one user or appoint additional level one users.
How many level one users can be appointed?
Once your sponsor licence has been granted you can change the level one user or appoint additional level one users. There is no limit.
Whilst you may want more than one level one user in case of holidays, sickness or maternity or paternity leave, having too many isn’t a good idea either. That’s because it can be hard to monitor their work. The number required will depend on the size of your business and the number of skilled worker visa applicants your firm is intending to sponsor.
If you decide to limit the number of level one users you can appoint some level two users - they can access the sponsor management system but have less authority to make changes.
UK Online and London Based Immigration Solicitors and Sponsorship Licence Lawyers
For advice on sponsor licences and sponsor licence management services call the London immigration lawyers at OTS Solicitors on 0203 959 9123 or contact us online.