Sponsor management system (SMS) and user roles
The sponsor management system (SMS) is the Home Office's online account where you assign certificates and report changes once your licence is granted. Your level 1 users run it day to day, and your authorising officer answers for everything done in it (GOV.UK).
- Authorising officers1One at a time, senior and based in the UK
- Key contacts1Your main point of contact with UKVI
- Level 1 users1 or moreYou must always have at least one
- Level 2 accounts end8 Mar 2027Closed automatically after this date
Figures from GOV.UK, sponsor guidance Part 1, section L4.
What the sponsor management system is used for
Nearly every sponsor task after grant goes through the SMS. Your level 1 users log in at the sponsor management system page to:
- assign and withdraw certificates of sponsorship (CoS), the electronic record each sponsored worker needs
- apply for defined certificates and ask for a larger CoS allocation
- report worker events, such as unauthorised absence or a change of salary
- report changes to your organisation, such as a new address
- add and deactivate users, and read messages the Home Office posts
Some changes can be fast-tracked for a fee through the priority service.
| Authorising officer | A paid staff member or office holder, the most senior person responsible for recruiting sponsored workers; never a representative |
|---|---|
| Key contact | A paid staff member, an office holder, or a UK-based representative |
| First level 1 user | An employee, director or partner who is also a settled worker |
| Extra level 1 users | Staff or office holders; after grant, also an outsourced HR provider's employee or a UK-based representative |
| Level 2 user | No new appointments from 9 September 2026 |
Authorising officer and key contact
The authorising officer is the most senior person responsible for recruiting sponsored workers and for meeting your sponsor duties. They decide who gets SMS access and at what level, and they answer for every user's actions. The guidance recommends they review the certificates assigned at least once a month. A licence without a suitable authorising officer will normally be revoked (sponsor guidance, Part 1).
The key contact is who the Home Office emails about your application, documents and fees. Neither role can log in to the SMS unless the person is also made a level 1 user, which you can do when you apply or after grant.
Level 1 user and level 2 user
Level 1 users carry out the day-to-day work, and you must have at least one for the life of the licence. Your first level 1 user must be an employee, director or partner who is a settled worker, meaning for example a British or Irish citizen or someone with indefinite leave or status under the EU Settlement Scheme (sponsor guidance, Part 2).
Level 2 users had narrower access: they could create and assign certificates and report on the ones they handled. No new level 2 users can be added from 9 September 2026. Existing ones must be upgraded to level 1, if eligible, or deactivated before 9 March 2027. Agency staff on level 2 accounts cannot be upgraded.
Who can be an SMS user or key personnel
Everyone in these roles, known together as key personnel, must pass Home Office suitability checks, which include the Police National Computer. Each person must:
- be based in the UK while in the role
- have a National Insurance number, unless exempt
- normally be a paid member of staff or an office holder
- not be a contractor or consultant hired for a specific project, or an agency worker supplied by an employment business
- have no unspent conviction for an offence listed in Annex L4 of the guidance
- not be under a bankruptcy or debt relief restriction order or undertaking
- not have been key personnel at a sponsor refused in the last 6 months or recently revoked
If a nominee fails these tests, the Home Office can refuse the application, revoke the licence, or cut your certificate allocation (GOV.UK).
Keeping SMS accounts active and secure
Accounts no one uses are removed. An account not logged into for 12 months or more counts as inactive; the Home Office contacts the authorising officer, and level 1 users then have 3 months to log in and check their details. If that leaves you with no active level 1 user, the licence is suspended and you have 28 days to name one, or it will normally be revoked.
Multi-factor authentication, a one-time code sent by text or email at each login, became mandatory in phases from 3 September 2026. Keep each level 1 user's mobile number, email and date of birth correct. An SMS user sharing their password or one-time code is itself listed as a reason the Home Office may revoke a licence (sponsor guidance, Part 3).
Questions employers ask about the SMS
Can one person hold every role?
Yes. In a small business the same person can be authorising officer, key contact and level 1 user, provided they meet the rules for each role.
Can our solicitor use our SMS account?
A UK-based legal representative can be your key contact from the start and, once the licence is granted, an extra level 1 user. They cannot be your authorising officer or your only level 1 user, and they should be qualified to give immigration advice.
Want a solicitor to handle it? Ask a solicitor
Before you hire any adviser, check they are allowed to give immigration advice: solicitors are on the Solicitors Regulation Authority register, and other advisers on the Immigration Advice Authority adviser finder.