Visas and immigration operational guidance – collection

Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators

Information for student and worker sponsors, including full policy guidance, using the sponsorship management system and how to get help.

Contents

  1. Codes of practice
  2. User manuals: sponsorship management system (SMS)
  3. Bulk data transfer: technical details
  4. Lists of licensed sponsors
  5. Sponsorship policy guidance
  6. How to get help

This collection includes documents for businesses and educational institutions that sponsor foreign workers and students. It includes:

  • sponsorship policy guidance
  • guides to using the business helpdesk and educators helpdesk
  • codes of practice
  • user manuals for the sponsorship management system (SMS)
  • technical details for bulk data transfers
  • lists of licensed sponsors

Codes of practice

  1. Sponsorship: codes of practice for skilled workers

    • 1 October 2013
    • Guidance

  2. Sponsorship: code of practice for ballet

    • 13 July 2012
    • Guidance

  3. Sponsorship: code of practice for dancers

    • 13 July 2012
    • Guidance

  4. Visa sponsorship: code of practice for performers (theatre or opera)

    • 13 July 2012
    • Guidance

  5. Visa sponsorship: code of practice for performers (film and TV)

    • 13 July 2012
    • Guidance

  6. Sponsorship: code of practice for workers in film and TV

    • 13 July 2012
    • Guidance

  7. Sponsorship: sporting code of practice

    • 1 November 2008
    • Guidance

User manuals: sponsorship management system (SMS)

  1. Introduction to the sponsorship management system: SMS guide 1

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  2. Manage your sponsorship licence: SMS guide 2

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  3. Applications, renewals and services: SMS guide 3

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  4. Creating and assigning CAS: SMS guide 4

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  5. Creating a CAS: guide for education sponsors, SMS guide 4a

    • 7 April 2014
    • Guidance

  6. Reporting student activity: SMS guide 5

    • 9 September 2014
    • Guidance

  7. Miscellaneous CAS functions: SMS guide 6

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  8. Bulk data transfer of CAS: SMS guide 7

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  9. Creating and assigning a CoS: SMS guide 8

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  10. Creating a CoS: guide for business sponsors: SMS guide 8a

    • 6 November 2014
    • Guidance

  11. Reporting worker activity: SMS guide 9

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  12. Miscellaneous certificate of sponsorship functions: SMS guide 10

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  13. Tier 5 creative and sport certificate of sponsorship: SMS guide 11

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

  14. Restricted certificate of sponsorship: SMS guide 12

    • 16 July 2014
    • Guidance

Bulk data transfer: technical details

  1. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: XML schema

    • 1 July 2013
    • Guidance

  2. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: country codes

    • 7 August 2013
    • Guidance

  3. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: example files

    • 1 July 2013
    • Guidance

  4. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: data values for CAS fields

    • 1 October 2014
    • Guidance

  5. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: validation rules for CAS upload

    • 1 October 2014
    • Guidance

  6. Bulk data transfer for sponsors: frequently asked questions

    • 1 October 2014
    • Guidance

Lists of licensed sponsors

  1. Register of licensed sponsors: workers

    • 4 March 2015
    • Guidance

  2. Register of licensed sponsors: students

    • 4 March 2015
    • Guidance

Sponsorship policy guidance

  1. Sponsor a Tier 2 or 5 worker: guidance for employers

    • 6 November 2014
    • Guidance

  2. Sponsor a Tier 4 student: guidance for educators

    • 28 November 2014
    • Guidance

  3. Sponsor guidance appendix A: supporting documents for sponsor applications

    • 6 April 2014
    • Guidance

  4. Sponsor guidance appendix B: immigration offences and sponsorship

    • 1 October 2013
    • Guidance

  5. Sponsor guidance appendix C: civil penalties and sponsorship

    • 1 October 2013
    • Guidance

  6. Sponsor guidance appendix D: keeping records for sponsorship

    • 6 November 2014
    • Guidance

  7. Sponsor guidance appendix E: example UKTI letter for sponsor applications

    • 1 October 2013
    • Guidance

  8. Sponsor guidance appendix F: Tier 5 (International Agreement)

    • 6 April 2013
    • Guidance

  9. Sponsor guidance appendix G: Croatian workers and students

    • 6 April 2014
    • Guidance

How to get help

  1. Employers and sponsors: make a query to the business helpdesk

    • 2 July 2013
    • Guidance

  2. Status updates on employee applications: consent form

    • 1 July 2013
    • Form

  3. Educators helpdesk: make a query

    • 9 September 2013
    • Guidance
Published:
22 January 2014
Updated:
7 April 2014

+ full page history

7 April 2014 12:17am
Updated SMS documents.
22 January 2014 12:47pm
First published.
From:
UK Visas and Immigration