Guidance

SMS guide 9: reporting user activity (accessible)

Updated 26 November 2023

Additional SMS manuals

There are 12 SMS manuals available, plus two supplementary policy guides for completing a CoS and CAS. The manuals are grouped into three categories: common, CAS and CoS. The table below describes the purpose and audience of each manual.

You should read all manuals applicable to your licence before contacting the relevant helpdesk.

Manual reference	Manual title	Type	Purpose	Audience
Manual 1	Introduction to SMS	Common	Use this manual to log into SMS, change your password, manage SMS users and view important messages posted by the Home Office. In addition, this manual explains who should use SMS and for what purpose. The manual features a full introduction to SMS as well as a comprehensive troubleshooting section.	All sponsors
Manual 2	Managing your licence	Common	To help sponsors manage their key personnel, change their licence details, manage PAYE references, and apply for allocations of CoS/CAS.	All sponsors
Manual 3	Applications, renewals and services	Common	To help sponsors apply for Premium customer service, apply for, renew or decline to renew Student Sponsor status, renew or decline to renew your licence renewal, and manage action plans.	All sponsors
Manual 4	Creating and assigning CAS	CAS	To help sponsors create and assign individual and batches of CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 4a	Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors	CAS	This manual contains supplementary information on completing a CAS. Use this guide to determine what information is necessary in each field of the CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 5	Reporting student activity	CAS	To help sponsors report student activity, for example if a student’s circumstances change or submitting a graduate notification. This manual also contains help with reporting fee updates and adding sponsor notes to CAS that have already been assigned.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 6	Miscellaneous CAS functions	CAS	To help sponsors complete all other functions of CAS, such as managing batches of CAS, managing pre-stored addresses for use when creating CAS, transferring ownership of CAS, printing CAS and exporting CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 7	Bulk Data Transfer of CAS	CAS	To help sponsors use the bulk data transfer (BDT) functions of SMS, including graduate notifications. You must have a bespoke IT system in place to use BDT.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 8	Creating and assigning CoS	CoS	To help sponsors create and assign individual and batches of CoS.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 8a	Creating a CoS – guide for business sponsors	CoS	This guide contains supplementary information on completing a CoS. Use this guide to determine what information is necessary in each field of the CoS.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 9	Reporting worker activity	CoS	To help sponsors report worker activity, for example if a worker’s circumstances change. This manual also contains help with adding sponsor notes to CoS that have already been assigned.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 10	Miscellaneous CoS functions	CoS	To help sponsors complete all other functions of CoS, such as managing batches of CoS, managing pre-stored addresses for use when creating CoS, transferring ownership of CoS, and printing CoS.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 11	Tier 5 Creative and Sporting groups of CoS	CoS	To help sponsors create and manage groups of CoS. Groups of CoS are only available to sponsors licensed in Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting).	Sponsors licensed in the Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting route
Manual 12	Defined CoS	CoS	To help sponsors apply for defined CoS, track applications for defined CoS and once granted, create defined CoS.	Sponsored licensed in Skilled Worker

Glossary

Term	Meaning
SMS	Sponsorship Management System
CoS	Certificate of Sponsorship
CAS	Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
AO	Authorising Officer
KC	Key Contact
BDT	Bulk Data Transfer
SELT	Secure English Language Test
.XML	Extensible Mark-up Language
.PDF	Portable Document Format
Automation	On 6 April 2014 we introduced new functionality in SMS to automatically renew CoS allocations and to apply changes to your organisation address, or the address of your AO and KC. We will write to you if you meet the criteria and automation has been set.

CoS status

The table below shows each status which can apply to a CoS.

As seen in SMS	Meaning
WORK IN PROGRESS	The CoS is still in ‘draft’ form as one or more mandatory details have yet to be completed.
READY TO GO	All mandatory fields are complete and the CoS is ready to be assigned to an individual.
ASSIGNED	The CoS has been assigned to an individual and is ready to be used in support of an application for leave to enter or remain.
WITHDRAWN	You have used the ‘Manage live CoS’ function to withdraw the CoS.
USED	The CoS has been used in support of an individual’s application for leave to enter or remain.
EXPIRED	EITHER: The individual has not made an application for leave to enter or remain by the expiry date of the CoS. A new CoS is required; OR: The individual has applied by the CoS expiry date but we have not considered their application before that date. In this case, no action is required on your part; we will change the status of the CoS from EXPIRED to USED when the application is considered.
CANCELLED	The CoS has been cancelled as your licence has been revoked or has expired, or you have surrendered the relevant route / your whole licence prior to the CoS being used.

SMS guides

Guide 1: How to report individual migrant activity

Follow the step by step instructions below to search for a CoS and report migrant activity, including withdrawal of sponsorship from a migrant. This function is essential to fulfil your duties as a sponsor. Use this function to notify us of a migrant’s activity, for example, the migrant has been delayed and has not entered the UK, or you are no longer sponsoring the migrant.

Please note, Level 2 users can only report migrant activity for CoS that they have personally created and assigned, or for CoS which have been transferred to them.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before reporting migrant activity.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Workers screen, select Sponsorship duties.
2	From the Sponsorship duties screen, select Report migrant activity.
3	From the Report migrant activity – CoS search screen, enter your search parameters, then select Next.
4	From the CoS search results screen, check that you have identified the correct CoS. If not, select Back. If it is the correct CoS, select Next.
5	From the Report new activity drop-down menu, choose the appropriate reason, then select Next. You can also view previously reported activity on this screen, under the Reported activity heading.
6	From the Report migrant activity – date and reason screen, select a further reason from the Select details drop-down menu, complete the date and provide full details. When complete, select Save.
Note	From 6 April 2014, if you are reporting withdrawal of sponsorship, you will be required to enter the last recorded residential address for the student. In addition, if you have the phone number and email address you should include them in the report.
7	You are returned to the View and report migrant activity screen. You can see your report activity is listed at the top of the Reported activity section.
Note	Only the initial Activity type selection of the submitted report is available to view

Guide 1.1: Sponsor continuing to sponsor migrant worker. Offshore worker arrived in or departing UK waters

Follow the step by step instructions below to report workers arriving and departing UK waters.

Step	Instruction
1	From step 5 on page 12, select Sponsor continuing to sponsor migrant worker if the worker is arriving in UK waters OR select Sponsor has stopped sponsoring migrant worker if the worker is departing UK waters.
Note	From 6 April 2014, if you are reporting withdrawal of sponsorship, you will be required to enter the last recorded residential address for the student. In addition, if you have the phone number and email address you should include them in the report
2	When reporting that the offshore worker has arrived in the UK, select from the dropdown details list and provide the information stated in the text box.
Note	Enter relevant details in the ‘give full details’ box before pressing ‘save’
3	When reporting that the offshore worker has left UK waters, select from the dropdown details list and provide the information stated in the text box
Note	Make sure to enter the information after you have selected Sponsor has stopped sponsoring.

Guide 2: How to add and amend sponsor notes

Follow the step by step instructions below to add a sponsor note to a CoS with a status of ASSIGNED. This function is useful if you wish to notify us of changes to details of a live CoS. It is not possible to edit a live CoS, but if any of the previously submitted information is incorrect, you may add a sponsor note to provide the correct details.

Please note, Level 2 users can only add a sponsor note on CoS that they have personally created and assigned, or to CoS that have been transferred to them.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before adding a sponsor note to a live CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Workers screen, select Sponsorship duties.
2	From the Sponsorship duties screen select Report migrant activity.
3	From the Search for a CoS screen, enter your search parameters, then select Next.
Note	If your search parameters are not specific, you will be presented with a list of CoS. This screen is not featured in this guide. Select the CoS to which you wish to add a note. If your search parameters are specific, you will be presented with the screen below.
4	From the Manage live CoS screen, check that you have identified the correct CoS. If not, select Back. If it is the correct CoS, select Sponsor note.
5	From the Edit sponsor note screen, enter the details you wish to add in the Sponsor note field, then select Save.
Note	1. This function can only be used to notify us of any changes before the migrant uses the CoS in support of their application. The system will therefore only allow you to add a sponsor note to a live CoS with a status of ASSIGNED (Unused). 2. If you wish to add more information at a later date (and before the CoS has been used), you must add it after the previously entered text. 3. If you wish to replace your earlier sponsor note with alternative details, you can do so by over-typing the original text. Take care not to over-type any text accidentally, as the original content will be lost.
6	From the Manage live CoS screen, the note you created is displayed.