Government publishes plans for new sponsorship system

1 September 2021

The Home Office has published its sponsorship roadmap, which sets out its plans to transform the existing process for employing foreign nationals. According to the document, over the course of the next three years, the Home Office plans to simplify and streamline the sponsorship system through a series of IT, customer service and compliance changes. It expects the new system to be operational by Q1 2024 with all sponsors being transferred to the new system by this date.

Why is the Home Office changing the sponsorship system?
The Home Office has said that its ambition is to create a system which is easier to navigate and reduces the time it takes to sponsor a migrant worker.

What are the key changes?
The focus of the reforms is on customer service, IT, compliance, and engagement. The Home Office has set out a series of ‘radical changes’ in each of these areas, which it hopes to deliver between 2022 and 2024.

Customer service
The roadmap contains details of several changes to the Home Office’s customer service delivery, including:
• reforming sponsor licence renewal patterns;
• reviewing the Home Office’s service standards; and
• delivering a new support package for SMEs.

IT transformation
The roadmap sets out an ambitious IT transformation, with three key stages:
• Phase 1: Sponsor a visa – workers’ applications will be pre-populated with data previously submitted by their sponsor.
• Phase 2: Manage a licence – the Home Office will do checks on employers and workers using data held by other government departments (eg HMRC).
• Phase 3: Become a sponsor – automatic checks will be implemented to verify key information about employers and individuals employed by sponsored organisations.

Compliance
The compliance measures in the new system will largely reflect those under the current system, but the focus of compliance visits will be on sponsors who pose a heightened risk of non-compliance or those who have no track record of compliance.

Engagement
The Home Office has said that it will deliver a ‘comprehensive’ engagement strategy to accompany the new system, with customer feedback built into the design and delivery of the system.

What are the key dates?
Between now and early 2022, the Home Office will continue to implement changes to the current system. These changes include a review of fees, the introduction of a Skilled Worker eligibility tool and the launch of a pilot salary checking tool in conjunction with HMRC.

Between 2022 and early 2024, the Home Office will start the roll out of its new sponsorship system. The IT transformation will be introduced to a test group of SMEs and larger organisations, before being rolled out to a wider pool of sponsors. The Home Office expects that all employers will be transferred to the new IT system between mid-2023 and Q1 2024.

Get in touch
Laura Devine Immigration will keep you informed of any further relevant Home Office updates and would be pleased to assist you with any queries you may have in relation to these changes. For further information on recent and forthcoming changes to UK and US immigration law visit our website www.lauradevine.com, contact your assigned LDI lawyer or email enquiries@lauradevine.com.

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