Sponsor Licence Change of Address: Employer Guide

Sponsor Licence Change of Address: At a Glance

A sponsor licence change of address can trigger several Home Office reporting requirements. Depending on the move, the employer may need to update its registered office, head office or principal place of business, review the details recorded for sponsor licence key personnel and report changes to sponsored workers’ normal work locations.

Reportable changes to the sponsoring organisation’s circumstances are generally notified through the Sponsor Management System (SMS) within 20 working days after the sponsor becomes aware of the change. Reportable changes to an individual sponsored worker’s normal work location are generally subject to a shorter 10-working-day period after the relevant change or event.

Updating Companies House, HMRC or another government body does not automatically update the sponsor licence. Employers need to assess the Home Office reporting requirements separately and make sure the information held on the SMS reflects how and where the organisation actually operates.

A straightforward relocation by the same legal entity will not ordinarily require a new sponsor licence. More complex issues arise where the move forms part of a merger, acquisition, restructuring or transfer of business activities, or where the relocation changes how sponsored workers are managed or where they normally work.

This guide explains when a sponsor licence address change must be reported, the 20 and 10-working-day reporting periods, how to update the SMS, what supporting information may be needed and the wider compliance issues arising from business relocations, remote working and changes to operational sites.

 

Section A: Sponsor Licence Change of Address: What Employers Need to Know

 

Licensed sponsors are required to keep specified organisational and worker information up to date with the Home Office. A business relocation can therefore create more than one reporting obligation, depending on what changes in practice.

The first step is to identify the scope of the move. Employers should establish which organisational addresses are changing, whether key personnel details are affected and whether any sponsored workers will have a new normal work location.

That assessment should be completed before the relocation takes effect wherever possible so that each change can be reported through the correct SMS process and within the applicable deadline.

 

1. Does a Sponsor Licence Address Change Have to Be Reported?

 

A change to the sponsor’s registered office, head office or principal place of business will generally need to be reported to the Home Office.

Changes to trading premises, branches or other operational locations may also require notification where they affect information held about the licensed organisation or the locations from which sponsored employment is carried out.

Updating the address at Companies House or with another government department does not satisfy the sponsor’s separate Home Office reporting duties.

The employer should also avoid treating the relocation as a single SMS action where several records are affected. An organisational address amendment may sit alongside separate updates for key personnel, branches or sponsored workers.

 

2. Organisational Address Changes and Sponsored Worker Location Changes

 

A change to the sponsor’s organisational address and a change to a sponsored worker’s normal work location are separate reporting matters.

A company may change its registered office while all employees remain at the same operational premises. In that case, an organisational notification may be required without any corresponding worker-location reports.

Equally, a sponsored worker may move permanently between two existing offices while the sponsor’s registered office and head office remain unchanged. The organisation’s address has not changed, but the worker’s normal work location may need to be reported.

Where a business relocates and sponsored workers move with it, both organisational and worker notifications may be required. The reporting periods also differ: organisational changes are generally subject to the 20-working-day rule, while reportable worker-location changes are generally subject to a 10-working-day rule.

 

3. Who Is Responsible for Reporting a Sponsor Licence Address Change?

 

The licensed sponsor remains responsible for meeting its Home Office reporting obligations.

In practice, the relevant SMS submissions will ordinarily be made by an authorised Level 1 User. The Authorising Officer retains oversight of the organisation’s sponsorship arrangements and should ensure that reportable business changes are identified and acted on.

Relocations often involve several functions, including facilities, HR, legal, finance and company secretarial teams. The sponsorship team should be included in the planning process so that changes to premises, workers and corporate records are assessed together.

SMS access should also be checked before the move. Multi-factor authentication has applied to SMS users since 3 September 2026, no new Level 2 Users can be appointed from 9 September 2026 and existing Level 2 accounts need to be converted to Level 1, where eligible, or deactivated by 8 March 2027. Employers should ensure that the users responsible for reporting can access the system and have current contact details.

 

4. Can an Employer Continue Sponsoring Workers After Moving Address?

 

A straightforward relocation does not ordinarily require a new sponsor licence where the same legal entity continues operating and remains eligible to sponsor workers.

The employer should report the relevant changes and continue to meet its sponsor duties, including maintaining accurate records and monitoring sponsored workers at their new locations.

More detailed analysis is required where the relocation forms part of a merger, acquisition, restructuring or change in ownership. A move of premises can coincide with a change to the employing entity or wider corporate structure, in which case the issue extends beyond an address amendment.

A sponsor licence cannot simply be transferred between legal entities. Employers should therefore establish whether the same licensed organisation continues to employ and sponsor the workforce before relying on the existing licence.

 

 

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Section B: Which Sponsor Licence Address Changes Must Be Reported?

 

Not every change involving an address has the same immigration consequences. The reporting requirement depends on whose address has changed, the purpose of the premises and whether the change affects information that the Home Office requires the sponsor to maintain.

Employers should review the following categories when assessing their obligations.

 

1. Registered Office Address

 

A company may change its registered office address for administrative, commercial or legal reasons.

For example, a business might move its registered office from its accountant’s premises to its operational headquarters without relocating its employees.

The sponsor should consider the change as part of its organisational reporting obligations and ensure that the Home Office holds the correct registered office information.

The fact that the change has been filed at Companies House does not remove the need to comply with sponsor reporting requirements.

Where the registered office is separate from the location at which the organisation actually operates, employers should make that distinction clear. The Home Office may require information about both the company’s formal registered address and its operational premises.

 

2. Head Office or Principal Place of Business

 

A move to a new head office or principal place of business is a significant change to the sponsor’s recorded circumstances.

The employer should report the relevant organisational change and check whether the move affects other sponsorship records.

A head office relocation may also affect:

 

• The address recorded for the sponsor’s Authorising Officer or other key personnel.
• The location from which sponsorship administration is carried out.
• The normal work locations of sponsored workers.
• The addresses of branches or sites included within the sponsor’s operating structure.
• The location at which the Home Office may expect to inspect relevant records or undertake compliance activity.

 

The employer should not assume that reporting the new head office address automatically updates all of these details.

A main or head-office address change may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration. Other associated changes may require separate action.

Where sponsored workers move to the new premises, the employer should separately assess whether individual worker notifications are required.

 

3. Trading Premises and Operational Sites

 

A sponsor may operate from several premises, including offices, warehouses, factories, retail outlets, hospitality venues or other operational locations.

Changes to these premises may be reportable where they affect the sponsor’s recorded business circumstances or the locations at which sponsored employment is undertaken.

For example, a company may close one trading site and transfer its activities to another. Even if its registered office remains unchanged, the closure and relocation may affect the accuracy of the information held by the Home Office.

The sponsor should establish whether the premises are recorded as part of its licensed operations, whether sponsored workers are based there and whether any separate reporting duties arise.

 

4. Opening, Closing or Relocating Branches

 

Opening a new branch, closing an existing branch or moving a branch to different premises can create organisational and worker-reporting considerations.

The employer should review whether the branch forms part of the sponsor’s licensed operating arrangements and whether its opening, closure or relocation is a change that must be notified.

It should also establish whether sponsored workers are being assigned to the new location or transferred away from a closing site.

Where the branch change is connected with a corporate restructuring, franchise arrangement or transfer of business activities, the employer should consider whether more fundamental sponsor licence issues arise.

The key question is not simply whether the postal address has changed, but whether the change affects the identity, structure, operations or sponsored workforce of the licensed organisation.

 

5. Addresses of Sponsor Licence Key Personnel

 

A business relocation may affect the details recorded for the people responsible for managing the sponsor licence.

These include the Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 Users.

For example, if the Authorising Officer’s recorded work address is the employer’s former head office, the sponsor should check whether that individual’s details also need updating.

The Home Office’s sponsor guidance makes clear that a change to an organisation’s address can require separate changes to the recorded work addresses of key personnel.

Some key personnel address amendments may update automatically where the conditions specified in the SMS guidance are met, including relevant postcode requirements. Other changes may require Home Office consideration.

Employers should therefore review key personnel records as part of the relocation process rather than assuming that an organisational address amendment will automatically update them.

 

6. Sponsored Workers Changing Their Normal Work Location

 

Where a sponsored worker’s normal work location changes, the employer must consider whether the change is reportable through the SMS.

This can arise where an employee:

 

• Transfers permanently from one office or branch to another.
• Moves to a different operational site following a business relocation.
• Begins working at a new client location.
• Changes from office-based working to a permanent or full-time remote-working arrangement.
• Is assigned to a different normal work location from that previously reported to the Home Office.

 

The employer should assess the actual working arrangements rather than relying solely on the address appearing in an employment contract or HR system.

A permanent change of normal work location is different from an employee making an occasional visit to another office or undertaking short-term travel as part of their duties.

Where a change is reportable, the relevant worker-reporting deadline will generally be 10 working days after the change or event.

 

7. Home Working and Hybrid Working Arrangements

 

Remote and hybrid working can complicate sponsor licence address reporting.

An employee may remain employed by the same sponsor, perform the same role and receive the same salary while changing where their work is normally carried out.

Under the Home Office sponsor guidance, employers must report where a sponsored worker moves to permanent or full-time remote working with little or no requirement to attend a workplace.

By contrast, a move to a hybrid working pattern does not, in itself, require an SMS notification. The employer must nevertheless maintain appropriate records of the worker’s working arrangements.

This distinction does not remove the obligation to report other changes that are independently reportable, such as a change to the worker’s main office location or the commencement of work at a new client site where the relevant reporting rules apply.

For example, a sponsored worker who begins working from home two days a week while continuing to attend the same office for the remainder of the week will not ordinarily require a notification solely because the arrangement has become hybrid.

However, where an employee previously based full-time at the employer’s office moves to permanent home working following the closure of that office, the sponsor must consider the specific reporting requirement for full-time remote working.

The employer should retain sufficient information to explain where the sponsored worker normally works and how the organisation continues to supervise and manage their sponsored employment.

The Home Office may also question why a worker requires sponsorship to work in the UK where the role can be performed entirely remotely. Employers should be prepared to explain the genuine requirements of the role and the reasons for the working arrangement.

 

 

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Section C: How to Change a Sponsor Licence Address on the SMS

 

A sponsor licence address change is generally managed through the Sponsor Management System, the Home Office’s online platform for administering licensed sponsorship.

The appropriate SMS function depends on the nature of the change. Organisational amendments are generally managed through the functions for requesting changes to licence details, while relevant changes to individual sponsored workers are reported through the migrant activity reporting functions.

Employers should identify the relevant changes before starting the process.

 

1. Step 1: Identify Every Address Affected by the Move

 

The employer should begin by documenting the existing and new addresses.

This should include the registered office, principal business address, relevant trading premises, branches and any locations at which sponsored workers undertake their normal employment.

The employer should also identify whether key personnel records contain an address that will become outdated.

For organisations operating across multiple sites, it may be helpful to prepare a schedule showing the old address, new address, effective date and relevant sponsor or worker records.

This reduces the risk of reporting the principal relocation while overlooking associated changes.

 

2. Step 2: Confirm the Relevant Dates and Reporting Triggers

 

The sponsor should establish when each relevant change occurred and when the organisation became aware of it.

Under the general organisational reporting rule in section C2.3 of the Home Office sponsor guidance, specified changes must normally be reported within 20 working days after the sponsor became aware of the change, subject to the applicable exceptions.

For reportable changes affecting an individual sponsored worker, the reporting period is generally 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

These rules should not be treated as interchangeable.

For example, the date on which a registered office change is formally registered may differ from the date on which employees begin working at new premises.

A phased relocation may also involve different departments or sponsored workers moving on different dates.

The employer should therefore record the relevant circumstances separately and calculate each reporting deadline under the applicable rule.

 

3. Step 3: Access the Sponsor Management System

 

An authorised Level 1 User should access the SMS using the sponsor’s credentials and complete the required authentication process.

Mandatory multi-factor authentication applies to SMS access following the Home Office changes introduced in September 2026. Sponsors should ensure that their authorised users can complete the authentication process and that their contact information remains current.

The employer should use the current SMS interface and relevant Home Office user manual rather than relying on historical screenshots or outdated instructions.

The precise menu options and submission requirements may differ according to the type of change being reported.

Where an external adviser assists, the sponsor should ensure that the person submitting the change has the appropriate authority and system permissions.

If the sponsor has no Level 1 User able to access the SMS, it should consider whether the Home Office’s sponsor change of circumstances form is applicable. That form is intended for specified circumstances and should not be treated as a general substitute for SMS reporting.

 

4. Step 4: Submit the Organisational Address Change

 

The sponsor should use the relevant SMS function for requesting changes to licence details to notify the Home Office of the change to its organisational circumstances.

The submission should accurately identify the address being changed and provide the new details requested by the system.

Where the employer has several premises, it should take care not to confuse the registered office, head office and operational sites.

If the relocation involves closing an existing site or establishing a new one, the employer should consider whether those circumstances require additional information or separate notifications.

The information submitted should be consistent with the employer’s corporate and operational records.

A main or head-office address change may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration. The employer should not assume that every associated address or personnel record has also been amended.

 

5. Step 5: Review Key Personnel Information

 

Once the organisational change has been addressed, the sponsor should check the SMS records for its Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 Users.

If a recorded work address or other relevant detail has changed, the employer should use the applicable SMS process to request or record the amendment.

Some key personnel address changes may update automatically where the Home Office’s specified conditions are satisfied, including relevant postcode conditions. Other changes may require consideration by the Home Office.

The sponsor should not assume that the Home Office has automatically updated every key personnel record following the organisational notification.

Where a relocation is accompanied by personnel changes, such as the departure of an existing Authorising Officer, the employer may need to follow the separate procedures applicable to changing key personnel.

 

6. Step 6: Report Affected Sponsored Workers

 

The sponsor should identify any sponsored workers whose normal work locations have changed.

Where the change is reportable, the employer should use the relevant SMS migrant activity reporting function to submit the notification against the worker’s sponsorship record within the applicable deadline.

A single office move may therefore generate multiple worker notifications.

The sponsor should ensure that the information recorded for each worker accurately reflects their individual circumstances. It should not assume that every employee has the same working arrangement merely because they belong to the same department or were previously based at the same office.

Where a worker moves to permanent or full-time remote working, the sponsor should consider the specific reporting requirement. A move to hybrid working does not itself require notification, although the employer must retain appropriate records and report any other independently reportable changes.

 

7. Step 7: Provide Supporting Information Where Required

 

After submitting an organisation-details amendment, the sponsor must complete and send the SMS submission sheet in all cases, together with any required supporting evidence.

Where supporting documents are required, the sponsor should check how they must be submitted and whether any separate deadline applies.

The employer should also review any applicable Appendix A requirements concerning the nature and format of supporting documents.

It is important to distinguish between submitting a notification, requesting an amendment and receiving confirmation that the relevant sponsor record has been updated.

These are not necessarily the same event.

 

8. Step 8: Check the Outcome and Retain an Audit Trail

 

After submitting the relevant changes, the employer should check their status and retain evidence of the action taken.

The sponsor’s internal records should show what was reported, when the relevant change occurred, when the sponsor became aware of it where relevant, when the notification was submitted and whether any further action was requested by the Home Office.

Where an SMS change is applied automatically, the sponsor should verify that the updated information is correct.

Where the amendment requires Home Office consideration or approval, the employer should monitor the request until its outcome is clear.

The sponsor should also verify that the resulting records accurately reflect the organisation’s current circumstances.

A completed relocation should not be treated as fully resolved for sponsorship purposes until all relevant organisational, key personnel and worker records have been reviewed.

 

9. Can the Sponsor Licence Address Be Changed Without Accessing the SMS?

 

The SMS is the principal mechanism for reporting changes to a licensed sponsor’s circumstances.

However, employers should follow any alternative or supplementary process specified by the Home Office where the relevant SMS function is unavailable or the circumstances require a different form of notification.

In specified circumstances, including where no Level 1 User is available to access the SMS, the sponsor change of circumstances form may be relevant.

Sending an informal email, changing a Companies House record or updating an address with another government body should not be assumed to satisfy the sponsor’s reporting duties.

Where there is uncertainty about the correct reporting route, the employer should establish the applicable procedure promptly rather than allowing the reporting deadline to pass.

 

 

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Section D: Sponsor Licence Change of Address: Reporting Deadlines

 

Licensed sponsors must report specified changes to their organisational circumstances within the time limits set by the Home Office. For an address change, the applicable deadline depends on whether the change concerns the sponsoring organisation, an individual sponsored worker or another aspect of the sponsor’s recorded information.

The distinction is important because a single business relocation may trigger several reporting obligations, each with its own deadline.

Employers should identify both the date on which each relevant change occurred and, where applicable, when the sponsor became aware of it. These dates should be recorded separately rather than assuming that every notification is governed by the same reporting trigger.

 

1. The 20-Working-Day Deadline for Organisational Address Changes

 

Changes to a sponsor’s organisational circumstances, including reportable changes to its business address, must generally be notified to the Home Office within 20 working days.

Under section C2.3 of the Home Office sponsor guidance, the general requirement is to report specified organisational changes within 20 working days after the sponsor became aware of the change, subject to the exceptions and specific provisions in the guidance.

This requirement may apply where the sponsor changes its registered office, moves its principal place of business or makes another reportable change to its operating premises.

For example, where a company relocates its head office from Manchester to Birmingham, the employer should identify the date of the relocation, establish when the sponsor became aware of the relevant change and ensure that the required organisational notification is submitted within the applicable reporting period.

The 20-working-day period is not an invitation to delay reporting until the final day. Earlier notification reduces the risk of an administrative problem, staff absence or technical difficulty causing a late submission.

Employers should also distinguish between a change that has been planned and one that has already taken effect. The fact that a relocation has been approved internally does not necessarily mean that every reportable change has occurred.

Where the relocation is implemented in stages, the sponsor should consider the relevant reporting requirement for each change rather than treating the entire relocation as a single event.

 

2. The 10-Working-Day Deadline for Sponsored Worker Location Changes

 

Where a sponsored worker’s normal work location changes in circumstances requiring notification, the sponsor must generally report the change within 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

This is a separate obligation from reporting a change to the organisation’s address.

For example, an employer might move its head office on 1 November but transfer its sponsored workers to the new premises in several groups over the following month.

The organisational address change and the individual worker location changes should be assessed separately. The reporting deadline for a particular worker will depend on when the relevant change to that worker’s circumstances occurs.

Employers should not assume that submitting the organisational notification within 20 working days also satisfies the shorter worker-reporting deadline.

The sponsor should maintain a record of which sponsored workers have moved, their new normal work locations and the dates on which the changes took effect.

Where a worker moves to permanent or full-time remote working with little or no requirement to attend a workplace, the employer should consider the specific worker-reporting requirement. By contrast, moving to a hybrid working pattern does not, by itself, require an SMS notification, although accurate records must be maintained.

 

3. When Does the Reporting Deadline Start?

 

The starting point depends on the particular reporting obligation.

For specified organisational changes, section C2.3 of the Home Office sponsor guidance generally refers to the period after the sponsor became aware of the change. Other provisions may impose particular requirements or exceptions.

For reportable sponsored worker changes, the general requirement is to report within 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

In a straightforward relocation, the relevant dates may be clear. For example, an employer may formally cease operating from its old office and begin operating from its new premises on the same day.

More complicated arrangements require closer examination.

A company may change its registered office before moving its employees. It may retain its old premises during a transition period. Alternatively, different departments may move at different times.

The employer should therefore identify the relevant event and reporting trigger for each notification rather than relying on a single date chosen for project management purposes.

Relevant dates may include:

 

• The date a registered office change takes effect.
• The date the organisation becomes aware of the relevant organisational change.
• The date the organisation begins operating from a new principal business address.
• The date an existing operational site closes.
• The date a new branch begins operating.
• The date a sponsored worker starts working at a new normal work location.
• The date a change to a key person’s recorded details takes effect.

 

The reporting period should then be calculated according to the rules applicable to that particular change.

 

4. How Are Working Days Calculated?

 

Home Office sponsor reporting periods are expressed in working days rather than calendar days.

Employers should apply the definition of working day in the relevant Home Office sponsor guidance when calculating the deadline, including the treatment of weekends and public holidays specified by that guidance.

A 10-working-day reporting period is therefore not necessarily equivalent to two calendar weeks in every case, particularly where relevant public holidays intervene.

Employers should not assume that every public holiday across the UK is treated identically for Home Office reporting purposes. The applicable definition should be checked when calculating the deadline.

For internal compliance purposes, employers should record the relevant event, any applicable awareness date and the reporting deadline as soon as the change becomes known.

A shared compliance calendar or sponsor reporting register can help ensure that deadlines are not overlooked.

Where several changes occur during the same relocation, each should have its own recorded deadline.

 

5. What If the Address Change Is Reported Late?

 

A late address notification may amount to a breach of the sponsor’s reporting duties.

The seriousness of the issue will depend on the circumstances, including the nature of the change, the length of the delay, whether the Home Office has been given inaccurate information and whether the failure forms part of wider sponsorship compliance problems.

A missed deadline does not necessarily mean that the sponsor licence will automatically be revoked. However, the Home Office may consider reporting failures when assessing whether an organisation continues to meet its sponsor obligations.

Where an employer discovers that a reportable address change has not been notified on time, it should take prompt steps to correct the position.

The employer should establish what changed, when the change occurred, when the sponsor became aware of the change where relevant, which notifications remain outstanding and whether the omission has affected other sponsor records.

The sponsor should then make the necessary notification through the appropriate process and retain an accurate record of the circumstances.

It should not attempt to disguise the delay by recording an incorrect effective date or providing misleading information about when the change became known.

Where the omission is significant or involves several sponsored workers, the employer should also consider whether a wider compliance review is necessary.

 

6. What If the Business Moves Before the Home Office Updates Its Records?

 

A sponsor may complete a relocation before an address amendment has been fully processed or reflected in every relevant SMS record.

The employer should distinguish between its obligation to notify the Home Office within the applicable deadline and any subsequent administrative process required to update the sponsor record.

A main or head-office address change may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration.

Other changes may require separate requests, supporting information or Home Office consideration.

Submitting a notification does not necessarily mean that the Home Office has immediately accepted or completed every associated amendment.

Where the change requires further information or consideration, the sponsor should monitor the request and respond promptly to any Home Office communication.

During the intervening period, the employer should retain evidence of the notification and maintain accurate internal records of its current premises and sponsored workforce.

The sponsor should also ensure that it remains contactable and capable of complying with its sponsorship duties throughout the relocation.

 

7. Can an Address Change Be Reported Before the Move Takes Place?

 

Employers frequently know about a relocation several weeks or months before it occurs.

Advance planning is advisable, but the sponsor should not assume that an anticipated change can always be reported or processed in the same way as a change that has already taken effect.

The appropriate approach depends on the relevant SMS function and current Home Office instructions.

Where the system permits advance notification or the Home Office requires information before a particular event, the sponsor should follow that process.

Otherwise, the employer should prepare the necessary information in advance and ensure that the required notification is submitted within the applicable reporting period.

The employer should distinguish between the date it became aware of a proposed change and the date on which the reportable change actually occurred. The applicable Home Office reporting provision should be used to determine when notification is required.

For complex relocations, an internal reporting schedule should be agreed before the first premises or workers move.

 

 

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Section E: Sponsor Licence Change of Address: Supporting Documents and Evidence

 

An employer changing its sponsor licence address should be prepared to demonstrate that the information reported to the Home Office is accurate and that the organisation continues to operate legitimately from its declared premises.

The documents required will depend on the type of change, the sponsor’s circumstances and the instructions applicable to the relevant SMS submission.

Not every address amendment requires the same supporting documents. Employers should distinguish between documents expressly requested by the Home Office and records retained internally to evidence compliance.

The sponsor should also check whether the relevant SMS procedure generates a submission sheet or requires supporting information to be provided separately. Where documents are required, the applicable submission instructions and any relevant requirements under Appendix A of the sponsor guidance should be followed.

 

1. What Documents May Be Needed to Change a Sponsor Licence Address?

 

Depending on the circumstances, relevant documents may include:

 

• A commercial lease or tenancy agreement for the new premises.
• Evidence of ownership where the sponsor owns the property.
• Business rates documentation.
• Utility bills or other evidence linking the organisation to the premises.
• Companies House records confirming a registered office change.
• Documents showing the closure or transfer of an existing business location.
• Information about the activities carried out at the new premises.
• Updated details of the sponsor’s branches or operating sites.
• Records showing where sponsored workers are normally based.

 

These documents are examples of potentially relevant evidence, not a universal mandatory checklist.

The employer should follow the current Home Office instructions for the particular change and provide the documents specified for that process.

Where no supporting documents are requested, the sponsor should nevertheless retain appropriate records demonstrating the accuracy of its reported information.

 

2. Evidence of the Sponsor’s Right to Occupy the Premises

 

Where an employer moves to new commercial premises, evidence of its right to occupy or use the location may be relevant.

A lease, licence to occupy or property ownership record may help establish the connection between the sponsor and its new address.

However, the appropriate evidence depends on the nature of the business.

An employer operating from serviced offices, shared premises or a managed workspace may have different documentation from a company occupying a building under a conventional commercial lease.

The Home Office may need to understand whether the premises represent a genuine business operating location and how the sponsor carries out its activities there.

Employers should ensure that the information supplied accurately describes the arrangements rather than presenting an administrative correspondence address as an operational site.

 

3. What If the Sponsor Uses a Virtual Office or Registered Office Service?

 

A virtual office or registered office service may provide a legitimate administrative address, but it does not necessarily demonstrate where the sponsoring organisation conducts its business.

The distinction is particularly important where the Home Office needs to assess the sponsor’s actual operations, ability to supervise sponsored workers and capacity to comply with its sponsorship duties.

For example, a company might use an accountant’s address as its registered office while its employees work from a separate commercial office.

In that situation, the sponsor should ensure that its records distinguish between the formal registered address and the premises at which the business operates.

A virtual office arrangement should not be used to obscure the location of the sponsor’s genuine activities.

Where an employer changes from conventional premises to a predominantly remote-working model, the compliance implications may extend beyond a simple address amendment.

The sponsor may need to explain how its operations are managed, where sponsored workers undertake their duties and how it maintains effective oversight of sponsored employment.

 

4. Do Companies House Records Need to Match the Sponsor Licence?

 

Where the sponsor is a company, its Companies House records should accurately reflect the information that it is legally required to register.

However, the registered office recorded at Companies House is not necessarily the same as the sponsor’s principal trading address or the normal work location of its employees.

A difference between these addresses is not automatically evidence of non-compliance.

The issue is whether each address is correctly described and whether the information supplied to the Home Office is accurate.

For example, a company may have its registered office in London, its headquarters in Birmingham and sponsored workers based at operational sites elsewhere in the UK.

Those arrangements may be entirely legitimate, provided the relevant information is properly maintained and the sponsor complies with its reporting duties.

Problems can arise where the sponsor gives inconsistent explanations, retains obsolete addresses or fails to notify changes that should have been reported.

Employers should therefore reconcile their corporate records, sponsorship information and internal location records during a relocation.

 

5. Evidence Relating to Sponsored Workers

 

Where sponsored workers move to a new normal work location, the sponsor should maintain records explaining the change.

Relevant information may include the worker’s name, sponsorship reference, previous work location, new normal work location and effective date.

The employer may also retain updated contractual or assignment documentation where appropriate, together with records of any revised working arrangements.

For hybrid or remote workers, the sponsor should be able to explain the arrangement and demonstrate how the worker’s employment is supervised.

The precise records required will depend on the applicable sponsor record-keeping obligations and the nature of the employment.

A change of work location should also prompt the employer to consider whether any other sponsored employment details have changed, such as the worker’s duties, salary or employing entity.

Those matters may give rise to separate immigration considerations and should not be treated as resolved merely because an address notification has been submitted.

Employers should also ensure that their workforce compliance records remain accurate. Changes to the statutory right to work checking regime from 1 October 2026 extended the categories of working arrangements covered by the relevant checking obligations.

Those changes should be considered where a relocation involves new engagements, individual subcontractors or other arrangements within the expanded regime.

However, relocating an existing employee does not, by itself, create a requirement to conduct a fresh right to work check. Follow-up checks remain necessary where required by the individual’s immigration permission and the applicable right to work rules.

The sponsor’s obligations to report changes to sponsored employment and its obligations relating to right to work checks are separate and should be assessed accordingly.

 

6. How Should Supporting Documents Be Submitted?

 

Where the Home Office requires supporting evidence, the employer should follow the submission instructions applicable to the SMS request.

The relevant process may specify the documents required, the method of submission and the time allowed to provide them.

After submitting an organisation-details amendment, the sponsor must complete and send the SMS submission sheet in all cases, together with any required supporting evidence.

Where Appendix A supporting document requirements apply, the sponsor should ensure that the evidence meets the relevant requirements concerning the nature and format of the documents.

Employers should not assume that uploading or sending documents through an unrelated Home Office process will satisfy the requirements of the address amendment.

Before submitting evidence, the sponsor should check that documents are legible, current and consistent with the information entered on the SMS.

If a document contains a different address, the employer should establish whether the difference is legitimate and, where necessary, explain it.

The sponsor should retain copies of the documents supplied and evidence of their submission.

 

7. What If the Employer Cannot Provide the Requested Evidence?

 

An employer may encounter difficulties obtaining documents during a relocation.

For example, a lease may not yet have been finalised, utility accounts may remain in the landlord’s name or business rates documentation may not yet have been issued.

The employer should not provide inaccurate or misleading documents to overcome these difficulties.

Instead, it should identify what evidence is available, whether alternative documentation is permitted and whether an explanation should accompany the submission.

Where the Home Office has specified a deadline for providing documents, the sponsor should act promptly to establish the available options.

A lack of evidence may delay consideration of an amendment or raise questions about the accuracy of the information supplied.

The sponsor should therefore consider documentary requirements at the planning stage rather than waiting until after the move.

 

 

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Section F: What Happens After a Sponsor Licence Address Change Is Reported?

 

Submitting an address change is an important part of sponsor compliance, but employers should also ensure that the relevant records are updated and that any outstanding Home Office requirements are completed.

The process may be straightforward where the change can be recorded through the SMS without further consideration. Other amendments may require additional information or Home Office action.

The employer should monitor the outcome rather than treating the initial submission as the end of the process.

 

1. Does the Home Office Approve Every Address Change?

 

No. The Home Office does not handle every address change through an identical approval process.

Some changes are applied automatically when reported through the relevant SMS function, while others require further Home Office consideration.

A main or head-office address change may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration.

Key personnel address amendments may also update automatically where the relevant conditions are satisfied, including specified postcode conditions.

Other changes may involve an amendment request requiring further information or consideration.

Employers should therefore avoid assuming that every notification requires formal approval or, conversely, that every associated change becomes effective on the sponsor record immediately after submission.

The sponsor should check the status of the relevant request and follow any instructions issued by the Home Office.

 

2. How Long Does It Take to Update a Sponsor Licence Address?

 

There is no single processing period that can safely be applied to every sponsor licence address change.

Where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected, the updated information may be applied without a separate caseworker approval process.

Other amendments may require Home Office consideration, supporting documents or additional enquiries.

The time involved may therefore depend on the reporting mechanism, the nature of the change and whether further information is necessary.

An employer should distinguish between the time allowed to submit a notification and the time the Home Office may take to process a requested amendment.

The sponsor’s duty is to meet the applicable reporting deadline and cooperate with any subsequent requirements.

Employers planning a relocation should not assume that the Home Office will complete every associated update by a particular date unless a relevant service standard or confirmation applies.

 

3. How Can an Employer Check Whether the Address Has Been Updated?

 

The sponsor should review the relevant SMS records and any correspondence or status information relating to the submitted change.

Where an address amendment has been applied automatically, the employer should verify that the new details are correct.

Where the system shows that a request remains outstanding, the employer should monitor its progress.

Once the change has been processed, the sponsor should verify that the recorded information is correct.

This review should extend beyond the main organisational address where the relocation also affected branches, key personnel or sponsored workers.

An employer should not rely solely on an internal confirmation that the relocation project has been completed.

The sponsorship records should be checked independently.

 

4. What If the Home Office Requests Further Information?

 

The Home Office may request additional information where it needs to clarify the circumstances of a reported change.

For example, the Home Office may need to understand the relationship between the sponsor’s registered office and operational premises, or why its records show different business addresses.

The sponsor should respond accurately and within any specified deadline.

Where the request concerns premises used by sponsored workers, the employer should be prepared to explain the activities carried out at the location and how it supervises the relevant employment.

The sponsor should retain a record of the request, the response and the supporting documents provided.

Failure to respond adequately may delay the amendment and could create wider compliance concerns.

 

5. Can the Home Office Conduct a Compliance Visit After an Address Change?

 

A change of premises may be relevant to the Home Office’s assessment of whether a sponsor continues to meet its licensing and compliance requirements.

The Home Office has powers to undertake sponsor compliance checks, including visits to business premises where appropriate.

An address change does not mean that a compliance visit will automatically take place. However, the employer should be prepared to demonstrate that it operates from the premises declared and continues to comply with its sponsorship duties.

A compliance visit may involve consideration of the sponsor’s business operations, sponsored workforce, HR systems, record keeping and arrangements for monitoring sponsored employment.

Where an employer has moved to smaller premises, adopted remote working or reorganised its operating sites, it should be able to explain how those arrangements work in practice.

The sponsor should also ensure that relevant records remain accessible and that responsible personnel can respond to Home Office enquiries.

 

6. Does Changing Address Affect the Sponsor Licence Number or Rating?

 

A straightforward address change by the same sponsoring legal entity does not ordinarily require a new sponsor licence number or automatically alter the sponsor’s licence rating.

The employer remains responsible for complying with the conditions of its existing licence.

However, the consequences may be different where the relocation is associated with a change in legal entity, ownership or business structure.

In those circumstances, the employer should consider whether the existing licence remains appropriate and whether separate reporting or licensing requirements apply.

A sponsor’s rating may also be affected if the Home Office identifies compliance failures associated with the relocation or the organisation’s wider sponsorship arrangements.

The address change itself should therefore be distinguished from any underlying compliance issues.

 

7. Does the Employer Need to Update Certificates of Sponsorship?

 

A change to the sponsor’s address does not automatically mean that every existing Certificate of Sponsorship must be replaced.

However, where the relocation changes a sponsored worker’s normal work location, the employer should consider the relevant worker-reporting obligations and whether the information held by the Home Office remains accurate.

Where notification is required, the sponsor should use the appropriate migrant activity reporting function within the SMS.

The appropriate action depends on the circumstances and the current reporting procedures.

Employers should not assume that a new Certificate of Sponsorship is required solely because an office has moved.

Equally, they should not assume that no action is necessary merely because the sponsored worker’s job title, salary and employing organisation remain unchanged.

The relevant question is whether the relocation has caused a reportable change to the worker’s sponsored employment.

 

8. What Records Should the Sponsor Retain After the Address Change?

 

The sponsor should maintain an audit trail demonstrating how it identified, reported and completed the relevant changes.

A relocation record may include:

 

• The previous and new organisational addresses.
• The effective date of each reportable change.
• The date the sponsor became aware of an organisational change, where relevant to the reporting obligation.
• Details of affected branches or operating locations.
• A list of sponsored workers whose normal work locations changed.
• The dates on which SMS notifications were submitted.
• Copies of relevant supporting documents.
• Home Office correspondence and requests for further information.
• Confirmation of any completed or automatically applied amendments.
• Records of changes to key personnel details.
• Internal checks confirming that the sponsor’s records are accurate.

 

These records can help the employer respond to subsequent Home Office enquiries and demonstrate that the relocation was managed systematically.

The employer should also ensure that its wider sponsorship records remain accessible, including records relating to sponsored workers, recruitment, right to work checks and employment monitoring.

Following the changes to the right to work checking regime effective from 1 October 2026, employers should also ensure that their workforce compliance procedures reflect the categories of engagement covered by the updated rules.

Where a relocation involves new workers, individual subcontractors or other arrangements falling within the expanded regime, the organisation should assess its checking responsibilities.

However, a change of business premises does not, by itself, require a fresh right to work check for every existing employee. The employer should continue to undertake follow-up checks where required under the applicable rules.

The sponsor should distinguish these statutory checking obligations from its separate duties to report organisational and sponsored worker changes through the SMS.

A change of premises should not result in the loss of documents or disruption to the systems needed to meet ongoing sponsor duties.

 

 

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Section G: Moving Business Premises While Sponsoring Workers

 

Relocating business premises can create several simultaneous obligations for an employer holding a sponsor licence. The organisation may need to report changes to its own circumstances, update the details of its sponsor licence key personnel and notify the Home Office of changes to individual sponsored workers’ normal work locations.

The extent of the reporting required will depend on the nature of the relocation, the sponsor’s organisational structure and how the move affects its sponsored workforce.

Employers should therefore treat a business relocation as a coordinated sponsorship compliance exercise rather than a single administrative address amendment.

 

1. Moving the Head Office to New Premises

 

A head office relocation is one of the most common circumstances in which a sponsor licence address change arises.

For example, an employer may move its headquarters from central London to new premises elsewhere in the city while retaining the same legal entity, business activities and employees.

The employer should establish whether the move changes its registered office, principal place of business or another address recorded on its sponsor licence.

It should then identify any related changes.

If the Authorising Officer and Level 1 Users move to the new headquarters, their recorded work addresses may also need updating. If sponsored workers previously based at the old headquarters will now work at the new location, the employer should consider whether individual worker notifications are required.

The organisation should also review whether its sponsorship records, personnel files and systems for monitoring sponsored workers remain accessible after the move.

A relocation that appears straightforward from a property or facilities perspective may therefore require several distinct immigration compliance actions.

A main or head-office address change may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration. Associated changes to key personnel and sponsored worker records may require separate action.

 

2. Relocating Multiple Sponsored Workers

 

Where a business relocation affects several sponsored employees, the administrative demands can increase significantly.

Consider an employer with 15 Skilled Workers based at its existing headquarters. The company moves to a new office and all 15 employees begin working at the new location.

The employer will need to consider its organisational reporting obligations and separately assess the reportable change to each sponsored worker’s normal work location.

It should not assume that notifying the Home Office of the new headquarters address automatically updates the work locations recorded for all 15 employees.

A practical approach is to prepare a relocation schedule identifying each sponsored worker, their previous normal work location, their new location and the date the change takes effect.

The sponsor should then ensure that any required worker notifications are submitted through the relevant SMS migrant activity reporting function within the applicable reporting period, generally 10 working days after the change or event.

Where employees move in phases, the employer should monitor the effective dates individually rather than treating the entire workforce as having relocated on the same day.

For larger sponsored workforces, assigning responsibility for each notification and checking completion against a central register can reduce the risk of omissions.

 

3. Moving Some Employees While Retaining the Old Premises

 

Not every relocation involves closing the existing office.

An employer may open a new headquarters while retaining the previous premises as a branch, regional office or specialist operational site.

In these circumstances, the sponsor should accurately distinguish between the locations.

The new headquarters may become the organisation’s principal place of business, while the former headquarters remains an active operating site.

Some sponsored workers may move permanently to the new location, while others remain at the original premises.

The employer should avoid treating the change as though the entire organisation and workforce have moved when that is not the case.

Its reporting should reflect the actual arrangements, including which sites remain operational and where individual sponsored workers are normally based.

The sponsor should also review whether key personnel continue to work from the former premises or have transferred to the new location, since changes to their recorded details may require separate SMS action.

 

4. Closing an Office and Transferring Workers Elsewhere

 

Closing an office can create reporting obligations even where the sponsor’s registered office and head office remain unchanged.

For example, a company may close a regional office in Leeds and transfer its sponsored employees to an existing office in Manchester.

The employer should consider whether the closure changes its reportable organisational circumstances and whether the affected workers’ normal work locations must be updated.

The sponsor should also consider the employment implications of the transfer.

A change in work location may require consultation, contractual amendments or other employment-related action. Those matters are separate from, but may be relevant to, the immigration reporting exercise.

Where the closure involves redundancies, changes to sponsored roles or workers ceasing employment, additional sponsor reporting duties may arise.

The employer should therefore review the full effect of the office closure rather than limiting its assessment to the change of premises.

Workforce compliance arrangements should also be reviewed during the transfer. The changes to the statutory right to work checking regime from 1 October 2026 expanded the categories of working arrangements covered by the relevant obligations, including certain worker and subcontracting arrangements.

Where a relocation involves new engagements or revised arrangements falling within the expanded regime, the organisation should establish which right to work checks are required.

However, the relocation of an existing employee does not, by itself, require a fresh right to work check. Follow-up checks remain necessary where required under the applicable rules.

 

5. Relocating to Serviced Offices or Shared Premises

 

Employers increasingly operate from serviced offices, coworking facilities and other flexible commercial premises.

Such arrangements are not automatically incompatible with holding a sponsor licence.

However, the sponsor must be able to demonstrate that it is a genuine organisation conducting legitimate activities and that it continues to meet its sponsorship obligations.

Where the business relocates to shared premises, it should consider whether the address accurately represents its operational arrangements.

Relevant questions include whether the employer has a genuine right to use the premises, where its sponsored workers normally undertake their duties, how the organisation supervises those workers and where relevant sponsorship records are maintained.

A serviced office used regularly by the business is different from an address used solely for mail forwarding.

The employer should ensure that its sponsorship information accurately describes the arrangement.

If the Home Office requests supporting evidence or undertakes compliance checks, the sponsor should be able to explain how its business operates from the premises.

 

6. Moving to a Fully Remote or Predominantly Home-Working Model

 

A business may close its physical headquarters and adopt a predominantly remote-working model.

This can raise more complex sponsorship questions than a conventional office relocation.

The employer should consider what address should be recorded for its organisation, where its business is genuinely managed and how it continues to meet the requirements of its sponsor licence.

It should also assess the normal work locations of sponsored workers.

Under the Home Office sponsor guidance, a move to permanent or full-time remote working with little or no requirement to attend a workplace is reportable.

By contrast, a move to a hybrid working pattern does not itself require an SMS notification. The employer must nevertheless maintain appropriate records of the working arrangements and report any other changes that are independently reportable.

Where a worker changes their main office location, begins working at a new client site or otherwise experiences a reportable change to their sponsored employment, the sponsor should assess the relevant notification requirement separately.

The sponsor must also remain capable of monitoring attendance, identifying unauthorised absences, maintaining accurate records and supervising sponsored employment.

Remote working does not remove these responsibilities.

The Home Office may question why a sponsored worker needs to be based in the UK where their duties can be performed entirely remotely. Employers should be prepared to explain the genuine requirements of the role and the reasons for the arrangement.

Employers should document their management arrangements and ensure that they can explain how sponsorship compliance is maintained without a conventional shared workplace.

 

7. Moving Premises Following a Merger or Acquisition

 

A relocation connected with a merger, acquisition or other corporate transaction requires particular care.

The employer should establish whether the same legal entity continues to employ and sponsor the relevant workers.

Where the transaction changes the employing entity, transfers business activities or affects ownership and control, the consequences may extend beyond an ordinary sponsor licence address change.

A sponsor licence belongs to the licensed organisation and cannot simply be transferred to another legal entity.

Depending on the transaction, the employer may need to consider corporate change reporting, the position of sponsored workers and whether a different entity requires its own sponsor licence.

The fact that employees continue working at the same premises, or move only a short distance, does not resolve these questions.

Employers should therefore assess the corporate and immigration implications before treating the transaction as an administrative relocation.

Where a transaction involves a transfer of sponsored employees, the sponsor should also consider the specific Home Office rules governing changes of ownership, business transfers and the continuity of sponsorship.

 

8. Employer Relocation Reporting Matrix

 

The following matrix illustrates how different relocation scenarios can create different sponsorship reporting requirements.

 

Business Change	Organisational Reporting	Sponsored Worker Reporting	Additional Considerations
Registered office changes but operations remain at the same premises	Generally required	Not solely because the registered office changed	Check corporate records and key personnel details
Head office moves and sponsored workers relocate with it	Generally required	Assess and report changes to normal work locations where required	Check key personnel and operational records
New branch opens	Assess whether the new operating location must be reported	Required where a sponsored worker has a reportable change of normal work location	Consider branch structure and supervision
Existing branch closes	Assess organisational reporting obligations	Assess workers transferred to other locations	Consider redundancies and employment changes
Sponsored worker transfers between existing offices	Not necessarily a change to the organisation’s address	Generally report a change of normal work location	Check whether other sponsored employment details change
Employer moves to serviced offices	Generally required where the relevant business address changes	Depends on workers’ normal work locations	Evidence of genuine operations and oversight
Employer adopts permanent remote working	Assess changes to the sponsor’s recorded circumstances	Report permanent or full-time remote working where required	HR monitoring, record keeping and justification for UK sponsorship
Worker moves to hybrid working at the same main office	Not ordinarily an organisational address change	No notification solely for adopting a hybrid working pattern	Maintain accurate records and assess any other reportable changes
Business relocates following an acquisition	Assess organisational and corporate change reporting	Depends on worker and employing-entity changes	Sponsor licence continuity and possible new licence requirements

 

The matrix is a practical screening tool. The final reporting requirements should be determined by the particular circumstances and the current Home Office sponsor guidance.

 

 

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Section H: Failing to Report a Sponsor Licence Change of Address

 

Failing to report a change of address can expose a sponsor to compliance action.

The Home Office expects licensed sponsors to maintain accurate information about their organisations and sponsored workers. Reporting duties form part of the wider obligations that employers accept when obtaining a sponsor licence.

A failure to update address information may be identified through a compliance visit, a review of the sponsor’s records, correspondence with the Home Office or inconsistencies between the sponsor’s reported circumstances and other available information.

The consequences depend on the seriousness and context of the failure.

 

1. Is Failure to Report an Address Change a Breach of Sponsor Duties?

 

Where an address change is reportable and the employer fails to notify the Home Office within the required period, the omission may constitute a breach of the sponsor’s reporting duties.

The issue may be more serious where the sponsor has also failed to report changes to sponsored workers’ normal work locations or has provided inaccurate information about its operations.

For example, an employer might move to new premises but continue recording its former address as its principal place of business.

If the Home Office subsequently attempts to contact or inspect the organisation at the old location, the inaccurate information could raise concerns about the sponsor’s record keeping and compliance arrangements.

The Home Office may also examine whether the employer has maintained adequate systems for identifying and reporting changes.

 

2. Can the Home Office Downgrade a Sponsor Licence for an Address Reporting Failure?

 

A failure to comply with sponsor duties can lead to enforcement action, including downgrading in circumstances where the applicable guidance permits that response.

However, an isolated late address notification does not automatically result in a downgrade.

The Home Office will consider the nature of the breach and the wider circumstances.

Relevant factors may include whether the failure was an isolated administrative omission, whether other reporting duties were also breached and whether the sponsor has effective compliance systems.

An employer that repeatedly fails to maintain accurate records may face greater scrutiny than one that identifies a single error, corrects it promptly and can demonstrate otherwise effective sponsorship controls.

Sponsors should nevertheless avoid assuming that an apparently minor reporting failure will be disregarded.

 

3. Can a Sponsor Licence Be Suspended or Revoked?

 

Serious or repeated failures to comply with sponsor duties may lead to sponsor licence suspension or revocation, depending on the applicable grounds and the Home Office’s assessment.

A change of address alone does not automatically trigger either outcome.

The risk becomes more significant where the address discrepancy is associated with wider concerns, such as the sponsor no longer operating from its declared premises, an inability to account for sponsored workers, misleading information or failures to cooperate with Home Office compliance activity.

While the licence is suspended, the sponsor cannot assign any Certificates of Sponsorship. Existing sponsored workers with valid permission are generally unaffected unless and until the licence is revoked.

The Home Office may also revoke a sponsor licence without first suspending it where the applicable revocation grounds and guidance permit that action.

Revocation has more serious consequences, including the loss of the organisation’s authority to sponsor workers and potential implications for existing sponsored employees.

Employers should therefore treat address reporting as part of their wider sponsor compliance framework.

 

4. What Happens If the Home Office Visits the Old Business Address?

 

An unreported relocation may create difficulties if the Home Office attempts to undertake compliance activity at an address that the sponsor no longer occupies.

The Home Office may question why the recorded information is inaccurate and whether the employer has complied with its reporting obligations.

The situation may also raise concerns about the sponsor’s ability to receive official correspondence, provide access to relevant records and cooperate with compliance enquiries.

Where the employer has already reported the relocation but the Home Office’s records have not yet been updated, evidence of the notification may help explain the position.

The sponsor should maintain clear records of its relocation and ensure that responsible personnel can demonstrate when the change was reported.

Employers should also maintain appropriate arrangements for receiving correspondence during any transition between premises.

 

5. Does a Reporting Failure Affect Sponsored Workers?

 

An address reporting failure does not automatically invalidate the immigration permission of every sponsored worker.

However, where the failure contributes to enforcement action against the sponsor licence, the consequences can extend to the sponsored workforce.

For example, revocation of a sponsor licence can affect the immigration position of workers sponsored under that licence, subject to the applicable Home Office procedures and individual circumstances.

A relocation may also expose separate compliance issues if sponsored workers are undertaking employment at locations that have not been properly recorded or if the change forms part of a wider alteration to their sponsored roles.

Employers should therefore assess both organisational and worker-specific reporting obligations.

A sponsor reporting breach should also be distinguished from a breach of the statutory right to work checking requirements. The two regimes impose different duties, although the same relocation or workforce restructuring may require the employer to review compliance with both.

 

6. How Should an Employer Correct an Unreported Address Change?

 

Where an employer discovers that a reportable address change has been missed, it should act promptly.

The first step is to establish the facts, including the previous and current addresses, the effective date of the change, when the sponsor became aware of it where relevant and the reasons the notification was not submitted.

The employer should then determine which reporting obligations remain outstanding.

This may involve more than one notification if the relocation also affected key personnel or sponsored workers.

The sponsor should submit the necessary information through the appropriate Home Office process, accurately identifying the circumstances and retaining evidence of the corrective action.

It should not use an artificial effective date or otherwise attempt to conceal the delay.

The employer should also investigate why the reporting failure occurred.

For example, the organisation may have lacked a process for notifying its immigration compliance team of property changes, or responsibility for updating the SMS may have been unclear.

Addressing the underlying cause is important to prevent similar failures.

 

7. Should the Employer Conduct a Wider Sponsor Compliance Review?

 

A missed address notification may indicate a broader weakness in the sponsor’s reporting arrangements.

For example, if the facilities team moved the business without notifying HR or the sponsor licence administrator, other changes may also have gone unreported.

The employer should consider whether to review:

 

• Its current organisational and branch addresses.
• The details of its Authorising Officer, Key Contact and Level 1 Users.
• The normal work locations of sponsored workers.
• Outstanding SMS reports or amendment requests.
• Internal responsibility for identifying reportable changes.
• The accessibility and accuracy of sponsorship records.
• Staff training on sponsor reporting duties.
• Procedures for escalating future business changes.
• Whether SMS users have functioning multi-factor authentication and the necessary access permissions.
• Whether relevant workforce checking procedures reflect the right to work changes effective from 1 October 2026.

 

The purpose of the review is to establish whether the issue is isolated or symptomatic of wider compliance weaknesses.

Where significant omissions are identified, specialist immigration advice may be appropriate before the employer makes further submissions.

 

 

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Section I: Sponsor Licence Change of Address Checklist for Employers

 

A sponsor licence address change should be managed through a documented process that covers the period before, during and after the relocation.

The following checklist can be adapted to the employer’s size, operating structure and sponsored workforce.

 

1. Before the Relocation

 

a. Confirm the scope of the move. Identify whether the change affects the registered office, head office, principal place of business, branches or other operational sites.

b. Establish whether the legal entity is changing. Determine whether the move is a straightforward relocation or part of a merger, acquisition, restructuring or transfer of business activities.

c. Identify affected sponsored workers. Prepare a list of workers whose normal work locations may change, including employees transferring between existing sites.

d. Review key personnel details. Check whether the addresses or other recorded information of the Authorising Officer, Key Contact or Level 1 Users will change.

e. Establish relevant dates. Record when each organisational and worker-specific change is expected to take effect and, where relevant, when the sponsor becomes aware of the change.

f. Identify reporting deadlines. Calculate the applicable periods separately for organisational changes and sponsored worker notifications, applying the relevant Home Office reporting triggers.

g. Review documentary requirements. Identify what evidence is likely to be needed and ensure that relevant premises and corporate records will be available.

h. Assign responsibility. Confirm who will prepare, submit, monitor and verify the required SMS changes.

i. Check SMS access. Confirm that authorised Level 1 Users can access the SMS, complete multi-factor authentication and use the necessary reporting functions.

j. Review wider workforce compliance. Where the relocation involves new engagements or changes to working arrangements, assess whether the right to work checking obligations effective from 1 October 2026 apply.

 

2. During the Relocation

 

a. Monitor the actual move dates. Record any differences between the planned timetable and when changes take effect.

b. Submit organisational notifications. Report the relevant changes to the sponsor’s circumstances within the applicable deadline.

c. Update key personnel information. Submit any separate changes required to keep key personnel records accurate.

d. Report sponsored worker location changes. Make the necessary individual worker notifications through the appropriate SMS migrant activity reporting function within the applicable reporting period.

e. Preserve access to sponsorship records. Ensure that documents and monitoring systems remain accessible throughout the move.

f. Maintain Home Office correspondence arrangements. Check that official communications will be received and dealt with promptly.

g. Record all submissions. Retain submission dates, supporting documents and any Home Office acknowledgements or requests.

h. Monitor different reporting deadlines. Where workers relocate in phases, ensure that each reportable worker change is notified within its own applicable deadline.

 

3. After the Relocation

 

a. Check SMS records. Confirm that organisational, key personnel and worker information accurately reflects the new arrangements.

b. Follow up outstanding requests. Monitor amendments that require further Home Office consideration or supporting information.

c. Reconcile internal records. Check that HR, corporate, facilities and sponsorship records are consistent.

d. Review worker supervision arrangements. Ensure that sponsored employees remain appropriately managed and monitored at their new locations.

e. Check remote and hybrid working records. Confirm that permanent remote-working changes have been reported where required and that accurate records are maintained for hybrid arrangements.

f. Review right to work records where appropriate. Confirm that any required follow-up checks and checks for relevant new engagements have been completed. Do not assume that the relocation itself requires every existing employee to be rechecked.

g. Complete a compliance sign-off. Record who has checked the changes, whether all required notifications have been made and whether any issues remain outstanding.

For larger employers, the checklist should be supported by a central relocation register identifying the owner, deadline and completion status of each required action.

 

 

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Section J: Common Sponsor Licence Address Change Problems

 

Address changes can create compliance difficulties where employers make assumptions about the reporting process or fail to recognise the different obligations arising from a relocation.

The following issues commonly require particular attention.

 

1. Assuming a Companies House Update Is Sufficient

 

Changing a company’s registered office at Companies House does not automatically discharge its sponsor reporting duties.

The employer should consider whether a separate notification is required through the SMS.

It should also check whether the registered office change affects other information held by the Home Office.

 

2. Reporting the Head Office Move but Overlooking Sponsored Workers

 

An employer may correctly report its new head office address but fail to consider the normal work locations of sponsored workers who moved with the business.

This can result in an organisational notification being completed while separate worker-reporting obligations remain outstanding.

The employer should assess each sponsored worker’s circumstances rather than assuming that one notification covers the entire relocation.

 

3. Using the Wrong Address in the SMS

 

A sponsor may have several legitimate addresses, including its registered office, trading address, headquarters and operational sites.

Problems can arise where the employer enters one address in a field intended for another.

Before submitting a change, the sponsor should establish precisely which address the SMS is requesting and ensure that the information reflects the organisation’s actual arrangements.

 

4. Forgetting to Update Key Personnel Records

 

Where key personnel move to a new office, their recorded work addresses may become outdated.

An organisational address amendment should not be assumed to update every individual record.

Some key personnel address changes may update automatically where the Home Office’s conditions are satisfied, including relevant postcode requirements. Other amendments may require separate consideration.

The employer should check the relevant key personnel details and verify that any necessary changes have been completed.

 

5. Moving to a Virtual Office Without Reviewing Operational Arrangements

 

A sponsor may change its registered office to a virtual office provider while continuing to operate elsewhere.

The arrangement may be legitimate, but the sponsor should ensure that its recorded information accurately distinguishes its administrative address from its operational premises.

Where the business has ceased using physical premises altogether, the employer should consider how it will demonstrate ongoing operations, worker supervision and compliance with sponsor duties.

 

6. Failing to Identify Permanent Remote-Working Changes

 

An employer may allow sponsored workers to work from home without considering whether the arrangement changes their normal work location for sponsorship purposes.

Under the Home Office sponsor guidance, permanent or full-time remote working with little or no requirement to attend a workplace is reportable.

By contrast, moving to a hybrid working pattern does not itself require an SMS notification.

Employers should distinguish between occasional home working, hybrid arrangements and permanent remote working.

They should also maintain appropriate records of working arrangements and assess whether any other changes, such as a change to the worker’s main office location, require notification.

 

7. Missing Deadlines During a Phased Relocation

 

A business may relocate over several weeks, with different departments and workers moving on different dates.

If the employer waits until the entire relocation is complete before reviewing its sponsorship obligations, earlier reporting deadlines may already have expired.

A relocation schedule should therefore identify the relevant reporting trigger and deadline for each change.

The sponsor should distinguish between the general organisational reporting rule and the separate deadlines applicable to reportable worker changes.

 

8. Assuming That an SMS Submission Has Been Fully Processed

 

Submitting a notification or amendment request does not necessarily mean that the Home Office has completed every related update.

Main or head-office address changes may be applied automatically only where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected.

Other amendments may require further Home Office consideration.

The employer should check the outcome of each relevant change and respond to any additional requirements.

The sponsor should verify the resulting records rather than assuming that the process has concluded.

 

9. Treating a Corporate Restructuring as a Simple Address Change

 

A relocation may accompany a merger, acquisition or transfer of business activities.

Where the legal entity employing sponsored workers changes, the issue may involve sponsor licence continuity and separate corporate reporting obligations.

Employers should not attempt to resolve such a transaction solely by changing an address in the SMS.

 

10. Failing to Maintain an Audit Trail

 

Even where the correct notifications have been submitted, employers may struggle to demonstrate compliance if they cannot identify when the changes occurred or when they were reported.

A clear audit trail should include effective dates, relevant awareness dates, submission records, supporting evidence and any Home Office correspondence.

This information may be particularly important where a relocation is later examined during a sponsor compliance review.

 

11. Overlooking the October 2026 Right to Work Changes

 

A relocation may involve changes to staffing arrangements, new engagements or the use of contractors and other workers.

From 1 October 2026, changes to the statutory right to work checking regime expanded the categories of working arrangements covered by the relevant obligations.

Employers should consider whether their arrangements fall within the updated rules and whether prescribed checks are required for new engagements or follow-up checks.

However, the change of business address itself does not create a general obligation to repeat right to work checks for all existing employees.

The employer should assess right to work compliance separately from sponsor licence address reporting, while ensuring that both sets of obligations are considered as part of the relocation process.

 

 

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Section K: Sponsor Licence Change of Address: Conclusion

 

Changing a business address while holding a UK sponsor licence requires more than updating company records or notifying employees of a relocation. Licensed sponsors must ensure that the Home Office continues to hold accurate information about their organisation, operating premises, key personnel and sponsored workforce.

The reporting requirements depend on what has changed. Specified changes to a sponsor’s organisational circumstances, including reportable changes to its registered office or principal business address, must generally be notified within 20 working days after the sponsor became aware of the change, subject to the applicable exceptions and specific provisions in the Home Office guidance.

A reportable change to an individual sponsored worker’s normal work location will generally need to be notified within 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

A single relocation can therefore generate several separate reporting obligations.

Employers should assess the full effect of a move before submitting changes through the Sponsor Management System. This includes identifying affected premises, checking the details of sponsor licence key personnel, reviewing sponsored workers’ normal work locations and establishing the relevant reporting dates.

Particular care is required where a business operates from multiple sites, relocates employees in phases, adopts remote or hybrid working arrangements or moves premises as part of a corporate restructuring.

The employer should also distinguish between submitting a notification and ensuring that the relevant sponsor records have been updated. Some address changes will normally update automatically through the SMS, while others may require separate requests or Home Office consideration.

Supporting documents, Home Office correspondence and evidence of completed notifications should be retained as part of the organisation’s sponsorship compliance records.

Employers should also ensure that wider workforce compliance arrangements remain appropriate following a relocation. The changes to the statutory right to work checking regime effective from 1 October 2026 extended the categories of working arrangements covered by the relevant obligations. Where a relocation involves new engagements or revised working arrangements, employers should assess whether the updated rules apply.

However, moving an existing employee to another business location does not, by itself, create a requirement to repeat their right to work check. Sponsor reporting and statutory right to work checking remain separate obligations.

Failing to report a relevant address change can amount to a breach of sponsor duties. While an isolated reporting error does not automatically result in licence revocation, inaccurate records or repeated failures may expose the organisation to greater Home Office scrutiny and potential enforcement action.

For employers, the most effective approach is to incorporate sponsor licence reporting into the business relocation process from the outset, rather than treating it as an administrative task after the move has taken place.

DavidsonMorris advises UK employers on sponsor licence management, changes to business circumstances and Home Office compliance requirements. We can assist with identifying reportable changes, managing complex relocations, reviewing outstanding notifications and addressing compliance concerns arising from changes to an organisation’s premises or sponsored workforce.

 

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Section L: Sponsor Licence Change of Address FAQs

 

How Do I Change the Address on My Sponsor Licence?

A sponsor licence address change is generally reported through the Home Office Sponsor Management System (SMS).

An authorised Level 1 User should identify the relevant change and follow the applicable SMS reporting or amendment process.

Organisational changes are generally managed through the SMS functions for requesting changes to licence details. Where a sponsored worker’s normal work location changes and notification is required, the employer should use the relevant migrant activity reporting function.

The employer should establish whether the change concerns its registered office, principal business address, operating premises or another recorded location.

It should also consider whether separate updates are needed for key personnel or sponsored workers.

The precise procedure depends on the type of address change and the current SMS instructions. Where the Home Office requires supporting information or documents, these must be provided through the appropriate process.

 

How Long Do I Have to Report a Sponsor Licence Change of Address?

Reportable changes to a sponsor organisation’s circumstances generally have to be notified within 20 working days.

Under section C2.3 of the Home Office sponsor guidance, the general organisational reporting requirement is to notify specified changes within 20 working days after the sponsor became aware of the change, subject to the applicable exceptions.

Where the change affects a sponsored worker’s normal work location and a worker notification is required, the usual reporting period is 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

These deadlines relate to different reporting obligations.

An employer moving its headquarters and transferring sponsored employees to the new premises should therefore assess both the organisational change and the individual worker changes.

The relevant reporting periods should be calculated using the specific Home Office rule applicable to each notification.

 

Do I Need to Tell the Home Office If My Company Changes Its Registered Office?

A change to a sponsor’s registered office will generally need to be reported to the Home Office.

Updating the registered office at Companies House does not remove the sponsor’s responsibility to comply with its separate Home Office reporting obligations.

The employer should ensure that its sponsor records correctly distinguish between its registered office and any separate trading or operational addresses.

If the registered office changes without any relocation of staff or business activities, the employer should not automatically assume that sponsored worker location notifications are also required.

 

Do I Need a New Sponsor Licence If My Business Moves Premises?

A straightforward relocation by the same sponsoring legal entity does not ordinarily require a new sponsor licence.

The employer should report the relevant changes and continue complying with its existing sponsorship obligations.

However, the position may be different where the move forms part of a merger, acquisition, business transfer or other restructuring that affects the legal entity responsible for sponsoring workers.

Sponsor licences cannot simply be transferred between legal entities.

Employers should therefore establish whether the move is purely a change of address or part of a wider corporate change.

 

Can I Change My Sponsor Licence Address Online?

The Sponsor Management System is the principal online platform for reporting changes to a sponsor’s circumstances.

An authorised Level 1 User should follow the relevant SMS procedure for the type of change being made.

Main or head-office address changes may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration.

Other amendments may require further Home Office consideration or supporting information.

Where no Level 1 User is available to access the SMS, the employer should consider whether the sponsor change of circumstances form is applicable to its circumstances.

Changing an address through Companies House or another government service should not be assumed to update the sponsor licence.

 

What Documents Do I Need for a Sponsor Licence Address Change?

The documents required depend on the circumstances and the applicable Home Office process.

Potentially relevant evidence includes a commercial lease, property ownership documentation, business rates records, Companies House information and evidence of the organisation’s activities at the new premises.

Where sponsored workers are relocating, the employer should also retain accurate records of their previous and new normal work locations.

Not every address amendment requires all of these documents. However, after submitting an organisation-details amendment, the sponsor must complete and send the SMS submission sheet in all cases, together with any required supporting evidence.

Where Appendix A document requirements apply, the employer should ensure that the evidence meets the prescribed requirements.

 

Does Changing the Company Address Automatically Update Sponsored Workers’ Work Locations?

No. Reporting a change to the sponsor’s organisational address does not necessarily satisfy its obligations to report changes to individual sponsored workers’ normal work locations.

An employer may need to submit separate worker notifications where employees move to a different normal place of work.

This is particularly relevant where a business relocates an entire department or sponsored workforce.

The sponsor should identify affected employees and assess their reporting requirements individually.

 

Do I Have to Report a Sponsored Worker Moving to Another Office?

A permanent change to a sponsored worker’s normal work location will generally need to be reported within 10 working days after the relevant change or event.

For example, where a Skilled Worker transfers from the employer’s Manchester office to its Birmingham office, the sponsor should consider the applicable worker-reporting requirement.

The fact that both offices belong to the same organisation does not necessarily remove that obligation.

The employer should distinguish between a substantive change of normal work location and occasional visits or temporary travel undertaken as part of the worker’s duties.

 

Do I Need to Report Sponsored Workers Working from Home?

The reporting position depends on the nature of the home-working arrangement and the current Home Office guidance.

Where a sponsored worker moves to permanent or full-time remote working with little or no requirement to attend a workplace, the sponsor must report the change.

By contrast, moving to a hybrid working pattern does not, by itself, require an SMS notification.

For example, an employee who continues attending the same office for part of the week while working from home on other days will not ordinarily require a notification solely because the arrangement has become hybrid.

However, where the worker’s main office location changes, they begin working at a new client site or another independently reportable change occurs, the employer should assess the relevant notification requirement.

Regardless of whether an individual notification is required, the sponsor must maintain appropriate oversight of the worker’s employment and accurate records of the working arrangements.

The Home Office may also question the need for UK sponsorship where a role can be performed entirely remotely.

 

Can My Business Use a Virtual Office Address for Its Sponsor Licence?

A virtual office or registered office service may be used for legitimate administrative purposes, but the sponsor must accurately identify its business operations and relevant premises.

An administrative correspondence address is not necessarily the location from which the organisation conducts its activities.

The Home Office may need to understand where the business operates, where sponsored workers normally work and how the employer meets its sponsorship obligations.

Employers should therefore distinguish between a virtual registered office and genuine operational locations.

Where a sponsor moves to a fully remote operating model, it should also review the implications for worker supervision, record keeping and Home Office compliance.

 

What Happens If I Forget to Report a Sponsor Licence Address Change?

Failure to report a change within the applicable deadline may constitute a breach of sponsor duties.

The consequences depend on the circumstances, including the seriousness of the omission and whether it forms part of wider compliance failures.

A late notification does not automatically mean that the sponsor licence will be revoked.

However, reporting failures may contribute to Home Office compliance concerns and, in serious cases, enforcement action.

An employer that discovers an outstanding notification should establish the correct facts, submit the required information promptly and retain evidence of the corrective action.

It should also review whether any related organisational, key personnel or worker notifications have been missed.

 

Can a Sponsor Licence Be Revoked for Failing to Update an Address?

Serious or repeated failures to comply with sponsorship duties can result in Home Office enforcement action, potentially including sponsor licence revocation.

However, an address reporting failure does not automatically lead to revocation.

The Home Office will assess the circumstances against the applicable sponsor guidance.

The risk may be greater where the sponsor has provided misleading information, cannot demonstrate genuine operations at its declared premises or has failed to maintain effective sponsorship compliance systems.

Where the relevant grounds apply, the Home Office may revoke a sponsor licence without first suspending it.

Employers should therefore treat address reporting as part of their wider licence management responsibilities.

 

Will Changing My Business Address Affect My Sponsor Licence Rating?

A straightforward address change does not ordinarily alter a sponsor’s licence rating.

The employer remains subject to the conditions and obligations of its existing licence.

However, if the Home Office identifies compliance failures associated with the relocation, those issues may affect the sponsor’s standing.

For example, inaccurate records, missed notifications or an inability to account for sponsored workers may lead to further compliance enquiries.

The employer should distinguish between the address change itself and any underlying failure to comply with sponsor duties.

 

How Long Does the Home Office Take to Process a Sponsor Licence Address Change?

There is no single processing period applicable to every address amendment.

Main or head-office address changes may be applied automatically where UKVI has confirmed the sponsor is eligible for automatic address changes and an acceptable reason is selected. Otherwise, the request requires UKVI consideration.

Other changes may require Home Office consideration, supporting information or additional enquiries.

The employer should therefore distinguish between the deadline for submitting a report and the time taken to process a requested amendment.

The sponsor should submit the change within the applicable reporting period and monitor any outstanding request until its outcome is clear.

 

Does Changing Address Affect Existing Certificates of Sponsorship?

A straightforward organisational address change does not automatically require all existing Certificates of Sponsorship to be replaced.

However, where the move affects a sponsored worker’s normal work location, the employer should assess whether a worker notification is required.

Where a notification is required, the sponsor should use the appropriate SMS migrant activity reporting function.

Other changes associated with the relocation, such as changes to the employing entity, role or sponsored employment arrangements, may require separate consideration.

The employer should therefore review the substance of the change rather than assuming that a new Certificate of Sponsorship is always required or that no further action is necessary.

 

Do I Need to Update the Authorising Officer’s Address When My Business Moves?

Where a relocation changes the work address or other relevant recorded details of the Authorising Officer, the sponsor should review whether a separate key personnel amendment is required.

The same principle applies to other sponsor licence key personnel.

Some key personnel address changes may update automatically where the conditions specified in the Home Office guidance are satisfied, including relevant postcode conditions.

Other amendments may require separate Home Office consideration.

An organisational address update should not be assumed to change every individual’s SMS record automatically.

Employers should include a review of key personnel information in their relocation checklist.

 

Can I Continue Sponsoring Workers While My Address Change Is Being Processed?

A straightforward relocation does not ordinarily prevent an otherwise compliant employer from continuing to sponsor workers under its existing licence.

The sponsor must nevertheless meet its reporting obligations and remain eligible to hold the licence.

Where the change involves a new legal entity, corporate restructuring or other circumstances affecting licence continuity, the position may be different.

Employers should also distinguish between an outstanding administrative amendment and a situation in which the Home Office has imposed restrictions on the licence.

 

What If the Home Office Has the Wrong Address for My Business?

The employer should establish why the address is incorrect and identify the appropriate process for correcting it.

The issue may involve a change that was never reported, an amendment that remains outstanding or an error in the recorded information.

The sponsor should ensure that the Home Office receives accurate details through the relevant process and retain evidence of any correction.

Where the discrepancy has existed for some time, the employer should also assess whether a reporting deadline was missed and whether related records require updating.

 

Do I Need to Report a Change of Address for Every Branch?

The employer should assess whether changes to its branches and operating locations fall within its organisational reporting obligations.

The answer will depend on the sponsor’s structure, the premises involved and the information held by the Home Office.

Opening, closing or relocating a branch may also affect sponsored workers based at that location.

The sponsor should therefore consider both the organisational circumstances and any individual worker location changes.

 

Who Should Manage a Sponsor Licence Change of Address?

The licensed sponsor remains responsible for complying with its reporting obligations.

In practice, an authorised Level 1 User will ordinarily manage the relevant SMS submissions, supported by the employer’s HR, legal or immigration compliance functions.

The Authorising Officer should ensure that appropriate arrangements exist for identifying and reporting changes.

For larger relocations, coordination with facilities, finance and company secretarial teams may also be necessary.

The employer should ensure that its authorised SMS users have functioning multi-factor authentication and the necessary system permissions.

External immigration advisers can assist with determining the reporting requirements and managing more complex changes, but responsibility for sponsor compliance remains with the employer.

 

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Section M: Sponsor Licence Change of Address Glossary

 

Term	Meaning
Authorising Officer (AO)	The senior person appointed by a licensed sponsor with overall responsibility for the organisation’s sponsorship arrangements and compliance with sponsor duties.
Branch	An operating location or part of a sponsoring organisation that may be relevant to the structure and premises recorded for sponsorship purposes.
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)	An electronic sponsorship record assigned by a licensed sponsor to a worker in connection with an eligible sponsored immigration application.
Companies House	The UK registrar of companies, responsible for maintaining statutory company information, including registered office addresses.
Compliance visit	A Home Office inspection or assessment of an organisation’s compliance with the requirements of its sponsor licence.
Head office	The principal administrative or management location of a business. It may differ from the company’s registered office or individual trading premises.
Home Office	The UK government department responsible for immigration control, including the operation and enforcement of the sponsor licensing system.
Hybrid working	An arrangement under which an employee works across more than one location, commonly combining office attendance with working from home. A move to hybrid working does not, by itself, require an SMS notification, although relevant records must be maintained.
Key Contact	The person nominated by a sponsor to act as a principal contact with the Home Office in relation to the sponsor licence.
Level 1 User	A person authorised to access and administer the Sponsor Management System on behalf of a licensed sponsor, subject to the permissions applicable to their account.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA)	An additional security requirement for accessing the Sponsor Management System, introduced as mandatory for SMS users from September 2026.
Normal work location	The location or locations at which a sponsored worker ordinarily carries out their employment, as relevant to the sponsor’s reporting obligations.
Permanent remote working	An arrangement under which a sponsored worker works remotely on a permanent or full-time basis with little or no requirement to attend a workplace. This is reportable under the applicable sponsor guidance.
Principal place of business	The main location from which an organisation conducts or manages its business activities. This may differ from its registered office.
Registered office	The official address of a company recorded at Companies House for statutory purposes.
Reporting duties	The obligations imposed on licensed sponsors to notify the Home Office of specified changes affecting their organisation or sponsored workers within the applicable deadlines.
Right to work check	A prescribed check undertaken to establish an individual’s permission to undertake relevant work in the UK and, where the statutory requirements are met, establish the applicable statutory excuse against a civil penalty for illegal working.
Sponsor licence	Home Office authorisation permitting an eligible organisation to sponsor workers under specified UK immigration routes.
Sponsor licence downgrade	A Home Office compliance measure under which a sponsor’s licence rating may be reduced in accordance with the applicable sponsor guidance.
Sponsor licence revocation	The withdrawal of an organisation’s sponsor licence by the Home Office, ending its authority to sponsor workers under that licence.
Sponsor licence suspension	A Home Office action that restricts a sponsor’s ability to use its licence while compliance concerns are considered.
Sponsor Management System (SMS)	The Home Office online system used by licensed sponsors to manage sponsorship activities, report relevant changes and administer sponsored worker records.
Sponsored worker	An individual whose UK immigration permission is linked to sponsorship by an authorised employer under a relevant immigration route.
Trading address	An address at which a business conducts its commercial or operational activities. It may be different from its registered office.
Working day	A day counted for the purposes of an applicable Home Office reporting deadline, determined according to the definition in the relevant sponsor guidance. Employers should apply that definition when calculating deadlines rather than assuming that every UK public holiday is treated identically.

 

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Section N: Sponsor Licence Change of Address Useful Links

 

1. Official Home Office Guidance

 

Description	URL
Workers and Temporary Workers: Guidance for Sponsors — Part 3, Sponsor Duties and Compliance The principal Home Office guidance explaining sponsor reporting duties, record-keeping responsibilities, compliance requirements and the consequences of failing to comply.	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workers-and-temporary-workers-guidance-for-sponsors-part-3-sponsor-duties-and-compliance
Sponsor Management System (SMS) The official GOV.UK access point for the system used by licensed sponsors to manage their sponsor licence and report relevant changes.	https://www.gov.uk/sponsor-management-system
Sponsor Management System User Manuals Home Office manuals explaining the operation of the SMS, including procedures for managing sponsor information and reporting changes.	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sponsorship-management-system-sms-user-manuals
UK Visa Sponsorship for Employers: Your Responsibilities GOV.UK guidance outlining employers’ responsibilities when sponsoring workers, including reporting changes and maintaining appropriate records.	https://www.gov.uk/uk-visa-sponsorship-employers/your-responsibilities
Workers and Temporary Workers: Guidance for Sponsors — Part 1, Apply for a Licence Home Office guidance on sponsor licence eligibility, organisational requirements and the circumstances in which a licence is held by a particular sponsoring entity.	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workers-and-temporary-workers-guidance-for-sponsors-part-1-apply-for-a-licence
Companies House: Make Changes to Your Company Official guidance on updating statutory company information, including registered office details.	https://www.gov.uk/make-changes-to-your-limited-company

 

2. Right to Work Guidance and October 2026 Changes

 

Description	URL
Right to Work Checks: Employer’s Guide Home Office guidance on conducting prescribed right to work checks, maintaining evidence and establishing a statutory excuse against a civil penalty where the relevant requirements are satisfied.	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/right-to-work-checks-employers-guide
Code of Practice on Preventing Illegal Working Official guidance on the statutory right to work checking framework and the civil penalty regime, including the updated arrangements effective from 1 October 2026.	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/illegal-working-penalties-codes-of-practice-for-employers
Employer Checking Service Home Office service through which employers can request verification of an individual’s right to work in specified circumstances.	https://www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status

 

3. Related DavidsonMorris Employer Guides

 

Description	URL
Sponsor Management System: Employer Guide Guidance on using the SMS to administer a sponsor licence, manage sponsorship records and fulfil reporting responsibilities.	https://www.davidsonmorris.com/sponsor-management-system/
Sponsor Licence Compliance: Employer Guide An overview of the compliance duties imposed on UK sponsor licence holders, including reporting, record keeping and Home Office enforcement.	https://www.davidsonmorris.com/sponsor-licence-compliance/
Sponsor Licence Key Personnel Guidance on the roles, eligibility requirements and responsibilities of the personnel appointed to manage a sponsor licence.	https://www.davidsonmorris.com/sponsor-licence-key-personnel/
Sponsor Change of Circumstances Information on reporting changes affecting a sponsoring organisation and the procedures that may apply to different circumstances.	https://www.davidsonmorris.com/sponsor-change-of-circumstances-form/

 

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