Moving offices can be challenging for businesses, and that should not be compounded by failing to meet the Sponsor reporting and compliance obligations. After all, being a Sponsor in the UK affords huge opportunities for you to leverage international talent and hire overseas workers, jeopardising that ability to recruit by small oversights could cost your business not only time and money, but talent.
What are my compliance duties when it comes to a change of address?
One of the key responsibilities of the Sponsor is to ensure that the Home Office is informed of any relevant changes to circumstances, including any changes to the address of your company.
What's involved in the reporting process?
Most changes of circumstance can be directly reported online via the portal available through the UKVI Sponsor Management System. The relevant officers who have access to the system within your company will be able to log-in with their credentials and update details as necessary.
You must then send the relevant supporting documentation to the Home Office to complete the report.
Is there anything else I should be aware of?
It's worth keeping in mind that it's not just reporting you need to think about, but also how you report changes within your company:
- Make sure that you report changes, such as change of address, as soon as reasonably possible the latest being within 20 working days of the change;
- Make sure that you keep a comprehensive catalogue of information submitted and confirmations;
- Make sure that you are cognisant of moving parts, for example, if you inform the Home Office regarding a change of address, you will likely also have to change the working address for your key personnel, Level 1 User and sponsored migrants. It's worth nothing that you must make each change separately;
What happens if we don't report?
Home Office guidance indicates that you must report a change within 20 working days after the relevant change occurs or for certain changes, 10 working days. Without the relevant updates, you will be in breach of your sponsor duties and obligations. If the Home Office has reason to believe that you have been non-compliant of your sponsor duties and obligations, they may take relevant action against you which may include suspending or even revoking your licence entirely.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.