Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check for UK Employers
If you sponsor Skilled Worker employees, your payroll, Certificate of Sponsorship records
and Sponsor Management System reports must all tell the same story. A small salary error, unreported job change, incorrect SOC code, working-hours mismatch or missed SMS update can quickly become a sponsor licence compliance problem.
NA Law Solicitors provides a focused Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check for UK employers
who want to identify risk before the Home Office does.
Call 020 3524 5439 or email admin@nalawsolicitors.co.uk to request a fixed-fee review.
Salary compliance is no longer just an annual figure
Many employers assume that if the annual salary on the Certificate of Sponsorship looks
correct, the sponsorship position is safe.
That is not always enough.
The Home Office sponsor guidance requires sponsors to comply with their ongoing duties,
including accurate reporting, record keeping and maintaining lawful sponsorship
arrangements.The official sponsor duties guidance was updated on 20 May 2026 and explains
that it tells sponsors how to meet their duties and what action may be taken if those duties
are breached (GOV.UK sponsor duties guidance).Salary compliance is no longer just an annual figure. Employers are also facing increased scrutiny around whether sponsored workers are
actually being paid in line with the salary stated on the CoS or any later SMS report. Lewis
Silkin notes that the Home Office may check salary compliance through compliance visits and
by cross-checking data with HMRC.
If the figures do not match, the issue may not remain an HR or payroll problem.It may become
an immigration compliance problem.
This review is for sponsor licence holders who are worried about:
- Sponsored workers whose salary, hours or job duties have changed.
- Payroll figures that do not match the salary stated on the CoS.
- Salary sacrifice, unpaid leave, deductions, overtime or irregular pay patterns.
- A worker moving location, changing role or taking on different duties.
- Missed or late SMS reports.
- Whether a role still matches the correct occupation code.
- Whether a current CoS was assigned accurately.
- Whether HR, payroll and immigration records would survive a Home Office review.
- Preparing for a Home Office compliance visit.
- Reducing the risk of suspension, revocation, downgrading or worker curtailment.
The commercial risk is bigger than one visa
For many SMEs, sponsored workers are essential to the business.
If a sponsor licence is downgraded, suspended or revoked, the impact can include loss of
recruitment ability, disruption to existing sponsored workers, operational instability and
reputational damage.
Salary and SMS issues are particularly dangerous because they often sit between HR, payroll,
operations and immigration compliance. Nobody owns the problem until the Home Office asks
questions.
Our review is designed to identify the gaps before they become enforcement issues.
What is included in the Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check
Depending on the package agreed, we can review:
- Certificate of Sponsorship salary, hours and role details.
- Current payslips and payroll records for sponsored workers.
- Employment contracts and variation letters.
- Job descriptions and SOC code alignment.
- SMS reports already made to the Home Office.
- Missed reporting issues and whether corrective steps may be needed.
- Salary changes, reduced hours, absences and unpaid leave.
- Right-to-work record alignment.
- Worker location and work pattern changes.
- HR file evidence needed to support the sponsorship position.
- We then provide practical written advice on the risk areas identified and the immediate steps
the employer should consider.
Fixed-fee initial review
We offer a fixed-fee initial Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check for employers who need a
focused legal review without committing to a full audit immediately.
Suggested offer structure:
- Initial document review.
- Risk summary.
- Priority action list.
- Call with a solicitor.
- Clear recommendation on whether a wider sponsor compliance audit is needed.
Suggested price anchor: From £495 plus VAT, depending on the number of sponsored workers and documents to be reviewed.
Call 020 3524 5439 or email admin@nalawsolicitors.co.uk to request a fixed-fee quote.
Why employers choose NA Law Solicitors
NA Law Solicitors advises UK employers on sponsor licence compliance, Skilled Worker
sponsorship and Home Office enforcement risk. We understand that employers do not just need a legal explanation.
They need a practical answer to three questions:
1.What is the risk?
2.What needs fixing now?
3.What should we avoid doing next?
Our approach is direct, practical and commercially focused.
NA Law Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA No. 645049
Worried about salary, payroll or SMS reporting?
Do not wait until the Home Office asks for documents.
Contact NA Law Solicitors for a fixed-fee Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check.
Telephone: 020 3524 5439
Email: admin@nalawsolicitors.co.uk
FAQ: Sponsor Salary & SMS Risk Check
Possibly. The issue is not only whether the worker is paid enough overall. Employers should
also check whether the CoS, payroll, contract, working hours, job duties and SMS reports are
consistent.
Yes. Salary, role and reporting issues can create sponsor compliance risk. The level of risk depends on the facts, the documents and whether the issue has been reported or corrected.
Take advice before making a rushed correction. A late report may need careful explanation
and supporting evidence.
No.This is a focused initial review of salary, payroll, CoS and SMS risk.If wider issues are
identified, we may recommend a full sponsor licence compliance audit.
We can usually offer an initial fixed-fee review once we have the relevant documents. Urgent
matters should be flagged when you contact us.
Legal notice
This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Sponsor licence and Skilled Worker rules change regularly. You should seek advice on your specific circumstances before taking action.