Your ongoing duties
Holding a licence means meeting a set of duties continuously: keeping accurate records for each sponsored worker, reporting relevant changes to the Home Office within set timeframes, running and documenting right-to-work checks, and maintaining HR systems that can evidence all of it.
- Record keeping — up-to-date files for every sponsored worker.
- Reporting — notify the Home Office of changes within the required timeframes.
- Right to work — verify and document before day one.
- Cooperation — be ready for an audit or compliance visit.
A-rating vs B-rating
New licences start A-rated. If duties are breached, the Home Office can downgrade you to a B-rating, which suspends new sponsorship until you complete an action plan (at your cost) to get back to A. A revocation is worse — it can end sponsorship entirely.
Staying audit-ready with Recruitroo
We run compliance as a managed service — CoS management, record-keeping support, reporting, mock audits and periodic reviews — so the rating is maintained and a Home Office visit isn't a scramble.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main sponsor licence compliance duties?
Record-keeping, timely reporting of changes to the Home Office, right-to-work checks, and maintaining HR systems that evidence compliance — all on an ongoing basis, not just at application.
What is the difference between an A-rating and a B-rating?
All licences start A-rated. A breach can trigger a downgrade to B-rating, which pauses new sponsorship until you complete a chargeable action plan to return to A. We help you avoid the downgrade and recover if it happens.
What happens in a Home Office compliance visit?
The Home Office checks that your records, reporting and right-to-work processes match your duties. Being audit-ready — which our compliance service maintains — is the difference between a routine visit and a licence problem.
Last reviewed: 16 July 2026. This guide is general information for employers, not legal advice — final decisions rest with the Home Office / UKVI.
Sources: UK Home Office / UKVI.