Guidance

SMS guide 7: Bulk data transfer of CAS (accessible)

Updated 9 July 2024

Additional SMS manuals

There are 12 SMS manuals available, plus a supplementary policy guide for completing a CAS. The manuals are grouped into three categories: common, CAS and CoS. The table below describes the purpose and audience of each manual.

You should read all manuals applicable to your licence before contacting the relevant helpdesk.

Manual reference	Manual title	Type	Purpose	Audience
Manual 1	Introduction to SMS	Common	Use this manual to log into SMS, change your password, manage SMS users and view important messages posted by the Home Office. In addition, this manual explains who should use SMS and for what purpose. The manual features a full introduction to SMS as well as a comprehensive troubleshooting section.	All sponsors
Manual 2	Managing your licence	Common	To help sponsors manage their key personnel, change their licence details, manage PAYE references, and apply for allocations of CoS/CAS.	All sponsors
Manual 3	Apply for Premium customer service, Basic Compliance Assessment and manage Action plans	Common	To help sponsors apply for Premium customer service, Basic Compliance Assessment and manage action plans.	All sponsors
Manual 4	Creating and assigning CAS	CAS	To help sponsors create and assign individual and batches of CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 4a	Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors	CAS	This manual contains supplementary information on completing a CAS. Use this guide to determine what information is necessary in each field of the CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 5	Reporting student activity	CAS	To help sponsors report student activity, for example if a student’s circumstances change or submitting a graduate notification. This manual also contains help with reporting fee updates and adding sponsor notes to CAS that have already been assigned.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 6	Miscellaneous CAS functions	CAS	To help sponsors complete all other functions of CAS, such as managing batches of CAS, managing pre-stored addresses for use when creating CAS, transferring ownership of CAS, printing CAS and exporting CAS.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 7	Bulk Data Transfer of CAS	CAS	To help sponsors use the bulk data transfer (BDT) functions of SMS, including graduate notifications. You must have a bespoke IT system in place to use BDT.	Sponsors licensed in the Student Route
Manual 8	Creating and assigning CoS	CoS	To help sponsors create and assign individual and batches of CoS.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 9	Reporting worker activity	CoS	To help sponsors report worker activity, for example if a worker’s circumstances change. This manual also contains help with adding sponsor notes to CoS that have already been assigned.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 10	Miscellaneous CoS functions	CoS	To help sponsors complete all other functions of CoS, such as managing batches of CoS, managing pre-stored addresses for use when creating CoS, transferring ownership of CoS, and printing CoS.	Sponsors licensed in any Worker or Temporary Worker route
Manual 11	Temporary Work – Creative Worker Group of CoS	CoS	To help sponsors create and manage groups of CoS. Groups of CoS are only available to sponsors licensed in Temporary Work - Creative Worker	Sponsors licensed in the Temporary Work - Creative Work Route
Manual 12	Defined CoS	CoS	To help sponsors apply for defined CoS, track applications for defined CoS and once granted, create defined CoS.	Sponsors licensed in Skilled Worker

Glossary

Term	Meaning
SMS	Sponsorship Management System
CoS	Certificate of Sponsorship
CAS	Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
AO	Authorising Officer
KC	Key Contact
BDT	Bulk Data Transfer
SELT	Secure English Language Test
.XML	Extensible Mark-up Language
.PDF	Portable Document Format
Automation	On 6 April 2014 we introduced new functionality in SMS to automatically renew CoS allocations and to apply changes to your organisation address, or the address of your AO and KC. We will write to you if you meet the criteria and automation has been set.

CAS status

The table below shows each status which can apply to a CAS.

As seen in SMS	Meaning
WORK IN PROGRESS	The CAS is still ‘in draft’ as one or more mandatory fields are yet to be completed.
READY TO GO	All mandatory fields are complete and the CAS is ready to be assigned to an individual.
ASSIGNED	The CAS has been assigned to an individual and is ready to be used in support of an application for leave to enter/remain in the UK.
WITHDRAWN	You have used the ‘Manage live CAS’ function in SMS to withdraw the CAS.
OBSOLETE	SMS has automatically changed the CAS status to ‘Obsolete’ as it has detected that another CAS assigned to the same individual has been marked as ‘Used’ within the validity period of this CAS.
USED	The CAS has been used in support of an individual’s application for leave to enter or remain.
EXPIRED	EITHER: The individual has not made an application for leave to enter or remain before the expiry date of the CAS. A new CAS is required. OR: The individual has applied by the CAS expiry date but we have not considered their application before that date. In this case, no action is required on your part; we will change the status of the CAS from EXPIRED to USED when the application is considered.
CANCELLED	The CAS has been cancelled as your licence has been revoked or has expired, or you have surrendered the relevant route / your whole licence prior to the CAS being used.

SMS guides

Guide 1: How to upload a batch of CAS using Bulk Data Transfer (BDT)

Follow the step by step instructions to upload a batch CAS records using BDT. This function is useful if you wish to transfer a large number of records from your IT systems directly into SMS. You must have installed a bespoke IT system on your network to create the .XML files required to use the BDT function.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance, SMS guide 4a – Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors and the BDT toolkit before uploading a batch of CAS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Student screen, select Create CAS.
2	From the Create a CAS screen, select the relevant route (Student or Child Student) and choose Next. If you are only licensed in one of these routes, the drop-down list will default to that route.
3	From the second Create a CAS screen, choose Create new batch of CAS, then select Next.
4	From the final Create a CAS, enter the name of the batch, then select Next.
Note	The name of the batch should be something memorable as you might need to retrieve it later.
5	From the Batch details screen, select Upload (two buttons available).
6	From the CAS bulk file upload screen, select Browse and navigate to the location of the .zip file on your computer or network, select it then select Open.
8	You are now ready to begin the upload process. Select Next.
9	The CAS bulk file upload summary screen is displayed. Your .ZIP file was successfully uploaded. Select Next to apply the data to the batch. This can take some time.
Note	You may receive warnings regarding your file. Please check you are content with these before proceeding.
10	The CAS bulk file upload successful screen is displayed. Your upload was successful. You can now see the number of CAS records that have been added to your new batch. Select OK to return to the Batch details screen. If you have received any warning messages, please check the details as you may have accidentally used a CAS number that is associated with another CAS.
11	From the Batch details screen, you can see that all CAS in the batch have a status of READY TO GO.
12	From the Batch details saved screen, select OK. Your batch has now been saved. You are now ready to either add more CAS to the batch, or assign and pay for the batch.

Guide 2: How to report multiple student ‘no-shows’ in bulk using BDT

Follow the step by step instructions below to report student ‘no-shows’ (i.e. the individuals have not arrived for enrolment) using the BDT functionality. This function is useful if you have had multiple student ‘no-shows’.

If you need to report another type of activity, or if you need to provide further details about a student not arriving for enrolment, you should use the Report Activity by CAS Search or Report Activity by CAS Number functions to submit the appropriate details to us.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance and SMS guide 4a – Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors and the BDT toolkit before reporting student no shows in bulk.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Students screen, select Sponsorship duties.
2	From the Sponsorship duties screen, select Report bulk student activity.
3	From the Reporting bulk upload screen, select Browse.
4	From the Choose File to Upload dialogue box, navigate to the file you wish to upload, select it and choose Open. This must be a compressed (.ZIP) file.
5	The CAS bulk file upload summary screen is displayed, which indicates that your file is in the correct format. Select Next.
Note	You may receive warnings regarding your file. Please check you are content with these before proceeding, as you may have uploaded the same file previously.
6	The CAS bulk file upload successful screen is displayed. Your data has now been successfully uploaded. You may receive a warning if your file contains errors. In this example, none of the errors were critical and the upload was successful. If your file contains a critical error, please see below. Select OK to return to the Sponsorship duties screen.
7	Warnings: You may receive a critical error, which will prevent you from being able to progress; the Next button will be unavailable (greyed out). The most common problem when uploading bulk data is that the .XML file does not conform to the BDT schema, as set out in the BDT Toolkit. You will need to edit your file to ensure the data is correct, for which you might need to contact your IT provider. Once complete, compress the file (.ZIP format) and try the upload again.
8	When the upload is successful, you will be returned to the Sponsorship duties screen.

Guide 3: How to provide bulk fee updates using BDT

Follow the step by step instructions below to report bulk fee information using the BDT functionality. This function is useful if multiple students pay their fees after you have applied for a CAS, but before the students’ have submitted their applications to us.

You can only use this function if the CAS has a status of ASSIGNED. Once the CAS has been marked as USED, you will no longer be able to update the fee-related information. It is important to keep SMS updated with any fees charged or paid.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance and SMS guide 4a – Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors and details of the BDT toolkit before reporting bulk fee updates.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Students screen, select Sponsorship duties.
2	From the Sponsorship duties screen, select Provide bulk fee update.
3	From the Bulk CAS financial data upload screen, select Browse.
4	From the Choose File to Upload dialogue box, navigate to the file you wish to upload, select it and choose Open. This must be a compressed (.ZIP) file.
5	The Bulk CAS financial data summary screen is displayed, which indicates that your file is in the correct format. Select Next.
Note	You may receive warnings regarding your file. Please check you are content with these before proceeding, as you could have uploaded the same file previously.
6	Warnings: You may receive a critical error, which will prevent you from being able to progress. A common problem, as in this case, is when the data does not match any CAS records. You will need to edit your file to ensure the data is correct. Once complete, compressed the file (.ZIP format) and try the upload again.
7	When the upload is successful, you will be directed to the Bulk CAS financial data upload successful screen. Select OK to return to the Sponsorship duties screen.
8	If you wish to check that the fees have been updated as intended, navigate to Sponsorship duties/Report activity by CAS number and search for the CAS you just reported against.

Guide 4: How to submit graduate notifications in bulk using BDT

Follow the step by step instructions below to submit graduate notifications (i.e. the individuals successfully completed their courses in line with the qualifying criteria of the Graduate Route) using the BDT functionality. This function is useful if you need to submit multiple graduate notifications. This function is only available to sponsor who are registered in the Student Route with a track record of compliance.

If you need to report another type of activity, or if you need to provide further details about a student who qualifies for the Graduate Route, you should use the Report Activity by CAS Search or Report Activity by CAS Number functions to submit the appropriate details to us.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance and SMS guide 4a – Creating a CAS – guide for education sponsors and the BDT toolkit before submitting graduate notifications in bulk.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Students screen, select Sponsorship duties.
2	From the Sponsorship duties screen, select Report bulk student activity.
3a	From the Reporting bulk upload screen, select Browse.
3b	From the Choose File to Upload dialogue box, navigate to the file you wish to upload, select it and choose Open. This must be a compressed (.ZIP) file containing no more than one XML file. When you have chosen the upload file, select Next.
Note	If the XML upload file is not formatted correctly an error message will be displayed at this stage and you will be unable to continue with the process until the file is corrected. Example XML files which demonstrate the correct format are available on our website.
4	If the upload file is formatted correctly, the CAS bulk file upload summary screen is displayed. Select Next.
5a	If the data in the upload file is valid, the CAS bulk file upload successful screen is displayed. Your graduate notifications have now been submitted. Select OK to return to the Sponsorship duties screen.
5b	If any of the data in the upload file is not valid, or any CAS detailed in the file do not meet the criteria for a graduate notification, an error message is displayed. In these circumstances you will not be able to proceed with the upload. Select Cancel to return to the Sponsorship duties screen.
Note	An error will occur when attempting a graduate notification upload in the following circumstances: - if any CAS in the upload file do not have status ‘USED’; - if any CAS in the upload file were not issued against your sponsor licence; - if any CAS in the upload file relate to a Student Child, or Tier 4 (General), CAS; and, - if your sponsor licence is not rated ‘Student Sponsor – Track Record’ in the Student category of the Student Route. In all of the above circumstances the upload will be prevented, and no notifications will be submitted.
6a	Once a graduate notification has been submitted, it is displayed on the Report student activity – activity history screen.
6b	Details of the most recently submitted graduate notification are recorded on a student’s CAS, and displayed in the section with the heading “Graduate Route Notifications”