Guidance

SMS guide 12: restricted certificates of sponsorship (accessible)

Updated 4 December 2024

Additional SMS manuals

There are 12 SMS manuals available, plus a supplementary policy guide for completing 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	Tier 5 Creative and Sporting groups of CoS	CoS	To help sponsors create and manage groups of CoS. Groups of CoS are only available to sponsors licensed in Tier 5 (Creative and Sporting).	Sponsors licensed in the Temporary Worker - Creative and Sporting route
Manual 12	Defined CoS	CoS	To help sponsors apply for defined CoS, track applications for defined CoS and once granted, create defined CoS.	Sponsored 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.

Guide 1: How to apply for a defined CoS

Follow the step by step instructions below to apply for defined CoS. You must apply for a defined CoS if you want to recruit a migrant under Skilled Worker who will be applying for leave to enter the UK from overseas You must be A-rated in Skilled Worker to apply for defined CoS.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before applying for restricted CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Workers screen, select Defined CoS.
2	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, select Apply for defined CoS.
Note	You can check the tiers and categories in which you are licensed , and your current rating on the Licence summary screen (located at Licence summary, applications and services/Licence summary).
3	From the Apply for defined CoS screen enter the number of CoS you require, then select Next.
Note	You can apply for more than one CoS in a single application, but the employment details on each CoS must be the same.
4	From the Application for defined CoS - employment details screen, enter the details of the employment and select Next.
5a	From the Application for defined CoS - confirmation screen check the details are correct.
5b	Read the declaration and tick the box to agree to the terms. When complete, select Submit.
6	Your application has now been submitted. On the Application for defined CoS - submitted screen the request number of your application is displayed.
Note	We will consider your application, as set out in the Sponsorship policy guidance.

Guide 2: How to apply for a defined CoS based on a previous application

Follow the step by step instructions below to apply for defined CoS based on a previous application.

You should read the SMS guide 8a – Creating a CoS – guide for business sponsors and Sponsorship policy guidance before applying for defined CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, select Apply for defined CoS based on a previous application.
2	From the Apply for defined CoS based on a previous application screen, select the radio button next to the application on which you wish to base a new application and select Next.
3	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, enter the number of CoS required and select Next.
4	On the Application for defined CoS - employment details screen, the CoS details are already populated. Amend any details, if required, and select Next.
5a	From the Application for defined CoS - confirmation screen check the details are correct.
5b	Read the declaration and tick the box to agree to the terms. When complete, select Submit.
6	Your application has now been submitted. On the Application for defined CoS - submitted screen the request number of your application is displayed.

Guide 3: How to view and withdraw an application awaiting a decision

Follow the step by step instructions below to view and withdraw a single defined CoS application.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before viewing and withdrawing defined CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, select View applications that are awaiting a decision.
2	To withdraw an application: From the Applications that are awaiting a decision screen, select Withdraw next to the appropriate application.
Note	1. This screen will only display applications that are pending a decision. Applications that have been granted can be viewed on the Granted applications - create and assign defined CoS. Applications that have been withdrawn, refused or rejected can be viewed on the View previously refused, withdrawn or rejected applications screen. 2. The Application status field will be PENDING if the application is still under consideration.
3	From the Withdraw application for defined CoS screen, select Withdraw. If you do not wish to withdraw the application, select Cancel.
4	The Application withdrawn screen is now displayed. Select OK to return to the Applications that are awaiting a decision screen.

Guide 4: How to create and assign defined CoS

Follow the step by step instructions below to create and assign a single defined CoS. You must first apply for a defined CoS before you can create and assign it.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before creating and assigning single defined CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, select Granted applications - create and assign defined CoS.
Note	You can only assign a defined CoS if we have granted your application. Any Level 1 user can create and assign a defined CoS, even if they did not submit the original application.
2	From the Granted applications – create and assign defined CoS screen, select the relevant radio button and select Next.
Note	The Granted applications – create and assign defined CoS screen will also display details of previously granted defined CoS that you have returned to us, as well as defined CoS that we have reclaimed. Defined CoS expire to the minute 90 days after being granted. You must assign a defined CoS by the Use by date otherwise it will expire and you will be unable to assign it. For example if the defined CoS was granted at 9:02am on 3 June 2024 it will expire 9:02am on 1 September 2024
3	From the Granted applications - create and assign defined CoS screen, review the application summary and select Create.
Note	1. If you applied for more than one CoS on the same application, you will need to repeat the steps that follow for each CoS. The Number of CoS created will increase for each CoS you assign. 2. If the Create button is not visible, you have created the maximum number of defined CoS available.
4	From the Create a CoS screen, enter the migrant’s details and select Save.
Note	The employment details are pre-populated and can only be amended in limited circumstances, which are set out in the Sponsorship policy guidance.
5	From the Confirmation of saved CoS screen, select Assign. If at this stage the defined CoS is no longer required, you can delete the CoS by selecting Delete.
Note	If the Assign button is unavailable (greyed out), you may not have completed all the mandatory fields on the previous screen. Select Amend to return to the Create a CoS screen.
6a	From the Confirm CoS details before assigning screen, review the details. If any details are incorrect, select Amend.
6b	Read the declaration and tick the box to agree to the terms. When complete, select Submit.
7	The Online payment screen is now displayed. Select OK to proceed with the transaction. This will open a third party payment service (Worldpay).
8	On the Single CoS assigned screen the CoS reference number is displayed.

Guide 5: How to view previously refused, withdrawn or rejected applications

Follow the step by step instructions below to view previously refused, withdraw or rejected defined CoS applications.

You should read the Sponsorship policy guidance before viewing and withdrawing defined CoS.

Step	Instruction
1	From the Apply for defined CoS screen, select View previously refused, withdrawn or rejected applications.
2	The Previously refused, withdrawn or rejected applications screen is now displayed. Select Back to return to the Apply for defined CoS screen.
Note	If the Application status is REJECTED or REFUSED the Decision date shows the date we made the decision. If the Application status is WITHDRAWN, the Decision date will show the date that you withdrew the application.