Sponsor licence holders: important changes to the Sponsor Management System

Care providers who hold a sponsor licence are being encouraged to review their Sponsor Management System (SMS) accounts following a number of changes taking effect this month.

AC Solutions has highlighted several changes for Worker and Temporary Worker sponsors, including the introduction of mandatory Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), which began rolling out from 3 September 2026.

Other changes include:

• MFA for SMS users – users will need their username and password alongside a one-time passcode sent by email or text when accessing the system.
• Changes to Level 2 users – from 9 September, sponsors will no longer be able to appoint new Level 2 users. Existing Level 2 users will need to be upgraded to Level 1, where eligible, or deactivated by 8 March 2027.
• New sponsor licence activity notifications – from 9 September, Authorising Officers will receive email notifications about certain activity on their sponsor licence.
• Increased phishing risk – sponsors are being reminded to access the Sponsor Management System directly through GOV.UK and never share passwords or one-time passcodes.

Sponsor licence holders are advised to review their SMS users and check that contact details, including email addresses, mobile numbers and dates of birth, are correct.