Resource guide
Is the Sponsor Management System enough for compliance?
No, and it is not meant to be. The Home Office Sponsor Management System (SMS) is where you report: you assign Certificates of Sponsorship, report changes, and manage your licence there. It is mandatory, and Soteriaa never replaces it or files to it. What the SMS is not is an evidence workspace. It does not hold your right-to-work files, surface expiries before they lapse, assemble the pack a compliance officer asks for, or show which worker is missing which document. The SMS is where you tell the Home Office; Soteriaa is where you keep what you would have to show them.
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Last updated . Reviewed by Soteriaa team.
Short answer
The Sponsor Management System is mandatory and where all official reporting happens: assigning Certificates of Sponsorship, reporting changes, and managing your licence. It is not an evidence workspace: it does not hold your right-to-work files, surface expiries, assemble an audit pack, or show which worker is missing which document. Soteriaa never replaces the SMS and never files to it. The SMS is where you tell the Home Office; Soteriaa is where you keep what you would have to show them.
Where the SMS ends
The SMS is a reporting system, not a record of your evidence.
It does the reporting job it is meant to do. The gap most sponsors feel at audit is everything that sits around the report.
No evidence store
Right-to-work files, visa and BRP copies, and supporting documents live in your own records, not the SMS.
No proactive expiries
The SMS does not surface which visas or right-to-work checks are due soon or overdue.
No missing-document view
It does not show, worker by worker, which piece of evidence is still outstanding.
No pack assembly
It does not assemble the indexed evidence pack a compliance officer or auditor asks to see.
What Soteriaa keeps alongside it
The evidence you would have to show, organised.
Soteriaa is a focused record-keeping workspace that sits alongside the SMS. It never reports for you. It keeps your records ready.
Sponsored worker records
One record per worker, with role, status, and linked evidence.
Right-to-work evidence & checks
Record check dates, evidence reviewed, and follow-up dates against the worker.
Visa and BRP expiry dates
Keep key dates visible so follow-ups surface before they lapse.
Certificate of Sponsorship records
CoS references and related sponsor documents stored with the worker record.
Reportable changes & attendance
Record reportable changes, absences, and attendance evidence for later review.
One-click audit packs
Assemble a worker or licence pack from your stored records when someone asks to see it.
Side by side
The SMS reports. Soteriaa keeps the evidence.
| What a sponsor needs | Sponsor Management System | Soteriaa |
|---|---|---|
| Report to the Home Office (assign CoS, report changes, manage the licence) | Yes — the mandatory system of record for all reporting. | No — Soteriaa never files to or connects with the SMS. |
| Hold right-to-work and document evidence | Not an evidence store for your files. | Right-to-work and supporting evidence kept against each worker. |
| Surface upcoming visa / right-to-work expiries | Does not proactively surface your upcoming dates. | Deadlines and alerts for expiries and follow-up dates. |
| Show which worker is missing which document | Not designed to show your evidence gaps. | Missing-evidence visibility per worker record. |
| Assemble the pack a compliance officer asks for | No evidence-pack assembly. | One-click audit-pack generation from your stored records. |
The SMS remains the mandatory reporting system. Soteriaa is an internal record-keeping workspace only.
What Soteriaa does not do
Soteriaa does not file to or integrate with the Sponsor Management System, does not report changes for you, and does not reduce or replace any reporting duty. It makes no compliance determinations and gives no legal advice. Your reporting obligations are set by the Home Office and remain unchanged. Related guides: right-to-work check tracking and visa expiry tracking.
FAQ
Sponsor Management System questions
What the SMS does, what it does not, and where Soteriaa fits alongside it.
Does the Sponsor Management System store right-to-work evidence?
No. The SMS is where you report to the Home Office: assigning Certificates of Sponsorship, reporting changes, and managing your licence. It does not hold your right-to-work files, visa or BRP copies, or supporting documents. Sponsors keep that evidence in their own records; Soteriaa is one place to organise it against each worker.
Does Soteriaa file to the SMS, integrate with it, or replace it?
No. Soteriaa never connects to, files to, or replaces the Sponsor Management System. You still carry out every official sponsor action in the SMS yourself. Soteriaa helps you organise the records, dates, and evidence you may need to show at an audit. It is a separate internal workspace, not a reporting channel.
Will using Soteriaa reduce what I have to report to the Home Office?
No. Your reporting duties are set by the Home Office and are not changed by any software. Soteriaa does not reduce, defer, or remove any reporting obligation. If a change is reportable, it must still be reported in the SMS within the required time. Soteriaa can help you keep a record of the actions you have taken, but it does not report on your behalf.
What does the SMS not do that sponsors still need?
The SMS is a reporting system, not an evidence workspace. It does not proactively surface upcoming visa or right-to-work expiries, does not assemble the evidence pack a compliance officer asks for, and does not show at a glance which worker is missing which document. Sponsors cover that with their own record keeping.
Does Soteriaa make compliance decisions or give legal advice?
No. Soteriaa helps organise records, evidence, dates, and follow-up actions and gives visibility of what is outstanding. It does not make compliance determinations or provide legal advice. Responsibility for compliance and for reporting stays with the sponsor.
How much does Soteriaa cost?
Soteriaa's sponsor plans are Starter at £25/month for up to 5 employees, Team at £79/month for up to 20 employees, and Unlimited at £149/month for unlimited employees. Every feature is included in every tier, with a 14-day free trial.
Keep what you would have to show them.
The SMS is where you report. Soteriaa is where your evidence, dates, and packs stay organised — start free.