Resource guide · Checked against Appendix D 10/26 on 8 October 2026
Sponsor licence record keeping requirements: what Appendix D asks you to keep
Appendix D of the Home Office sponsor guidance lists the documents a licensed sponsor must keep for each sponsored worker and for the organisation; this guide maps each requirement to the record you need and where it comes from.
This is a summary of published guidance, not legal advice. Read the current Appendix D for the routes you sponsor.
Last updated . Reviewed by Soteriaa team.
Evidence map
Every Appendix D requirement, mapped to the record and its source
Each line was checked against Appendix D version 10/26 (valid from 8 October 2026) or Part 3 version 08/26 on 8 October 2026. “Worker” means one per sponsored worker; “Organisation” means held once for the licence.
On smaller screens, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Document to keep | Level | Official source | Checked | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right to work check | Evidence of the check, done before work started; online checks via the share-code service | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Date of entry | Entry stamp copy, or the recorded entry date from travel evidence, where you sponsored the entry clearance | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Genuine vacancy (most routes, incl. Skilled Worker) | Advert, where and how long it ran, number of applicants and shortlisted, and at least one selection record; or an explanation of how you found the worker | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Formal labour market test (listed routes only) | Adverts and screenshots, shortlisted applications and reasons settled workers were not employed, plus route-specific items | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Payslips | Showing name, NI number, tax code, allowances and deductions | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Salary payments | Bank or prepaid-card evidence of each payment into the worker's own account | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Contract | Contract or written statement: names, signatures, dates, job, hours and pay | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Allowances | Evidence of the value of allowances not shown in the contract or payslips | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Job description | Duties, responsibilities, and the skills, qualifications and experience required | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Qualifications and skills | Copies of qualifications or evidence of skills and experience, such as references | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Professional registration | Registration or accreditation the worker needs to do the job | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| National Insurance number | A copy, unless the worker is exempt | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Contact details | History of UK address, personal email and phone, kept up to date | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Under-18 consent | Consent letter from parents or guardian | Worker (under 18 only) | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| DBS check | A copy, where the role requires one | Worker (where required) | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Absences | A record of the worker's absences, electronic or manual | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| ATAS | ATAS certificate or FCDO approval notice, where the role requires one | Worker (where required) | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Employment rights information | Evidence you gave the worker information about their UK employment rights, such as written information or training | Worker | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Hybrid working patterns | Suitable records of working patterns for hybrid workers | Worker (hybrid only) | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Licence application documents | The documents you submitted with your licence application, for as long as you hold the licence | Organisation | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| GBM contracts | Service Supplier or Secondment contracts and tender or award evidence | Organisation (GBM only) | 8 Oct 2026 | |
| Documents on request | Any document about sponsored workers or the running of your organisation, within the deadline set | Organisation | 8 Oct 2026 |
Route-specific items (Creative Worker, International Sportsperson, Religious Worker, care roles, offshore workers) are in the source sections cited. Appendix D does not list a copy of the CoS, the licence certificate or key personnel records as documents to keep.
Two levels of record
Organisation-level records versus worker-level records
Almost everything Appendix D lists is per worker. The organisation-level list is short.
For the field-by-field detail of a worker file, see the sponsored worker records guide. For the employment-rights item (Appendix D 5(l)), see Appendix D employment-rights evidence. To work through the list worker by worker, use the sponsor licence audit checklist.
- Organisation: licence application documents (for the life of the licence), GBM contracts where relevant, and anything about the running of the organisation that the Home Office asks for.
- Worker: right to work, recruitment, salary, skill-level and additional evidence for each sponsored worker, kept for the sponsorship and up to a year after.
- Both levels: paper or electronic, all relevant parts visible, available on request.
What changed recently
Appendix D version 10/26 (valid from 8 October 2026) redrafted section 1.1 for the Right to Work Scheme extension from 1 October 2026, updated section 2.1 for the Religious Worker route from 29 October 2026, and added a Religious Worker overseas-affiliate letter at 2.2(e). See the change list on the Appendix D page.
What Soteriaa does and does not do
Soteriaa keeps one record per sponsored worker with evidence filed against it, tracks visa and right-to-work dates, logs changes and builds worker or company packs. It does not provide immigration legal advice, make compliance determinations, submit anything to the Home Office, perform right-to-work checks, or guarantee compliance.
FAQ
Sponsor record keeping questions
Answers drawn from Appendix D (version 10/26) and Part 3 (version 08/26), checked 8 October 2026.
What records does the Home Office expect an employer to keep for sponsored workers?
Appendix D groups them into five areas for each sponsored worker: right to work and date of entry checks; recruitment evidence showing the job is genuine; salary evidence (payslips, bank payments, contract, allowances); skill-level evidence (job description, qualifications, any required registration); and additional records such as the National Insurance number, contact-detail history, absence records and evidence you gave the worker information about their employment rights. You also keep your licence application documents for as long as you hold the licence.
What right to work records should we hold for sponsored workers?
Evidence of a right to work check carried out before the worker started, following the employer's guide current at the time. Online checks must use the “Check a job applicant's right to work” share-code service. If another organisation employs your sponsored worker, you must obtain its check evidence or do your own. Where you sponsored the worker's entry clearance, you also keep date-of-entry evidence (Appendix D sections 1.1 and 1.2).
How long must sponsor records be kept?
For the whole time you sponsor the worker, then until one year after sponsorship ends or until a compliance officer has examined and approved them, whichever is sooner. Licence application documents are kept for as long as you hold the licence. Other laws, such as the illegal working rules, can require longer (Appendix D introduction; Part 3 C1.40).
Can records be kept electronically?
Yes. Appendix D allows paper or electronic records with no set storage system, as long as you can make them available to the Home Office on request. Part 3 C1.37 adds that all relevant parts of a document must be visible if kept electronically.
Does Soteriaa guarantee sponsor compliance?
No. Soteriaa supports record keeping and workflow visibility. It does not guarantee compliance, submit anything to the Home Office, or replace immigration legal advice.
Keep the Appendix D records in one place.
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