Smarter Immigration Manager
(SIM): The free tool to reduce
your workload

23 June 2022

Smarter Immigration Manager (SIM) is Smith Stone Walters’ bespoke case management system designed to help your business seamlessly manage its immigration activities.

Our one-stop shop for immigration management allows our clients to view real time updates on visa applications under process with SSW, report on historic files and view all compliance documentation in one central location. By partnering with SSW on your business immigration programme, you will automatically get 24/7 access to our secure online portal to view and manage your cases at any time, from anywhere, at no extra cost.

So what are the benefits of using SIM to manage your global mobility programme, and more importantly how can it help save your HR team valuable time and reduce your workload? Keep reading to learn more.

Easily instruct SSW on cases

When you wish to instruct SSW caseworkers on a new application, the process can be completed digitally via the SIM platform. There is no need to keep track of long email chains or wait until office hours to give us a call – simply log into SIM from any browser and raise the request using our secure portal.

Notifications of new instructions are automatically sent through to the SSW client team, so if your usual contact is unavailable there will always be another member of the team on hand to pick up your request. Instructions are quick and easy to raise using SIM, and SSW can provide full training on the process.

Keep a clear audit trail

All instructions, approvals and confirmations are stored centrally on the SIM platform with a clear audit trail back to the original instruction, including details on who raised the request and which SSW caseworker has been assigned to the case. This is particularly useful for larger teams instructing on multiple cases at once.

Likewise, SIM stores all key information and documentation relating to your applications in one place. You can upload existing data to the platform and download documents at the touch of a button. With all key information stored in one central location, SIM is your fallback for audits.

Get real time updates

When managing multiple visa applications, it is important to be aware of the status of each application at any given time. SIM allows users to check the progress of individual applications in real time. With everything timestamped and all stages clearly labelled with the current status (e.g. contacted applicant, application submitted), you will never be in the dark about the progress of your applications.

Connect SIM with your systems

A key benefit of using SIM is its ability to work in harmony with your existing HR systems using Application Programming Interface (API) technology. API  is often used to describe when two systems are able to communicate with each other without the need for human input.

SIM carries API functionality as standard, which enables it to ‘talk to’ other systems seamlessly. The systems SIM can connect with are far ranging from off-the-shelf HR and Global Mobility systems such as Workday, or Equus Pro to custom built bespoke software that is used by specific organisations. SIM can also be used with single sign-on (SSO), an authentication method that enables users to securely authenticate with multiple applications and websites by using just one set of credentials.

Manage visa expiry dates

Managing visa expiry dates is an intrinsic part of any immigration programme. According to the Home Office guidance for sponsors, visa or ‘leave’ expiry dates must be recorded by employers, monitored regularly and reminders set at 30, 60 and 90 days before the expiry date is met. With SIM, this important process is fully automated to ensure you never miss an upcoming expiry date.

SSW runs expiry reports on behalf of clients at recommended intervals agreed by both parties. Equally ad hoc reports, filtered by all manner of variables can be run at any given moment. For example, filtering to specific business units or teams allows a business to identify the upcoming visa renewal costs for that particular group. SIM provides everything you need to manage compliance in one place.

Access SSW’s free resources

At SSW, we pride ourselves on providing clear, concise communication to our clients. Immigration law is a complex topic, and our role is to provide you with the information you need to know in an easily digestible format.

On SIM, you will find various downloadable resources such as factsheets and FAQ documents which cover a wide range of immigration topics, from sponsor licencing and compliance to immigration fees and eligibility criteria for individual visa categories.

A global solution

SIM does not only manage UK immigration cases, but global immigration programmes on any scale. It covers all countries and all application types, making it the perfect solution for managing large scale global mobility programmes.

Whether you are moving an assignee from the UK to the US, or from Germany to Australia, SIM can help your team track and manage the entire process end-to-end.

Saves time and improves your programme

As well as the many useful functions SIM provides to help employers manage their immigration cases and remain compliant, perhaps the most important benefit of all is the time saving potential our system can offer.

SIM allows users to automate many of the administrative tasks integral to the immigration process. By freeing up time which would otherwise be spent on these onorous tasks, your HR team are free to focus on the more human elements of their role, allowing them to dedicate more of their time to what matters most – your employees.

Want to learn more?

Whether you are already a regular user of SIM, or you are a new client and want to find out more about the system, SSW is here to help.

We offer full training on how to use SIM, and your SSW Account Manager is on hand to help you and your business harness its full potential. To find out more, please contact us today.

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