More priority services for Tier 2 sponsors
Following its launch in November 2016, a new aspect has been added to the priority service for Tier 2 sponsors.
The Home Office priority change of circumstances service offers Tier 2 and Tier 5 A-rated sponsors the opportunity to pay for faster processing when submitting a change of circumstances application, and it has recently been expanded to include another aspect of the sponsorship management system (SMS).
For a fee of £200, sponsors may now have their request to add a representative considered on a priority basis, making the complete list of options offered by this expedited service as follows:
- apply to change their authorisation officer
- add a new Level 1 User
- add to, or renew an allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) request
- add a representative
When using this service to add a representative, however, Tier 2 sponsors should note that if they also wish to add that representative as a new Level 1 user on the sponsor management system at the same time, this will count as two requests and the sponsor will be charged twice.
The system has also received a boost to the numbers of requests it is allowed to accept, from 20 per day to 50, making the service more available to sponsors in need or a quick turnaround.
How to make use of this service:
When a sponsor submits a change of circumstance application via the SMS, it will receive a notification asking whether it wishes to use the priority service. If the sponsor decides that it would like to make use of the new service, it will be invited to telephone the Glasgow premium service centre to begin the process.
Only A-rated Tier 2 or Tier 5 sponsors are able to use this service. Premium sponsors are not eligible as they already receive a high level of service.
For advice on whether using this service is the right choice for your organisation, contact Smith Stone Walters.
