Sponsor Management System is an online tool designed to enable education providers/ licensed sponsors carry out all the formalities and interactions with the UK Border Agency. The online resource has been functional since November 27, 2008, only for Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsors of the Points Based System. Ever since the implementation of the SMS, it has been instrumental in assisting sponsors brining migrants to the UK and manage them!

Even though, earlier only Tier 2 and Tier 5 sponsors were entitled to make use of the SMS, currently it is available for Tier 4 sponsors of the Points Based System, however on experimental phase. Starting from October 2009 up to February 2010, Tier 4 sponsors have the choice to issue a visa letter or a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) to potential students who will be applying for visa from within the UK. A visa letter, however, will still support potential students from outside the UK, until the end of the trial period, that is February 2010. Once the trial period is over, CAS will completely replace the issuance of a visa letter. In other words, all Tier 4 sponsors would require to assign a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study number to all migrants, irrespective of the inside and outside. From February 22, 2010 visa letters will completely be vanished and students with a visa letter will no longer be accepted!

Only licensed sponsors are eligible to make use of the SMS. In order to be able to use the tool, the sponsor must confirm his/her sponsor license, after which the UK Border Agency will send login information in no time. Sponsors with license who still do not have access to the SMS, take the necessary steps and contact the UK Border Agency.