We are proud to share a recent success story where a care provider maintained their sponsor licence after a Home Office compliance check, with the support of Nara Solicitors.
The Home Office wrote to our client on 9 January 2026 requesting information as part of a compliance check. A follow-up letter was sent on 27 February 2026, repeating the request.
The client approached us for help in preparing and submitting the required information.
When our client received the Home Office's request, they contacted Nara Solicitors for guidance. Our team acted quickly. We carried out a thorough internal compliance audit to assess the client's records, HR systems, and reporting history.
We reviewed all the documentation that the Home Office had requested, checked it against current sponsor duties, and identified areas that needed attention.
Once we were satisfied with the quality and accuracy of the information, we prepared a strong and well-organised response on behalf of our client. The response was submitted to the Home Office on 13 March 2026.
The Home Office confirmed that it had fully considered the information and documents submitted. It confirmed that no further action would be taken.
The letter also reminded our client that, as a sponsor, they are expected to act in accordance with immigration laws, all parts of the Worker and Temporary Worker sponsor guidance, wider UK law (including employment law), and the wider public good.
The Home Office reserves the right to conduct further compliance checks at any time.
Why compliance checks are increasing
The Home Office has significantly stepped up its compliance activity in recent years. Between April 2024 and March 2025, over 1,700 sponsor licences were suspended and 1,560 were revoked. These are record figures, and they reflect a clear shift in how the Home Office enforces sponsor duties.
Care providers, in particular, remain under close scrutiny. The Home Office has repeatedly identified the health and social care sector as one of the highest-risk areas for non-compliance. Compliance checks in this sector are no longer rare. They are routine.
What has changed is how the Home Office identifies potential issues. It is no longer just about physical compliance visits. The Home Office now shares data with HMRC and other government departments to spot discrepancies in payroll, salary levels, and reporting. This means that even sponsors who have never received a visit can be contacted out of the blue and asked to provide information.
On 6 March 2026, the Home Office also updated its sponsor guidance, lowering the threshold for compliance action to "reasonable suspicion." This means the Home Office can now take action earlier, without needing full proof of a breach.
For sponsor licence holders, this makes it more important than ever to keep records accurate, up to date, and ready for inspection at any time.
What this means for other sponsor licence holders
This case is a good example of why preparation matters. A compliance check from the Home Office is not something to take lightly, even when there are no specific allegations.
The information you provide in response must be accurate, complete, and well-presented. Gaps or inconsistencies can lead to suspension or revocation of your sponsor licence.
Here are some things every sponsor licence holder should be doing right now:
Keep your HR records and sponsored worker files up to date at all times. Make sure all right to work checks are properly documented. Report changes to the Home Office via the Sponsor Management System (SMS) within the required deadlines. Review your sponsored workers' roles, salaries, and working arrangements regularly to ensure they match what was stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship. Train your key personnel, including the Authorising Officer and Level 1 Users, on their record-keeping duties.
Do not wait for the Home Office to contact you.
Be proactive. A Home Office-style compliance audit carried out by experienced immigration solicitors can identify weaknesses before they become problems.
Book a compliance audit with Nara Solicitors
At Nara Solicitors, we help businesses stay fully compliant with their sponsor licence duties. If you hold a sponsor licence and have not had a compliance review recently, now is the time to act.
Book a Home Office-style compliance audit with Nara Solicitors today, or call us on +44 20 4576 4977.
