Dear

Many thanks for our telephone conversation earlier today. I thought it may be helpful if I summarised our discussion for your reference.[Name] is sponsored under Tier 2/5. As their line manager/supervisor/principal investigator, the University needs your help to ensure that we fulfil our sponsorship duties, as explained below.

As we discussed, the Home Office requires all organisations that sponsor employees, including the University of Cambridge, to keep certain records and report particular changes to them. Failure to comply with this could result in our licence being revoked, suspended or downgraded to a B-rating, and/or a reduction to the number of CoS we are allowed to assign.If we lose our licence, we will no longer be able to employindividuals sponsored under Tiers 2 and 5 of the Points-based Immigration System and all existing sponsored employees would have their leave curtailed.

Reporting

Please ensure that you (or the sponsored employee that reports to you, where appropriate) tell your department administrator immediately if:

  1. The sponsored individual does not arrive to start work on the first day of employment, and the reason if known (e.g. a missed flight).
  2. They take unauthorised absence for more than ten consecutive working days.
  3. If significant changes to their employment are being planned or considered. For example, change of role, job title, duties, hours or salary (except for annual increments and cost of living) or TUPE. Depending on the change, we may have to notify or seek approval from the Home Officebefore it can take place.
  4. If the University is no longer required to sponsor the individual. For example, because:

Their contract of employment has been terminated for any reason (including resignation)

They wish to take more than one month’s unpaid leave (other than maternity, paternity, adoption or sick leave)

They have changed immigration status (for example, obtained indefinite leave to remain, acquired British Citizenship or moved to an immigration tier that does not require a Sponsor). You must see documentary evidence (passport stamp and/or letter from the Home Office) of any change in immigration status and send copy to the Compliance Team (with printed name, signature and date).

  1. If the individual loses a professional registration or accreditation which is required for their job.
  2. If the employee wishes to take up other employment whilst still being sponsored and employed by the University.
  3. Any suspicions that the employee is breaching the conditions of their leave to reside in the UK.
  4. You have any information which suggests that they may be engaging in any criminal activity.

The University must report the above to the Home Officewithin strict timescales(normally within ten working days). It is important that your departmental administrator is notified of such changes immediately so that they can provide this information to us in time for it to be reported within the required period.

Record Keeping

The University must also keep up-to-date records of sponsored individuals’ contact details and when they are absent from work, which means that we need you to:

  1. Remind the individual to inform your departmental administrator immediately if you are aware that their contact details (including home address, home telephone number or mobile telephone number) are changing. Alternatively, they can update their own details on Employee Self-service which is found at
  2. Ensure that the individual follows your department/institution’s procedure for booking annual leave and their leave is always recorded, using the method that has been agreed locally.
  3. Ensure that the individual contacts you (or other appropriate person in your department/institution) if you they need to be absent from work for any other reason (e.g. sickness, bereavement) and that their absence is always recorded. Either you or a designated person in your department/institution must record sickness absence on CHRIS (the HR and Payroll system); please ensure you know what your local arrangements for this are.
  4. Following discussions with the Home Office, it is no longer necessary for the University to keep records of the whereabouts of sponsored individuals in PhD level roles who are working away from their usual place of work. This exception does not extend to those in non-PhD level roles. In these circumstances, departments are asked to ensure that they know where their sponsored individuals are at all times, and to keep a record of all absences exceeding a day, including time working away from Cambridge.

I would be grateful if you would reply to this email to confirm that you understand the responsibilities you have as the line manager/supervisor/principal investigator of a sponsored employee and that you feel able to fulfil them. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you would like further information about the Points-based Immigration System, please review:

  • The University’s immigration web pages
  • The Home Office policy guidance for sponsors

Thank you for your co-operation.

Kind regards,

Name