On June 19, 2023, the UK Home Office made the National Insurance Number (NINO) mandatory for Level 1 users of the Sponsor Management System (SMS).
According to an updated version of the Introduction to the sponsorship management system: SMS guide 1, from this date onwards, key personnel on sponsor licences may be required to provide their NINO, or a reason why they are exempt from having a NINO, when amending their details in the SMS.
- If they enter their NINO the update will happen immediately if there are no other changes that cannot be applied automatically.
- If they indicate that they don’t have a NINO and provide exemption details, this will generate a request that will be subject to casework consideration prior to implementation. They may be asked to provide evidence of the reason for the NINO exemption as part of this consideration.
- Failure to provide a valid reason for the NINO exemption may affect the outcome of their request.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to share updates as more news is available. If you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions, please contact your employer or EIG attorney.