United Kingdom · Visa sponsorship
UKVI stops sponsors adding Level 2 SMS users and sets March 2027 deadline
UK sponsors cannot appoint new Level 2 SMS users from September 9, 2026. Existing Level 2 users must be upgraded if eligible or deactivated by March 8, 2027.
Published .
Reported and checked by the QueueCheck news desk. Last checked September 11, 2026. How we verify information
Level 2 appointments have stopped
UK Visas and Immigration says sponsors have been unable to appoint new Level 2 users in the Sponsorship Management System since September 9, 2026. Sponsors must upgrade eligible existing Level 2 users to Level 1 or deactivate them by March 8, 2027. The change concerns access to the sponsor system, not a new visa eligibility rule. It matters to applicants because sponsors use SMS to assign and manage the Certificate of Sponsorship or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies needed for sponsored work and study routes.
Sponsors and applicants relying on a CoS or CAS
Licensed UK employers and education providers that still rely on Level 2 SMS users, sponsor staff responsible for assigning a Certificate of Sponsorship or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies, and Skilled Worker or Student applicants waiting for a sponsor to issue or correct that record.
The user transition UKVI now requires
- UKVI says sponsors cannot appoint any new Level 2 SMS users from September 9, 2026.
- An existing Level 2 user must be upgraded to Level 1, if the person is eligible, or deactivated no later than March 8, 2027.
- Under the previous arrangement, a Level 2 user had restricted access and could assign a Certificate of Sponsorship or Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies that the user had personally created and owned, as well as report certain activity.
- UKVI is also progressively enabling mandatory multi-factor authentication for sponsor users. UKVI says it will email affected users around two weeks before MFA is enabled for their licence.
- After MFA is enabled, a sponsor user must enter a one-time passcode at every login. The code is sent to the contact details recorded for that user and is valid for 10 minutes.
Dates, access and MFA rules
Official manual update date: September 11, 2026. GOV.UK displays no publication time.
Date new Level 2 appointments stopped: September 9, 2026.
Deadline for existing Level 2 users: March 8, 2027.
Required action: upgrade an eligible Level 2 user to Level 1 or deactivate the account.
MFA notice period: UKVI says users will receive an email around two weeks before MFA is enabled for their sponsor licence.
MFA login step: a one-time passcode is required at each login after activation and remains valid for 10 minutes.
Match the deadline to your situation
Your organisation still has a Level 2 user
Review whether the person can hold Level 1 access. Complete the upgrade if eligible, or deactivate the account, by March 8, 2027 and preserve enough authorised coverage for sponsor work.
You need to add a new sponsor-system user
Do not plan on a new Level 2 appointment. Check UKVI's current Level 1 eligibility and appointment rules and make the appropriate authorised appointment.
You are waiting for a CoS or CAS
Ask the sponsor whether its SMS access or user transition is affecting issuance. The visa rules still require the correct sponsorship record, and UKVI has not announced a general extension or processing-time change.
Sponsor account questions, answered
Did UKVI close every Level 2 account on September 9?
No. The manual says new Level 2 appointments stopped on that date. It gives sponsors until March 8, 2027 to upgrade eligible existing users or deactivate them.
Do visa applicants have to complete the new SMS MFA step?
No. The MFA instruction discussed here applies to sponsor users signing in to the Sponsorship Management System, not to an applicant's personal visa application account.
Can an applicant file while the sponsor is sorting out access?
A sponsored application still needs the correct CoS or CAS information required by the route. Applicants should confirm that the sponsor has issued the record before filing rather than assuming the access change waives it.
Has UKVI increased Skilled Worker or Student visa waiting times?
No processing-time increase was announced in these manuals. The operational concern is that poor sponsor access management could delay the sponsorship record needed before an application can proceed.
How access problems can reach an application
A sponsor that needs an additional SMS operator can no longer solve the access gap by creating a new restricted Level 2 account. It must use an eligible Level 1 appointment and follow the current sponsor guidance.
If a sponsor leaves its transition too late, loses access during the MFA rollout, or has outdated contact details, work inside SMS could be delayed. That can in turn delay a CoS or CAS that an applicant needs before filing.
UKVI has not said that all existing Level 2 accounts closed on September 9. The dated instruction instead gives sponsors until March 8, 2027 to upgrade eligible users or deactivate them.
The notice does not change the visa application fee, immigration health surcharge, route eligibility rules or published decision times for Skilled Worker or Student applications.
Protect CoS and CAS continuity
- Sponsors should audit their current SMS user list now and identify every Level 2 account rather than waiting until the March deadline.
- Check whether each Level 2 user satisfies the current requirements for Level 1 access. Upgrade eligible users and deactivate accounts that are no longer needed.
- Make sure every SMS user has accurate personal contact details, including the email address and mobile number used for MFA. Shared or inaccessible details can obstruct receipt of the login code.
- Maintain enough eligible Level 1 coverage to assign and manage a CoS or CAS if one user is unavailable. Follow UKVI's current user-management instructions for any appointment or change.
- Applicants waiting for a CoS or CAS should ask the sponsor whether the record is ready before submitting the visa application. The sponsor transition is not a reason to guess a reference number or omit a required sponsorship record.
Why SMS access matters to applicants
The Sponsorship Management System is the sponsor-facing service used by licensed employers and education providers. It is separate from the online account an individual uses to submit a visa application.
A Skilled Worker sponsor normally assigns a Certificate of Sponsorship, while a Student sponsor issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. The applicant uses the resulting reference or details in the visa process.
Level 1 users have broader sponsor-management permissions than the restricted Level 2 role. UKVI's new instruction phases out new Level 2 appointments and sets an end date for the remaining accounts.
MFA is being introduced progressively rather than through one announced nationwide switch-on date. Sponsors should use the date in UKVI's notification email for their own activation.
What UKVI has not announced
- GOV.UK shows an update date of September 11, 2026 but does not provide an exact publication time.
- The manual was updated two days after the stated September 9 start of the restriction on new Level 2 appointments.
- UKVI has not published one activation date covering MFA for every sponsor. The rollout date depends on the notice sent to each affected user.
- The manuals do not report a national CoS, CAS or visa-processing delay caused by this change. Any delay described here is the practical risk of a sponsor losing or mismanaging access, not a measured government backlog.
UK sponsored visa guidance
This update covers more than one queue. Choose the service that matches your own application before sharing a date or comparing waits.
Official citation: Official UKVI guidance checked
Published September 11, 2026. Original source: UK Visas and Immigration: Sponsorship Management System guide 1.