Home Office Audit: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

In 2025, approximately 3,100 employers had their Skilled Worker sponsor licences revoked — the highest number ever recorded in a single year, and a trend the Home Office has signalled will continue rising. Compliance visits are now unannounced, intelligence-led, and more frequent than at any point in recent years. If your organisation holds a sponsor licence, the question is no longer 'if' you'll face scrutiny — it's 'when'.

This webinar gives you the clearest, most practical walkthrough available of exactly what a Home Office compliance audit involves, what inspectors look for, and how to make sure your organisation passes.

Key learnings include:

• What triggers a compliance visit, the difference between announced and unannounced audits, and what inspectors will examine across your SMS, right to work, CoS, payroll, and Appendix D records
• The most common record-keeping gaps that lead to licence downgrades — and how to structure your HR files so every sponsored worker's records are audit-ready in minutes
• How to run a mock audit your team can use today, and what to expect during and after a visit — including how to communicate with inspectors and respond to findings
• The 10 most common compliance failures found during Home Office audits, what a B-rating downgrade means for your organisation, and how to avoid both

Who should attend: Ideal for HR managers, compliance officers, Authorising Officers, Level 1 SMS users, and senior leaders at organisations holding a Skilled Worker sponsor licence.