The Home Office can check any licensed sponsor at any time, on site or by video, with or without notice. A mock Home Office audit puts your HR files, right to work records and SMS reporting through the same scrutiny first, so gaps are fixed before a compliance officer finds them.
Also known as a sponsor licence audit: a pre-inspection compliance review carried out by our immigration advisers.
Reviewed by Morgan Smith Immigration · IAA-regulated UK immigration advisers · Last reviewed
TL;DR
A mock Home Office audit is a private review of your sponsor compliance, run the way a Home Office compliance officer would run a real visit. It tests the duties that put licences at risk: reporting most changes to sponsored workers within 10 working days, keeping the records listed in Appendix D, and carrying out correct right to work checks, where failures can cost up to £60,000 per illegal worker. A downgrade to a B-rating brings a Home Office action plan costing £1,579 and a deadline of up to 3 months to regain an A-rating.
£1,579
Home Office action plan fee if B-rated
3 months
Maximum time to regain an A-rating
10 working days
Deadline to report most worker changes
What is a Mock Home Office Audit?
A mock Home Office audit is an independent check of how your organisation meets its sponsor duties. Our advisers review the same areas a Home Office compliance officer examines: sponsored workers’ files, right to work evidence, recruitment records, salary and pay, and what your organisation has reported through the Sponsorship Management System (SMS).
The Home Office describes sponsorship as a privilege that must be earned. Its guidance says it may check sponsors at any time, before or after a licence is granted, and that visits can be announced or unannounced. Checks can take place on site, including at a client’s premises where your sponsored workers are placed, or as a digital compliance check by video. Officers may interview your sponsored workers and the staff involved in recruiting them, and the Home Office also checks with HMRC that sponsored workers are paid correctly.
A compliance officer will not tell you how you are doing during a visit. The outcome arrives later in writing, and it can be a B-rating with an action plan, suspension or revocation. A mock audit gives you that assessment in advance, while there is still time to put things right.
What a Mock Audit Covers
The three areas Home Office compliance officers examine most closely
📄
Sponsored Worker Files
We check each sponsored worker’s file against Appendix D of the sponsor guidance: the documents you must keep, how long you must keep them and whether they match what was stated on the Certificate of Sponsorship, including job title, duties, location and salary.
💼
Right to Work Records
We sample right to work checks across your whole workforce, not only sponsored workers. A correct check gives you a statutory excuse; a missing or flawed one can lead to a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per illegal worker and puts your licence at risk.
£
SMS Reporting and Key Personnel
We compare your SMS records with what has actually happened: absences, salary changes, role or location changes and workers who have left. We also check your Key Personnel, SMS user access and multi-factor authentication details are current.
What You Can and Cannot Do
What a mock audit can and cannot do for your licence
✓ You Can
- Find and fix gaps in records and reporting before a Home Office compliance officer sees them
- Report missed changes through the SMS once identified, rather than leaving them for a visit to uncover
- Rehearse interviews so your Authorising Officer, HR team and sponsored workers know what to expect
- Get a written action plan that ranks issues by risk to your licence
- Use the audit after a change such as a merger, a new HR system or new Key Personnel
✗ You Cannot
- Guarantee the outcome of a real Home Office compliance check, which is decided by the Home Office
- Retrospectively create records that should have existed at the time; gaps must be corrected honestly
- Replace your sponsor duties: responsibility stays with your organisation and your Authorising Officer
- Delay or refuse a Home Office visit; sponsors must give officers full access on demand
- Pass costs to workers that the guidance prohibits, such as the Certificate of Sponsorship fee or Immigration Skills Charge
Costs & Fees
Current fees as of 2026. Set by the Home Office — subject to change.
Fees set by the Home Office and subject to change. Last reviewed: October 2026.
| Item | Cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Mock audit by our advisers | Quoted after a scoping call |
| Home Office compliance visit | No fee |
| Sponsor action plan (B-rating) | £1,579 |
| Civil penalty per illegal worker | Up to £60,000 |
| Worker sponsor licence (small / large) | £611 / £1,682 |
How a Mock Audit Works
Five steps from booking to a compliance-ready licence
Scoping Call
We confirm your licence type, number of sponsored workers, sites and any recent Home Office contact, then agree the audit scope.
Document Request
You share sponsored worker files, right to work records, payroll extracts and SMS access details through a secure channel.
On-Site or Remote Review
Our advisers review records and interview key staff the way a compliance officer would, on site or by video.
Findings and Action Plan
You receive a written report ranking each issue by risk, with the corrective step and any SMS report needed.
Close the Gaps
We help you put fixes in place and re-check high-risk items, so you are ready for an announced or unannounced visit.
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Sources
Legal information on this page is based on guidance from GOV.UK, the UK Home Office / UK Visas and Immigration, legislation.gov.uk, and Free Movement. Rules change frequently — speak to our team to confirm current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Home Office compliance visits and mock audits
What is a mock Home Office audit?
A mock Home Office audit is a private review of your sponsor licence compliance, carried out the way a Home Office compliance officer would carry out a real visit. It checks sponsored worker files, right to work records, salaries and SMS reporting, and ends with a written action plan.
What happens during a Home Office compliance visit?
A compliance officer may verify the information in your licence application, inspect records and systems, check the right to work of other workers, and interview sponsored workers and staff involved in recruitment. The officer will not tell you their assessment during the visit; you are notified of the outcome in writing afterwards.
Does the Home Office give notice before a compliance visit?
Not always. The Home Office guidance says visits and interviews can be announced or unannounced, and checks can happen before or after a licence is granted. If your sponsored workers are based at a client’s site, you must make sure that client is aware the Home Office may visit them too.
What is a digital compliance check?
A digital compliance check is a compliance check carried out by remote video call instead of an on-site visit. The Home Office may interview you and review evidence in the same way, so records must be ready to share at short notice.
What documents does the Home Office check during a sponsor audit?
Officers check the documents listed in Appendix D of the sponsor guidance for each sponsored worker, along with right to work evidence, recruitment records and pay information. The Home Office can also ask for any document it considers relevant to your compliance, and failing to provide it on time can lead to action against your licence.
What happens if my sponsor licence is downgraded to a B-rating?
A B-rating is temporary. You must follow a Home Office action plan and improve enough to return to an A-rating within the time set, which cannot be more than 3 months. If you do not, your licence will be revoked.
How much is a sponsorship action plan?
The Home Office action plan fee is £1,579 in the fee table for 8 October 2026. It must normally be paid through the SMS within 10 working days of being asked.
What deadlines apply to reporting changes on the SMS?
Most changes to a sponsored worker’s circumstances must be reported within 10 working days, such as unauthorised absence of more than 10 consecutive working days or a salary reduction. Most changes to your organisation must be reported within 20 working days.
How often should we have a mock compliance audit?
There is no Home Office rule on frequency. Many sponsors book one before renewing internal policies, after a merger or restructure, after a change of Key Personnel, or when they start sponsoring at a new site, because these are points where records most often fall out of step.
Can a mock audit stop my licence being suspended or revoked?
No adviser can guarantee a Home Office decision. A mock audit reduces the risk by finding and correcting breaches early, and by making sure your organisation can show the records and processes the Home Office expects to see.
Prepare for a Home Office Compliance Visit
Our immigration specialists handle everything from sponsor licence checks to visa approval — for employers and applicants alike.