Permission monitoring, leavers and continuity

Monitor the next decision rather than just a visa date

Recommended practice: record the next event requiring action for each sponsored case. A reminder is an operational aid and cannot establish a person’s immigration status.

• Link permission evidence, any follow-up right-to-work check and planned employment end.
• Give both the case owner and a deputy sight of approaching review dates.
• Record the source and reasoning for each next action.

Close the sponsorship record deliberately

Recommended practice: use a leaver checklist that reconciles the final employment date, any report, access removal and the start of the relevant retention periods.

• Confirm the facts with the manager and payroll before reporting.
• Keep a dated decision on the applicable report and supporting receipt.
• Preserve records needed for ongoing queries or disputes.
• Review trends in missed starts, early departures and repeated corrective actions.

Suggested lifecycle review register

For each case, record the current evidence reference, next decision, internal target date, owner and deputy. Explain the basis of the next action so that a colleague can understand it without reconstructing the entire history. Distinguish an internal preparation date from a deadline in official guidance or a notice. Review the register against source records periodically to catch copied or obsolete dates.

Use the register to start decisions early enough for evidence gathering and approval. A planned extension may require fresh review of role, pay and other circumstances rather than simply repeating the previous case.

• Check that reminders reach someone who can act and has authorised access.
• Record unresolved application or evidence questions with a next review point.
• Reconcile completed reminders with the actual check, decision or submission evidence.

Suggested leaver and handover review

Confirm the factual chronology with the manager, HR and payroll. Last attendance, contractual termination, final payment and the sponsor's decision may be different events. Preserve the distinctions and have the relevant reporting and retention questions reviewed. A single departure date copied into every system can hide an unresolved discrepancy.

Before closing the case, identify outstanding reimbursements, evidence requests, complaints or other matters needing an owner. Transfer responsibilities securely if the case handler is also leaving. Retain a concise closure record so that a later enquiry can be answered without relying on that person's memory.

Fictional practice scenario

A fictional employee stops attending before the date shown on a resignation letter, and payroll processes final pay in the following month. The case handler is preparing to leave the company. A handover review records the distinct dates and the questions still awaiting an authorised decision.

The new owner receives the evidence references and task list. The scenario does not select a reporting trigger or retention date automatically; it demonstrates the information needed to make those decisions accurately.