Reading tools
What a sponsor should check before adding or opening a hotel, restaurant, branch or other work location involving sponsored workers.
01
Distinguish a new location from a new employing entity.
Opening premises within the same legal employer can present a different sponsor question from acquiring a company or transferring workers to another entity. Ownership, lease, payroll and employment arrangements should be confirmed first.
If the new location sits within another group company or operator, the existing licence should not be assumed to cover it.
02
Review the sponsor record and affected workers.
The current sponsor guidance should be checked for organisation, branch and work-location reporting. Each sponsored worker expected to work at the new site should be reviewed against their Certificate of Sponsorship, role and actual work pattern.
Hybrid, mobile or multi-site arrangements still require an accurate record. Operational flexibility should not become an undocumented change in the sponsored role.
03
Extend controls before people move.
Right-to-work, attendance, absence, contact-detail, payroll and escalation systems should operate at the new site from the first day. Managers need training before they receive sponsored workers.
A short opening review should confirm that the planned entity, work location, staffing and systems match what was reported or applied for.
Working checklist
Questions before the next step.
- Confirm the site operator and employer
- Check licence and branch structure
- Identify affected sponsored workers
- Complete required SMS reporting
- Train local managers
- Review the site after opening
Primary sources
Rules and official guidance.
Reviewed 5 August 2026. Check the current provision and complete facts before relying on this resource.
How to use the source record
Verify the current instrument, commencement date, transitional position and caseworker guidance against the application date and complete facts. The source may change after this resource was reviewed.
Questions
Points that commonly alter the answer.
Must every new work location be reported?+
Sponsor guidance contains organisation and worker reporting duties. The exact action depends on the licence structure and how the location affects the organisation and sponsored roles.
Can workers rotate between restaurant or hotel sites?+
Potentially, but their sponsored role and work-location arrangements must remain accurate. Regular or material changes should be reviewed against current reporting and application requirements.
Does a new company in the group need its own licence?+
Possibly. A licence belongs to the licensed legal entity and is not automatically available to every company under common ownership.
Continue within this subject
Follow the sponsor position from licence to continuing control.
Applications, sponsored roles, reporting, payroll and inspection readiness form one regulatory system. Continue with the part of that system that determines the present risk.
Employer compliance and workforce review
Establish which employment and sponsorship controls require action.
Quastels can assess the employer, right to work evidence, sponsored roles, payroll, enforcement position and the actual operational structure.
Request an employer compliance review ↗︎