Artificial intelligence is transforming how companies handle compliance. Background checks run in real-time. Payroll monitoring flags discrepancies automatically. Predictive analytics anticipate employee churn before it happens. HR tech stacks now offer automated solutions for nearly every regulatory requirement – from GDPR data requests to workplace safety reporting. But there is one glaring exception. For UK tech companies whose competitive advantage depends on hiring international AI talent, the compliance function that matters most remains stubbornly analogue: sponsor licence management. This creates a dangerous paradox. The sector building the most sophisticated automation tools cannot automate its own immigration compliance. And the consequences are not theoretical. They are immediate and increasingly common – for both employers and the skilled workers who depend on them. The irony tech founders don’t see coming Walk into any London tech scaleup and you will find teams building compliance automation.…