Spreadsheet and email
Watch for: Steps rebuilt by hand, dates that stay put, passports in email, no client or employee view, salaries checked only at extension.
Fits best: The first few cases, while you learn your own process.
Compare approaches
Settio or spreadsheets and email for work permits?.
A spreadsheet and email work for a handful of permits: one row per person, dates typed in, documents in the inbox. They do not know a permit's steps, they do not move deadlines when a start date moves, they cannot collect passports safely and they do not check salaries against the permit's terms. Settio does those things, which is why most teams switch somewhere around their tenth active case.
Two setups
A tracker and a plan, compared.
What each one does for a work permit.
Settio
Watch for: A tool to learn, and a price per case or per month once you are past the free start.
Fits best: Teams with more than a handful of permits, or anyone who wants salaries checked every month.
Where spreadsheets break
Four things a tracker can't do.
Know the steps
Settio builds each case from the country's permit steps; a spreadsheet only has the columns you add.
Move the deadlines
Change a start date and Settio moves every date that depends on it.
Collect documents safely
The employee uploads in a portal on their phone instead of emailing a passport.
Watch salaries
Settio compares payroll with the permit's terms every month, not only at the extension.
Be fair
When a spreadsheet is still enough.
One or two permits a year
A careful spreadsheet and calendar reminders can carry that.
No salary changes during the permit
The monthly check matters most when pay or hours move.
Who it suits
Settio suits you when
- you have more than a handful of people on permits
- people's start dates or salaries change
- you want employees and clients to see their own status
- you want passports out of email
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Can we move our spreadsheet into Settio?
Yes. Settio imports existing cases, and its onboarding package moves them in for you.
Is Settio free to start?
Yes. You can start without a monthly fee; the pricing page shows the plans.
Read more
- Buyer's guide: case management software
- Immigration software for HR teams
- Plans and pricing
- Questions, answered
Informational only. This guide is not legal advice. Always verify requirements with official government sources before acting. Facts checked 11 October 2026. About this information