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Care Workers and Sponsor Licence Revocation: New Rules Allow Work for Other Employers
For care workers on Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visas, the revocation of an employer's sponsor licence has long been one of the most frightening scenarios imaginable. Overnight, your right to work disappears, your visa is curtailed to 60 days, and you must find a new sponsor or leave the UK—often while still owed wages by the very employer who has just lost their licence.
The care sector has borne the brunt of the Home Office's compliance crackdown. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 1,712 sponsor licences were suspended and 1,545 were revoked, with care providers disproportionately affected. To date, UKVI has revoked more than 7,500 sponsor licences, including 1,800 in the care sector alone.
Two significant developments in 2026 have changed the landscape for displaced care workers. One is a temporary protection that prevents the Home Office from cancelling your visa where sponsor licence revocation is the only reason. The other is a separate, permanent protection for workers recognised as victims of modern slavery, allowing them to work for any employer for the remainder of their visa.
This blog explains both, who they apply to, and what you should do if your employer's licence has been revoked.
1. The Temporary Protection: No Cancellation Where
Revocation Is the Sole Ground
What Has Changed?
On 14 September 2026, the Home Office updated its Immigration status and enforcement action: caseworker guidance to introduce a temporary arrangement for adult social care workers affected by sponsor licence revocation. The guidance now instructs caseworkers not to cancel a qualifying worker's permission where the only reason for cancellation is that their sponsor's licence has been revoked.
This is a significant departure from the standard position. Under the normal rules, when a sponsor licence is revoked, the Home Office issues curtailment notices shortening the worker's visa to 60 days (or the remaining visa validity, whichever is shorter). The temporary arrangement means that, for qualifying care workers, that curtailment should not happen.
Who Is Covered?
The temporary arrangement applies to workers who meet all of the following conditions:
Requirement | Details |
Visa route | Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route |
Occupation | Care Worker or Senior Care Worker |
SOC code | SOC 6135 or 6145 (Care Workers) or SOC 6136 or 6146 (Senior Care Workers) |
Reason for impact | The sponsoring employer has lost its sponsor licence |
Sole ground | Sponsor licence revocation is the only reason for cancellation |
The relevant SOC codes are set out explicitly in the guidance: SOC 6135 or 6145 for Care Workers, and SOC 6136 or 6146 for Senior Care Workers.
What It Does Not Do
It is essential to understand the limits of this arrangement:
It is temporary – the guidance states that the arrangement is subject to regular review and may be withdrawn.
It does not create a new visa route – it is a caseworker instruction, not a permanent change to the Immigration Rules.
It does not apply if another ground for cancellation exists – if the worker has, for example, breached visa conditions or is suspected of criminality, the normal rules apply.
It does not automatically allow you to work for another employer – the protection is against visa cancellation, not a grant of permission to work elsewhere.
The practical effect is that you are not forced into a 60-day countdown. This gives you valuable time to find a new sponsor without the immediate threat of becoming an overstayer. However, you still need to secure new sponsored employment and make a valid change-of-employment application to remain in the UK lawfully in the longer term.
2. The Modern Slavery Protection: Work for Any
Employer
What Has Changed?
On 3 September 2026, the government laid a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 584) introducing a new protection for Skilled Worker visa holders who are recognised as victims of modern slavery. The change took effect from 8 October 2026.
Under the new paragraph SW 18.3, a Skilled Worker who receives a positive Conclusive Grounds decision under the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) can have the restriction tying them to their sponsoring employer lifted. They can then work in any occupation, for any employer, for the remaining duration of their existing visa.
This is not limited to care workers. It applies to chefs, hospitality employees, and other Skilled Workers who have been exploited. But it is especially significant for the care sector, where exploitation has been most concentrated.
Who Is Eligible?
The modern slavery protection applies to workers who meet the following conditions:
Requirement | Details |
Visa route | Skilled Worker (including Health and Care Worker) |
Lawful entry | Entered the UK legally and complied with visa terms |
Formal recognition | Positive Conclusive Grounds decision under the NRM |
Timing | The decision must be received during the worker's current period of permission |
A Reasonable Grounds decision is not sufficient. The protection is triggered only by a Conclusive Grounds decision—the higher threshold at which the Home Office accepts it is more likely than not that the person is a victim of modern slavery.
What It Allows
Once recognised, the worker can:
Work in any occupation for the remainder of their visa validity
Work for any employer, not just one with a sponsor licence
Become self-employed or carry out voluntary work
Leave the exploitative employer immediately without risking their immigration status
The permission lasts only for the remaining duration of the existing visa. It does not extend the visa beyond its original expiry date. Work as a professional sportsperson or sports coach remains prohibited.
What Constitutes Modern Slavery?
Modern slavery in UK law includes slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. It commonly involves control, coercion, threats, or deception for the purpose of exploiting someone's work or services.
In the care sector, indicators can include:
Promises of full-time work and a salary that do not materialise
Withheld wages or unexplained deductions
Being told you owe the employer thousands of pounds
Passport or documents being taken
Threats of losing sponsorship or deportation if you complain
Forced excessive hours
Accommodation controlled by the employer
The government has made clear that "No victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an exploitative employer because of their immigration status."
3. The Difference Between the Two Protections
These two developments are often conflated, but they operate in different ways and for different purposes.
Feature | Temporary Protection (September 2026) | Modern Slavery Protection (October 2026) |
Who it applies to | Care Workers and Senior Care Workers in SOC 6135, 6136, 6145, 6146 | Any Skilled Worker recognised as a victim of modern slavery |
What it does | Prevents visa cancellation where licence revocation is the sole ground | Allows work for any employer for the remaining visa duration |
What triggers it | Sponsor licence revocation | Positive Conclusive Grounds NRM decision |
Is it permanent? | No – temporary and subject to review | Yes – but only for the remaining visa duration |
Does it allow work elsewhere? | No – it protects status but does not grant work permission | Yes – work in any occupation for any employer |
Can you leave immediately? | You are not forced into a 60-day countdown, but you still need a new sponsor to work | Yes – you can leave the exploitative employer immediately |
The temporary protection buys you time and prevents the immediate 60-day cliff edge.
The modern slavery protection gives you genuine freedom to leave and work elsewhere. If you are a care worker whose employer's licence has been revoked, the temporary protection applies to you automatically if you meet the SOC code criteria. The modern slavery protection requires you to go through the NRM process and obtain a Conclusive Grounds decision.
4. Regional Support for Displaced Care Workers
In recognition of the scale of the problem, the Department of Health and Social Care has continued its International Recruitment Regional Fund for the adult social care sector for 2026–2027.
Up to £7.5 million is available to fund 15 regional partnerships across England to support international care workers impacted by sponsor licence revocations into new ethical employment as quickly as possible.
The support available includes:
A single point of contact mailbox for displaced workers seeking new employment
Person-centred employment support, including job introductions, CV writing, and interview skills
Signposting to immigration advice, housing, and health and well-being support
Proactive engagement with care providers to encourage recruitment of displaced workers
The guidance notes that applications for sponsor licences and Certificates of Sponsorship for international recruits can be expedited free of charge when employing a displaced worker.
If you are a displaced care worker in England, you can contact your regional partnership for support. You will need to provide your name, address, contact details, and the name of your current sponsor.
5. What Should You Do If Your Employer's Licence Is Revoked?
If you are a care worker and your employer's sponsor licence has been revoked, here are the practical steps to take:
Confirm your SOC code – Check whether you fall within SOC 6135, 6136, 6145, or 6146. If you do, the temporary protection against cancellation should apply.
Seek urgent legal advice – The temporary arrangement protects your status, but you still need to secure new sponsored employment and make a valid change-of-employment application. Do not assume you can simply remain without taking action.
Contact your regional partnership – If you are in England, the regional support fund can help you find new ethical employment.
Consider whether the modern slavery route applies – If you have experienced exploitation, speak to a specialist immigration solicitor or an anti-slavery charity about an NRM referral.
Do not work for your former employer – Once the licence is revoked, you immediately lose the right to work for that employer.
Act before any deadline – Even with the temporary protection, delays in the Home Office system can create uncertainty. Take advice early.
6. How Hextons Law Can Help
At Hextons Law, we specialise in the intersection of immigration law and employment rights, with particular expertise in the care sector.
We can assist with:
Advising on the temporary protection – confirming whether you fall within the relevant SOC codes and what it means for your status
NRM referrals and Conclusive Grounds applications – guiding you through the process of obtaining the recognition that unlocks the right to work for any employer
Change-of-employment applications – securing new sponsorship and making a valid in-time application
Regional partnership liaison – helping you access the support available for displaced care workers
Sponsor licence compliance for care providers – ensuring your business meets its duties and avoids enforcement action
If you are a care worker affected by sponsor licence revocation, or a care provider seeking to employ displaced workers, contact Hextons Law today for confidential, expert advice.
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