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Sponsor licence revoked: what it means for your visa

If your sponsor loses its licence, the Immigration Rules say your permission may be cancelled. Home Office guidance says that where you were not involved, cancellation normally leaves you 60 days to apply for permission with a new sponsor or to leave. There is no appeal or administrative review against cancellation. A temporary arrangement currently protects care workers.

Hearing that your employer's sponsor licence has been revoked is frightening. Your right to be in the UK depends on that licence, you may have been paid late or not at all, and the letters you receive may not say what happens next. The written rules give a clearer answer than rumours do, but with discretion in the Home Office's hands and one temporary arrangement for care workers that can change.

This page uses the Immigration Rules (Part Suitability, updated 8 October 2026), the Home Office caseworker guidance "Cancellation and curtailment of permission" (version 12.0, published for staff on 11 September 2026), GOV.UK pages on the Skilled Worker visa and on sponsorship, and a 2025 Home Office support document for care workers. It explains the rules in general. It does not say what will happen to you.

What revocation means for the employer

GOV.UK tells employers that sponsor licences can be downgraded from an A-rating to a B-rating if responsibilities are not met. A B-rated sponsor cannot issue new certificates of sponsorship until it completes an action plan and upgrades again, but it can still issue certificates to workers it already employs who want to extend. The action plan costs £1,579 and must be paid within 10 working days of notice. A sponsor that fails to complete the plan, or still needs improvements after a second action plan, loses its licence.

On revocation, GOV.UK says: "You cannot appeal if your licence is revoked, but you can reapply. You have to wait at least 12 months before reapplying." A new application must be made from scratch. GOV.UK also says a licence may be revoked if an employer asks the sponsored worker to pay the licence fee or any costs linked to the sponsor's application.

The Home Office announced on 9 October 2026 that more than 6,600 sponsors had lost their licence since the government took office, with over 4,400 in the year ending June 2026. That is the Home Office's own figure, and it shows revocation is not rare.

What the sponsor does or does not do after revocation is not covered by the worker-facing pages. What matters for you is how the Immigration Rules treat your own permission.

What the Rules say about your permission

Paragraph SUI 34.1 of Part Suitability says a person on the Student, Child Student, Skilled Worker, Intra-Company, Global Business Mobility, Scale-up Worker, T2 Minister of Religion, International Sportsperson or Temporary Worker routes "may have their entry clearance or permission cancelled" if their sponsor does not have a sponsor licence. It applies equally if the sponsor transfers the business for which the person works to another business that does not apply for a licence, or does not apply within 28 days of the transfer, or applies and is refused, or gets a licence in a category that does not allow it to sponsor the person.

The key word is "may". The Home Office guidance says that, for discretionary grounds, caseworkers must not automatically cancel and must consider the person's circumstances. It also explains that "cancellation" is the Rules' term, introduced in December 2020 to replace "curtailment", and that a cancellation can take effect immediately or at a specified later date. Section 4 of the Immigration Act 1971 requires the decision to vary permission to be given to the person in writing.

Until a cancellation decision is made and served on you, your permission is still in force. The Home Office support document for care workers says so in terms: workers affected by a revocation "continue to have the right to work in the UK until their visa is officially curtailed". Check the conditions on your own permission. For Skilled Worker, SW 18.2 says work is permitted only in the job you were sponsored for, with limited exceptions for supplementary employment, voluntary work and working out a notice period.

The 60-day approach in the guidance

The Home Office guidance gives caseworkers two main pathways.

Where you were not at fault. The guidance says that in discretionary cancellation cases, "if your decision is to cancel an individual's permission but ... the reasons why permission is being cancelled are outside the individual's control", it "will normally be appropriate to leave an individual with 60 days permission to stay in the UK". It gives the example "if a sponsor loses their licence and an individual was not knowingly involved in the actions that resulted in their sponsor losing their licence". The 60 days are there "to make an application for further permission to stay or make arrangements to leave the UK".

Where you were involved. The guidance says immediate cancellation will normally be appropriate where an individual on a points-based route "was complicit in the actions that resulted in their sponsor losing their licence", or where the sponsor "ceased trading more than 60 days ago" and the person "has not switched to another sponsor". In those cases it says to cancel with immediate effect unless there are circumstances that justify a period of permission remaining.

Other points in the guidance:

  • Cancelling "to 60 days" is only done where the person will have more than 60 days of permission left on the day they receive the decision. The guidance says cancellation can never extend permission beyond its original expiry date.
  • Serious illness, pregnancy or a serious medical condition that prevents leaving or applying can lead to more than 60 days, but only in exceptional compassionate circumstances.
  • The cancellation notice should not say you have a right of appeal or administrative review. The guidance states: "An individual does not have a right of appeal or administrative review in respect of a cancellation decision made on or after 6 April 2015."

If you apply for permission with a new sponsor before your permission is cancelled or ends, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 may extend your existing leave while the application is decided; see our guide to 3C leave.

The temporary arrangement for care workers

Version 12.0 of the guidance includes a section headed "Temporary arrangement: adult social care workers following sponsor licence revocation". It says caseworkers "must not cancel a person's permission where the person holds permission on the Skilled Worker [or Health and Care Worker] route as a care worker (Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) 6135 or 6145) or senior care worker (SOC 6136 or 6146), and the sole reason for cancellation would be the revocation of the sponsor's licence". It adds that "this arrangement is temporary and subject to regular review", and that where any other reason for cancellation applies, caseworkers consider cancellation in the usual way.

Three consequences follow:

  • It is limited to those four occupation codes and to the case where revocation is the only reason.
  • It is a policy instruction to staff, not a rule in the Immigration Rules. It can change.
  • It does not give you the right to work for a new employer. To change employer you need to apply to update your visa.

For care workers in England, a Home Office document dated 12 May 2025 describes regional support for workers on the Health and Care Worker visa whose employer's licence was revoked: advice about visa status and employment rights, help finding a new employer able to sponsor, help accessing financial support during job loss or unpaid wages, and wellbeing support. You email the regional partnership for your area with your name, address, contact details and the name of the provider sponsoring your visa. The document says this applies to England only because adult social care is devolved. If your region's contact is not in it, GOV.UK is the place to check the current details.

Changing employer: what the Skilled Worker pages say

GOV.UK says that on a Skilled Worker visa you cannot change jobs or employer unless you apply to update your visa. You need to apply to update it if your new job is with a different employer. Your new job must meet the eligibility requirements, and you need a new certificate of sponsorship to prove it. The application has a fee and biometrics, and your partner and children apply separately to update their own visas, either at the same time or before their current visas expire.

Appendix Skilled Worker (SW 5.3) says the sponsor must be A-rated on the Home Office's register of licensed sponsors, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in their last permission. The Home Office publishes the Register of licensed sponsors: workers, listing each sponsor's licensed categories and rating. A prospective employer's licence status can be checked on it before you accept an offer.

SUI 35.1 also says a person on the Skilled Worker route "may have their permission cancelled where they have changed their employer", subject to listed exceptions, one of which concerns working for a different sponsor. The guidance says caseworkers must be satisfied that none of the exceptions apply before cancelling, and that cancellation under this ground is discretionary. How the exceptions apply to a particular move depends on the facts, so ask a regulated adviser before you change employer.

If you are being asked to pay a fee for a "new sponsorship", the GOV.UK sponsor guidance says a sponsor's licence can be revoked for asking a worker to pay the licence fee or application costs. Reports of unethical practice can go to the Home Office, the Care Quality Commission (for care), the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (0800 432 0804), or Acas (helpline 0300 123 1100, for pay and employment rights).

Worked examples (illustrative)

Example 1: no involvement. A Skilled Worker's sponsor loses its licence. The worker had no part in the reasons. If the Home Office decides to cancel, the guidance says the normal approach is 60 days, provided the worker has more than 60 days of permission left on the date they receive the decision. In those 60 days the worker can apply for permission with a new sponsor or leave. If the new application is made before the permission ends, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 can extend the existing leave while it is decided.

Example 2: a care worker. A care worker (SOC 6135) whose sponsor's licence is revoked and who has no other issues. Under the temporary arrangement in version 12.0, revocation alone is not a reason to cancel. The worker still has to update the visa to work for a new employer, and the arrangement may change.

Example 3: the sponsor stopped trading. The guidance gives, as a case for immediate cancellation, a person on a points-based route whose sponsor ceased trading more than 60 days ago and who has not switched to another sponsor. That example is one reason people treat 60 days as a working deadline for finding a new sponsor, but it comes from guidance to caseworkers, not from a provision of the Rules.

Example 4: unpaid wages. A worker has been paid late and asks whether complaining will cost them their visa. The Rules and guidance set out the cancellation grounds; they do not say complaining is one. Acas and the GLAA take reports of unpaid wages and exploitation, and the Home Office announced new Skilled Worker protections for victims of modern slavery on 9 October 2026; see our guide to those changes.

Finding a regulated adviser

The time limits in these cases are short and run from the date of a letter, so people often seek advice quickly. Look for an adviser authorised for the work you need: a solicitor, or an IAA-registered adviser at the right level. The Migratio directory lists IAA-registered advisers (with their level) and SRA-regulated solicitors, each with their regulator and registration number so you can check them on the official register. Migratio is not regulated by the IAA or the SRA and does not give immigration advice. This page explains how the rules work in general; it does not tell you what to do in your own case.

Questions people ask

Will my visa be cancelled if my sponsor's licence is revoked?

It may be. SUI 34.1 of the Immigration Rules says permission may be cancelled if the sponsor does not have a licence, and the Home Office guidance says caseworkers must consider your circumstances. A temporary arrangement says care workers on the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route must not be cancelled where revocation is the only reason.

How long do I get to find a new sponsor?

Home Office guidance says that where you were not involved in the reasons for revocation, cancellation will normally leave you 60 days of permission to apply for new permission or leave. That is a guidance approach, not a fixed right, and it only applies if you have more than 60 days of permission left.

Can I appeal if the Home Office cancels my visa?

The guidance says there is no right of appeal or administrative review against a cancellation decision made on or after 6 April 2015.

Can I keep working if my sponsor's licence was revoked?

Until your permission is cancelled, the Home Office support document says affected workers continue to have the right to work until their visa is officially curtailed, but your conditions still apply. Skilled Worker conditions allow work only in the job you were sponsored for, so you need to apply to update your visa to work for a different employer.

Can a sponsor whose licence was revoked get one again?

GOV.UK says an employer cannot appeal a revocation but can reapply, and must wait at least 12 months before reapplying with a new application.

Who can help if my employer has not paid me?

Acas gives advice on pay and workplace rights (helpline 0300 123 1100), and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority investigates worker exploitation (0800 432 0804). Care workers in England can also contact the regional support partnerships listed in the Home Office document. Check the current numbers on GOV.UK.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Exploited by your sponsor: the October 2026 Skilled Worker change — From October 2026 a new Skilled Worker rule (SW 18.3) lets the Home Office amend the work conditions of a Skilled Worker who has a positive Conclusive Grounds decision from the National Referral Mechanism, so they can do any work for the rest of their permission. It is discretionary, it does not lengthen the visa and it does not give access to public funds.
  • Skilled Worker visa refused: options and deadlines — A refused Skilled Worker application can be challenged by administrative review (£80; 14 days if you applied in the UK, 28 days if you applied from abroad) because Appendix Skilled Worker is on the eligible list. A certificate of sponsorship that has been used in a refused application cannot be used again (SW 5.1(d)), so a fresh application needs a new certificate and a new visa fee.
  • Section 3C leave: your status while a decision is pending — If you apply to extend or change your UK leave before it expires, section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 extends that leave on the same conditions until the application is decided, and while an appeal or administrative review is possible or pending. It does not apply to late or invalid applications, and it ends if you leave the UK.
  • Administrative review of a UK visa refusal — Administrative review is a Home Office check of whether a refusal was caused by a caseworking error. It costs £80 and must be requested online within 14 days if you were in the UK, 28 days if you applied from outside, or 7 days if detained. It only covers routes listed in Appendix AR, usually ignores new evidence, and GOV.UK says results can take 12 months or more.
  • UK visa refused: appeal, administrative review or reapply? — Your refusal letter says whether you can ask for an administrative review (£80; 14 days in the UK, 28 days outside, 7 if detained) or appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (£82 or £144; 14 or 28 days). Appeals are only for refused protection or human rights claims and a few other decision types. Making a new application withdraws a pending administrative review.
  • Unregistered immigration advisers: how to spot one — In the UK it is a criminal offence to give immigration advice or services without being registered with the IAA or authorised by a legal regulator such as the SRA. You can check any adviser on the IAA Adviser Register or the SRA register, and report unregulated advice to the IAA. GOV.UK warns that you cannot get your money back if an adviser is not regulated.