Employer lost its sponsor licence: your visa and pay

Your employer has lost its sponsor licence. You may lose your job, your income and the right to stay, even if you did nothing wrong. Save your payslips and sponsorship records somewhere the employer cannot delete them. Then check your visa deadline. Care workers have a temporary protection against cancellation, but no automatic permission to take another job. Your employer still owes the wages you earned.

What to do this week

1. Check whether the licence is revoked or suspended. A suspension is different. Existing workers can normally keep working. Do not resign or agree to a “transfer” before you understand your position.
2. Save evidence off the work phone. Keep your contract, certificate of sponsorship, occupation code, payslips, rotas, bank statements and messages about fees or the licence.
3. Find the visa deadline. Read the end date on any UKVI notice. Check your email, including spam, and keep your UKVI contact details current. If you have no notice, ask an immigration adviser to check your position. Do not calculate 60 days from the revocation yourself.
4. Ask for help now. Care workers in England should email their regional partnership using the table below. Contact Work Rights Centre on 0300 4000 100. In care, ask UNISON or GMB about representation and help with the pay claim.
5. Write down the debt and request payment. List unpaid shifts, holiday and deductions separately, with dates and amounts. Keep the reply. Do not wait for the manager’s answer before getting deadline advice.
6. Check the next sponsor before paying anyone. They must be on the register of licensed sponsors and able to sponsor your role. They assign the new certificate. Do not start the new job before UKVI confirms your new permission.

What happens to your visa

Immigration rules apply across the UK. GOV.UK explains the usual consequences. The temporary care-worker exception is below.

When the 60 days start

The clock does not start when a colleague tells you the licence has gone. Section 4 of the Immigration Act 1971 requires written notice of the change to your permission. Use the expiry date in UKVI’s decision. If fewer than 60 days remain, the original expiry date normally stands. Revocation does not give you extra time.

A missing letter is not proof that your permission is safe. UKVI can serve a decision by email or post and, in specified circumstances after unsuccessful attempts or where no address is known, on its own file. Service on file starts the period even if you have not seen the notice. Keep your contact details current and ask an adviser to obtain the decision if you suspect one exists.

For these cancellation decisions made on or after 6 April 2015, there is no ordinary appeal or administrative review. There is an error-correction process. A written request normally needs to be sent to the team that made the decision within 14 calendar days of deemed receipt. Get urgent advice if the care-worker exception was overlooked or the facts are wrong. Do not assume a correction request extends your permission.

Reporting exploitation is not itself knowing involvement in the employer’s breach. If the decision says you were complicit, show it to an adviser immediately. You can report immigration abuse anonymously through GOV.UK.

A valid application made before your permission expires can extend your existing permission and conditions while UKVI decides, under section 3C. You do not need the decision before that expiry date. This does not authorise the new job. Do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the application is pending. Leaving that area withdraws the application.

Care workers: the 14 September 2026 rule

Check the occupation code on your certificate, not the job title on your rota. Older certificates may use 6145 or 6146. A different care-related role, such as a nurse, does not fall within this particular exception.

The exception preserves existing permission, not the job or permission to work anywhere. Your original visa expiry date still applies.

Between July 2024 and June 2025, the Home Office revoked 1,948 sponsor licences, compared with 937 in the previous year. It identified adult social care as one of the sectors with the highest levels of abuse. Our view is that a worker should not lose their livelihood because the employer broke the rules. The temporary protection deals with cancellation, not the lost income.

The pay a new sponsor must offer

Ask the sponsor to confirm your salary option and guaranteed basic gross pay. Unguaranteed extra shifts do not make up a shortfall. The minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 from 1 April 2026, below the care sponsorship rate. These are separate legal tests. Check whether the employer was named for underpaying.

Overseas care applications closed on 22 July 2025. Under SW 6.1B(a), new in-country entrants need 3 months’ lawful work in the care role for the sponsor before it issues the certificate, and must apply before 22 July 2028. SW 6.1B(b) separately covers existing Skilled Workers in the care codes, without those same requirements. A recruiter who says every displaced carer must first work there for 3 months is wrong.

From 8 January 2026, new Skilled Worker applicants generally need English at B2. If your most recent Skilled Worker permission was granted subject to the B1 requirement, the rules preserve B1 for your next application. A change of sponsor does not by itself mean you need another test. Check which provision applies before paying.

Who can help you find a sponsor in England

England’s 15 regional partnerships help international care workers affected by sponsor licence revocation. Email the partnership where you live with your name, current address, contact details and sponsoring provider’s name. Ask about finding a new sponsor, financial support and help recovering wages. A provider recruiting a displaced worker can request free expedited processing of its licence or certificate application. The normal application fees are not waived.

The DHSC support offer gives the full county list and current contacts. Workers affected by revocation are prioritised. Other Health and Care visa holders in care who want alternative employment can also seek support. Cumberland is listed under the North East partnership, despite being in Cumbria.

The DHSC scheme is England-only. In Scotland, start with Scotland’s Migration Service. In Wales and Northern Ireland, ask your union, Citizens Advice or a regulated immigration adviser about local support. We do not have a verified equivalent regional mailbox scheme to list. The visa rules are UK-wide; the employment claim routes differ.

Finding a new sponsor, and what you must not pay

A licensed employer must assign a new certificate. You can apply up to 3 months before its start date. Wait for confirmation of new permission before starting work.

A Health and Care application usually takes 3 weeks after application, identity checks and documents. Obtaining the certificate takes time too. Budget for the gap, not a guaranteed start date. With less than 12 months’ UK permission, check the £1,270 maintenance requirement or sponsor certification.

The Health and Care exemption covers the health surcharge, not the sponsor’s Immigration Skills Charge. Care codes are not exempt from that charge.

Optional priority processing or advice costs extra. Never pay the sponsor’s costs under a different label. Registration is necessary, not a guarantee of fair treatment. See our sponsorship guide.

A sponsor-rule breach and recovering your money are separate questions. Under Part II of the Employment Rights Act 1996, deductions generally need a statutory basis, contractual provision or prior written agreement. Ask an adviser about wage, contract and minimum-wage claims. Your signature does not make a prohibited sponsorship charge acceptable.

Save the whole series. Acas says qualifying linked deduction claims can generally reach back 2 years in Great Britain. That recovery limit is separate from the filing deadline. Have both checked.

Claiming your wages, holiday and notice

Earned wages remain owed. On termination, accrued, untaken statutory holiday must be paid. Most workers get 5.6 weeks annually, or 28 days on a five-day week. Qualifying irregular-hours and part-year workers accrue 12.07% of hours worked each pay period. This is not a universal formula for paying 12.07% of wages instead of holiday.

Employees normally have a statutory minimum of one week’s notice after one month’s service and before 2 years. From 2 years, it is one week for each complete year, capped at 12 weeks. A contract may give more. Licence revocation does not automatically make every dismissal a redundancy or guarantee notice pay. Ask an adviser to check the reason for dismissal, your contract and any loss of permission to work. See final pay, holiday pay and notice.

For an eligible employee made redundant with at least 2 years’ continuous service, statutory redundancy pay counts up to 20 years. Each full year is worth half a week’s pay if you were under 22, one week at ages 22 to 40, and one and a half weeks at 41 or over. From 6 April 2026, Great Britain’s weekly cap is £751 and maximum statutory redundancy payment is £22,530. Northern Ireland’s weekly cap is £783. Use the redundancy calculator and our guide to the process.

Your employment status decides which rights apply. A zero-hours label does not, by itself, make you a worker rather than an employee.

The Great Britain qualifying-period change is scheduled, as shown below. Discrimination and some automatically unfair dismissals, including qualifying whistleblowing cases, do not require 2 years’ service. See unfair dismissal.

A self-employed label neither decides your rights nor authorises unsponsored work. Sponsoring you to fill another provider’s vacancy as hired-out labour is prohibited. If an agency is involved, get advice on your actual employer and agency-worker rights. Do not pay a job-finding fee.

If you are eligible for statutory sick pay, from 6 April 2026 it starts on the first qualifying day, without the former lower earnings threshold. The weekly amount is £123.25 or 80% of average weekly earnings if lower, for up to 28 weeks. These sick-pay changes apply across the UK.

List notice separately. If Amira also qualifies for 3 weeks’ notice pay, her basic gross figure would be 3 × £499.98 = £1,499.94. An insolvency notice payment can cover up to 12 weeks, subject to the weekly cap and deductions for replacement earnings or relevant benefits. Ask for a calculation rather than accepting the employer’s total.

The government timeline confirms the general Great Britain tribunal-limit increase from 3 to 6 months on 1 October 2026. Wage deadlines run from the missed payment or relevant deduction, not from 1 October. Do not assume old claims revive. Notify Acas before claiming; timely early conciliation affects the calculation. A grievance does not stop the clock.

Acas’s deductions page still gives the older 3-month-minus-one-day limit. Act within that shorter period where possible; get advice if it has passed. Scottish employment-contract claims change on 9 November 2026. See our time limits guide and deadline calculator.

Your partner, your children, and the five-year route

Dependants can usually work without being tied to your sponsor, subject to their own visa conditions. If UKVI cancels your permission, it normally considers cancelling theirs to the same date. Each person needs their own notice. If your permission survives under the care exception, the licence loss does not itself automatically shorten theirs. Your application does not extend their permission. Check each family member’s expiry date and whether a separate application is needed.

New care sponsorship under the rules from 11 March 2024 generally prevents bringing a dependent partner or children. There are protections for care workers with permission under the earlier rules who have maintained the required continuity, and specific exceptions for some children. Being a family already in the UK is not, on its own, the legal test. Have an adviser check SW 29.1A and SW 32A.2 before changing sponsor.

As at 1 October 2026, settlement requires 5 years’ continuous residence on qualifying routes, plus the other requirements. Changing sponsor does not itself reset the years. You also need an approved sponsor that still needs you and qualifying pay at the decision. Preserved care permission alone is not enough. Get advice before your visa expires, especially near settlement.

Who to call

Ask Acas or the LRA about reporting minimum-wage underpayment. Report unsafe care to the relevant regulator; DHSC links to England’s CQC staff-concern route. Reporting does not replace a wage claim or stop its deadline.

Changes still to come

1. 9 November 2026Scottish employment-contract deadlines

   The 6-month limit is scheduled to reach these claims.

2. 1 January 2027Shorter unfair-dismissal qualifying period

   Great Britain’s period is scheduled to fall from 2 years to 6 months for dismissals from this date.

3. 22 July 2028New in-country care entry deadline

   Under current rules, SW 6.1B(a) requires an application before this date. Existing sponsored carers have a separate provision. Rules may change.

Questions people ask

Does the 60 days start when the licence is revoked?

No. Use UKVI’s written decision and its expiry date, not the date of the licence announcement. If fewer than 60 days remain, the original expiry normally stands. A valid application must be made before your permission expires; the decision can come later.

Do care workers still have to leave in 60 days?

Not for revocation alone if you hold the specified Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker permission in care codes 6135, 6145, 6136 or 6146 and the temporary arrangement applies. Your original expiry date still matters. Other grounds can lead to cancellation, and the exception does not authorise work for a new employer.

Is your visa safe if no curtailment letter has arrived?

Not necessarily. UKVI may have emailed you or, in specified circumstances, served the decision on file. Ask an adviser to check. If a cancellation decision wrongly overlooks the care exception, get help with an error-correction request immediately. The usual request period is 14 calendar days from deemed receipt.

Can you work while looking for a new sponsor?

A suspension normally lets existing workers continue. Revocation is different, and you should get advice about any remaining work permission. You cannot use the usual supplementary-work rule after your sponsored job has ended. Do not start work for a new sponsor before UKVI confirms new permission.

Can you recover visa fees deducted from wages?

Your own application fee can lawfully be your expense. The certificate fee and covered licence costs must not be passed on for certificates assigned or licence applications made on or after 31 December 2024. The skills charge must never be passed on. Keep the agreement and payslips, and ask an adviser about the recovery route. The sponsor-rule breach and a wage claim are separate questions.

Does changing sponsor reset your settlement clock?

Not by itself. The rule as at 1 October 2026 is 5 years’ continuous residence on qualifying routes, with other requirements. You also need an approved sponsor, ongoing employment and qualifying pay at the settlement decision. Keeping a care visa after revocation does not satisfy those requirements on its own. Check family members’ permission separately.

Sources

1. Employees: if your visa sponsor loses their licence, GOV.UK.
2. Cancellation and curtailment of permission, version 12.0, Home Office, published for staff on 11 September 2026 and publicly on 14 September. Care-worker arrangement, written service, dependants and error correction.
3. Immigration Act 1971, section 4, legislation.gov.uk.
4. Immigration Act 1971, section 3C, legislation.gov.uk.
5. Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker, Home Office. SW 4.1, English; SW 6.1B, care entry; SW 14, salary; SW 18.2 and SW 18.3, work conditions; SW 21 and SW 24, settlement; SW 29.1A and SW 32A.2, dependants.
6. Skilled Worker visa: update your visa if you change job or employer, GOV.UK.
7. Skilled Worker visa: taking on additional work, GOV.UK.
8. Health and Care Worker visa, GOV.UK.
9. Health and Care Worker visa: how much it costs, GOV.UK, April 2026 fee figures.
10. Skilled Worker visa: how much it costs, GOV.UK, April 2026 fee figures.
11. Certificates of sponsorship, GOV.UK.
12. Immigration skills charge, GOV.UK. Sponsor liability, specified exemptions and rates.
13. Register of licensed sponsors: workers, Home Office.
14. Support offer to international adult social care workers whose employer’s sponsor licence has been revoked, Department of Health and Social Care. Regional contacts, support eligibility, expedited processing and reporting routes.
15. Health and Care visa changes for care worker roles, Scotland’s Migration Service.
16. Record numbers of visa sponsor licences revoked for rule breaking, Home Office, 11 September 2025. The 1,948 and 937 revocation figures.
17. Less than 4% of exploited care workers found new work, Work Rights Centre, 2025. The reality check’s 28,621 contacts and 941 reported new jobs.
18. Employment Rights Act 1996, Part II, legislation.gov.uk.
19. Making and checking deductions, Acas. Authorisation and the general 2-year recovery limit. Its claim-deadline wording conflicts with the government’s October 2026 timeline.
20. Employment Agencies Act 1973, legislation.gov.uk.
21. Claim money from an insolvent employer, GOV.UK.
22. Redundancy pay, GOV.UK.
23. Holiday entitlement, GOV.UK.
24. National Minimum Wage rates, GOV.UK.
25. Plan to Make Work Pay and Employment Rights Act: timeline update, government, updated 25 September 2026. Tribunal reform, sick-pay changes, Fair Work Agency establishment and scheduled unfair-dismissal reform.
26. Over £7.4 million put back in working people’s pockets, Department for Business and Trade, 29 May 2025. The reality check’s 518 employers, about 60,000 workers, £7.4 million and named care providers.
27. Report issues, labour-abuse reporting route listed in DHSC guidance.
28. Get help, Work Rights Centre, 0300 4000 100.
29. Modern Slavery Helpline, 0800 0121 700.
30. Labour Relations Agency, 03300 555 300.
31. Early conciliation, Acas, 0300 123 1100.