Care Workers Granted Temporary Protection After Sponsor Licence Revocation – UK Home Office
UK Care Workers Receive Temporary Protection After Sponsor Licence Revocation
The UK Home Office has introduced a temporary measure that provides additional protection for certain adult social care workers whose sponsoring employer has had its sponsor licence revoked.
The change is contained in the latest version of the Home Office’s “Cancellation and curtailment of permission” caseworker guidance, published in September 2026. The guidance confirms that, in specific circumstances, a qualifying care worker’s immigration permission should not be cancelled solely because their sponsor’s licence has been revoked.
What Has Changed?
Under the Immigration Rules, a sponsored worker’s permission can normally be cancelled where their sponsor no longer holds a valid sponsor licence. Paragraph SUI 34.1 provides a legal basis for cancellation in such circumstances.
However, the updated caseworker guidance introduces a temporary arrangement for certain adult social care workers.
Caseworkers are instructed not to cancel a person’s permission where:
- The person holds permission under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route;
- They are employed as a care worker or senior care worker; and
- The only reason for cancellation is that their sponsor’s licence has been revoked.
The relevant occupation codes are:
- SOC 6135 / 6145 – Care workers and home carers
- SOC 6136 / 6146 – Senior care workers
The Home Office states that this arrangement is temporary and will be subject to regular review.
Why Is This Important?
A worker’s immigration status is closely connected to their sponsorship. When an employer loses its sponsor licence, this can create significant uncertainty for overseas workers, even when the workers themselves have not been involved in any wrongdoing.
The new guidance recognises this distinction by providing temporary protection where the revocation of the sponsor’s licence is the sole reason for considering cancellation.
The measure is particularly relevant to care workers who may suddenly find themselves without a licensed sponsor because of action taken against their employer.
The government has also introduced other measures aimed at supporting care workers affected by sponsor licence revocations. In April 2026, the Department of Health and Social Care announced an international recruitment regional fund of up to £7.5 million for 2026–27, intended in part to help displaced international care workers find new sponsored employment.
The Protection Does Not Apply in Every Situation
The temporary arrangement does not provide an unconditional right to remain in the UK.
The Home Office guidance is clear that the protection applies only where the revocation of the sponsor’s licence is the sole reason for cancellation.
If another ground for cancellation applies, caseworkers must consider cancellation in the normal way. For example, separate immigration issues may arise where a worker has stopped working for their sponsor, changed employer without the required immigration permission, or no longer meets the conditions of their route.
Workers should therefore avoid assuming that their immigration status is automatically protected in every circumstance.
Wider Changes Affecting UK Care Workers
The new arrangement comes amid significant changes to the UK’s immigration system for adult social care workers.
Since 22 July 2025, employers generally cannot sponsor new care workers or senior care workers coming to the UK from overseas under SOC codes 6135 and 6136. For eligible workers already in the UK, transitional arrangements remain available under specific conditions.
Current rules allow certain workers already in the UK to continue using these routes, subject to the relevant requirements. The updated sponsor-revocation guidance is therefore particularly significant for care workers who already hold permission under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker routes.
What Should Care Workers Do If Their Sponsor Loses Its Licence?
Workers affected by a sponsor licence revocation should take practical steps to understand their immigration position.
They should consider checking:
- Whether the sponsor’s licence has actually been revoked or whether the sponsor is subject to another form of restriction.
- The SOC occupation code stated on their immigration documents and Certificate of Sponsorship.
- The expiry date and current status of their immigration permission.
- Whether they have received any correspondence from the Home Office about cancellation or curtailment.
- Whether they need to find a new licensed sponsor and make a further immigration application.
Changing employer can require a new immigration application and the worker must meet the relevant requirements. Workers should therefore obtain appropriate immigration advice before changing jobs or taking other steps that could affect their status.
Temporary Protection, Not a Permanent Immigration Route
One of the most important points is that this is described by the Home Office as a temporary arrangement.
The guidance does not create a permanent exemption from the normal sponsorship rules. Instead, it instructs caseworkers not to cancel qualifying care workers’ permission where sponsor licence revocation is the only reason for cancellation.
The Home Office has also stated that the arrangement is subject to regular review, meaning the position could change in the future.
Care workers affected by sponsor licence revocation should therefore continue monitoring official Home Office guidance and take appropriate steps to regularise their employment and immigration position where necessary.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
The updated guidance creates an important distinction between action taken against a sponsor and the immigration conduct of the sponsored worker.
Where a qualifying care or senior care worker holds permission under the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route, the worker should not have their permission cancelled solely because their sponsor’s licence has been revoked, provided the conditions of the temporary arrangement are met.
However, the protection is not absolute. Other grounds for cancellation can still apply, and the arrangement itself is temporary and subject to review.
For international care workers, the change provides an important safeguard during a potentially difficult period. However, anyone affected by a sponsor licence revocation should check their individual circumstances carefully and consider seeking advice from a qualified UK immigration solicitor or regulated immigration adviser.
The latest Home Office guidance is available on GOV.UK and should be checked regularly for further updates.
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