Recognised modern slavery victims on Skilled Worker visas are no longer tied to a specific sponsor and can take any lawful work for the rest of their visa, the Home Office announced on 9 October 2026.
The Home Office announced the change on 9 October 2026 and said it applies "from today". Once a Skilled Worker visa holder is formally recognised as a victim of modern slavery, they are no longer tied to a specific sponsor. They can take up any lawful work for the remainder of their visa.
The announcement says that, until now, victims who left an abusive sponsor risked losing both their immigration status and their income. Skilled Worker visa holders have no recourse to public funds. The Home Office says the change applies across the Skilled Worker route, including care workers.
The source does not set out the mechanism. It does not say whether a victim must notify the Home Office, whether a new sponsor is needed, or what documents prove recognition. It does not give a paragraph of the Immigration Rules or a Statement of Changes reference.
The announcement also gives figures on sponsor enforcement:
- More than 6,600 sponsors have lost their licence to hire overseas workers since the current government came to power.
- Over 4,400 of those revocations were in the year ending June 2026, which the Home Office describes as a 140% rise on the year before and the highest level on record.
The Home Office says sponsors where evidence of criminality is identified will be referred to the police. It also points to the Immigration White Paper, in which the government committed to making it easier for sponsored workers to change employer.
The Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, Eleanor Lyons, welcomed the change, as did the Salvation Army.
What this means for applicants
A Skilled Worker visa holder who is formally recognised as a victim of modern slavery can now leave their sponsor and work for any employer for the rest of their visa, without the move itself putting their immigration status at risk. The change applies once the Home Office has recognised the person as a victim. The announcement does not say what happens to a worker who leaves before being recognised, and it gives no application steps.
Related guide
Sources
- Victims freed from abusive employers under new visa rules, GOV.UK, 9 October 2026