My care employer lost its sponsor licence: what happens to my visa?

What changed on 14 September 2026

The Home Office updated its caseworker guidance on cancelling permission. It now tells caseworkers that they must not cancel a person’s permission where both of these apply:

• the person holds permission on the Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker route as a care worker (occupation code 6135 or 6145) or senior care worker (6136 or 6146)
• the sole reason for cancellation would be the revocation of the sponsor’s licence

Before this, the usual approach was to shorten the visa so the worker had 60 days left to find a new sponsor or leave the UK. For care workers whose only problem is their employer’s revocation, that 60-day deadline should no longer apply.

What the change does not do

It does not protect you if there is another reason. The guidance only applies where the revocation is the sole reason. If the Home Office has evidence that you were involved in whatever led to the revocation, or there is another ground for cancelling, it will consider cancellation in the usual way.

It only covers care roles. It applies to care workers and senior care workers. If your visa is for a different job, the usual rules still apply.

Can I start working for a new care provider now?

Not yet. To work for a new employer you need:

1. a job offer from a new employer who holds a sponsor licence
2. a new certificate of sponsorship from them
3. an approved application to update your visa

GOV.UK says you should not start your new job until you have confirmation of your new permission. Decisions on applications made inside the UK usually take around 8 weeks. While you wait, do not travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, or your application will be withdrawn.

Who can sponsor you as a care worker now

Since 22 July 2025, employers cannot recruit care workers from overseas. A new employer can only sponsor you as a care worker or senior care worker if you are already in the UK and you either:

• were last granted Skilled Worker permission as a care worker or senior care worker and have held permission continuously since then, or
• have been working legally for that employer in a care role for at least 3 months before they assign your certificate. Applications on this basis must be made by 22 July 2028, a date the Home Office says it will keep under review.

What to do this week

1. Check your visa status. Sign in to your UKVI account and check your current permission and its end date. Save a copy. You will need a share code to prove your right to work to a new employer.

2. Gather your documents. Keep your previous visa decision, your certificate of sponsorship reference, your contract, your payslips and any letters from the Home Office or your old employer. A new sponsor will ask for evidence of your care work.

3. Contact your regional partnership. The Department of Health and Social Care funds regional partnerships across England to help care workers affected by revocations. They can help you understand your visa status and your employment rights, find a new sponsor, get help if you have unpaid wages, and access wellbeing support.

• West Midlands, including Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton: info@revoked.support
• London: london.internationalrecruits@camden.gov.uk
• Greater Manchester: nhsgm.gmadviceandsupport@nhs.net
• Other regions: see the DHSC support page on GOV.UK

This support is for care workers in England. DHSC says it expects 2026 to 2027 to be the final year of funding, with services finishing by 31 March 2027, so use it now.

4. Check any new employer. Look them up on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors and on the CQC website. Ask what hours they can genuinely offer each week.

5. Never pay for a job or a certificate. Sponsors must pay the certificate of sponsorship fee and the Immigration Skills Charge themselves and must not pass them on to you. If anyone asks you to pay for a job, a certificate or “processing”, walk away and tell your regional partnership.

6. Get advice early if anything else is going on. For example, a gap in your permission, work outside your visa conditions, or a refused application in the past. These can change your position, and they are easier to deal with before you apply.

Frequently asked questions

My employer’s licence was revoked. Is my visa cancelled automatically?

No. Revocation does not cancel your visa by itself. Under the September 2026 guidance, the Home Office must not cancel a care worker’s permission where the revocation is the only reason. Check your UKVI account for any change to your permission, and keep any letter you receive.