- The UK Home Office changed skilled worker visa rules on October 9, 2026, allowing modern slavery victims to leave abusive employers without losing their immigration status
- Before the change, workers who fled exploitative sponsors risked losing both their visa and income, since Skilled Worker visa holders have no access to public funds
- Over 4,400 sponsors lost their licences in the year ending June 2026, a 140% rise on the previous year and the highest level on record
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The UK government has introduced new immigration rules that allow recognised modern slavery victims on Skilled Worker visas to leave abusive employers and seek lawful work with any employer for the remainder of their visa, effective October 9, 2026.
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The policy change, announced by the Home Office and Minister for Migration and Citizenship Jo White, addresses a long-standing vulnerability in the Skilled Worker route, where visa holders were previously tied to a named sponsor.
Leaving that sponsor, regardless of the reason, puts workers at risk of losing their immigration status and their only source of income, since Skilled Worker visa holders cannot access public funds.
The Exploitation Victims Faced
The Home Office shared the experience of one victim who paid an agency £20,000 in the belief she was securing stable, full-time care work in the UK.
Her sponsor instead charged her £400 a month to maintain her visa while providing little or no work.
When shifts eventually came, her pay ranged from only £200 to £300 a month, far below what she had been promised.
She faced persistent threats that her visa would be cancelled if she did not comply.
Under the new rules, once a worker is formally recognised as a modern slavery victim by the Home Office, they are immediately freed from their original sponsor and can take up any lawful employment.
Jo White said the reforms were designed to give victims genuine freedom.
"No one should have to endure the exploitation experienced by victims like this. Today's changes will give victims the freedom to leave abusive workplaces, rebuild their lives and move on from the trauma of exploitation. While we support victims, we are also going after those responsible. Rogue sponsors who exploit workers will face the full force of the law," she said.
Crackdown on Rogue Sponsors
The announcement coincides with a significant escalation in enforcement action against abusive employers.
More than 6,600 sponsors have had their licences to hire overseas workers revoked since the current government took office, exceeding the total number of revocations recorded across the entire previous decade.
Of those, over 4,400 licences were cancelled in the year ending June 2026, a 140% increase on the prior year and the highest figure ever recorded. Where criminal conduct is identified, cases are referred to the police.
Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Eleanor Lyons welcomed the change, noting that survivors had repeatedly told her they felt trapped in abusive jobs out of fear for their immigration status.
Salvation Army Deputy Director for Anti Modern Slavery, Major Heather Grinsted, added that financial independence is central to protecting survivors from future exploitation.
"Allowing survivors to work for another sponsor for the remainder of their visa is a crucial way to help them rebuild their lives safely and with dignity," she said.
The measures form part of the government's broader Immigration White Paper commitments, which include making it easier for sponsored workers to change employers and reducing reliance on individual sponsors.
Source: TUKO.co.ke