The Workers Rights 
A Home Office announcement on September 3, 2026, announced that skilled workers in the UK who have been exploited by their employer are now able to change their sponsor and continue to work on their current visa. This historic change to UK immigration rules is directly beneficial to care workers, chefs, hospitality professionals and more, who are stuck in abusive work environments.
Quick Facts
| What You Need to Know | Details |
| Rule change announced | September 3, 2026 |
| Who it protects | Skilled Workers who are victims of exploitation. |
| Key requirement | Decision from NRM (National Referral Mechanism) in favour of the child is a positive “conclusive grounds” decision. |
| What you get | Right to transfer employment with the employer for the rest of the visa period. |
| Who it covers | Care workers, chefs, hospitality workers, and others who are sponsored. |
| More changes coming | UK immigration white paper proposes broader employer-switching rights |
Why This Matters If You’re on a Skilled Worker Visa
This is the sponsored work system that has long been used in the UK, where the immigration status of a worker is linked to a particular employer. So if you end up losing your job (or even leave the job), you may lose your visa as well. For employees being exploited by an abusive employer in the UK, it was a perilous choice: to stay and continue to be exploited, or to leave and risk losing their right to stay.
The 2026 rule change ends that trend. It provides legal options for exploited workers — that is, without having to climb the ladders of other sponsors before their visa expires.
Who Qualifies to Change Employers?
Not all workers who wish to move on from a poor job are eligible. The critical point is when a decision is made in the UK’s official process for identifying victims of modern slavery and human trafficking in the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in a positive direction.
After a formal granting of this decision, the worker may:
- Get out of their current abusive UK employer, if any, as soon as possible.
- Continue employment with another employer until the end of the qualifying period of their current visa.
- Prevent cancellation of their immigration status because of sponsor change.
This will cover those employees who were legally working in the UK before they were exploited, such as exploitation through underpayment, excessive working hours and being placed on zero-hours contracts.
How the Old System Left Workers Vulnerable
Prior to this, the sponsorship model was allowing an abusive employer in the UK to essentially be in control of a worker’s immigration status. Campaigners had long sounded the alarm on this power imbalance, which put migrant workers, especially in the care and hospitality sectors, at the mercy of those exploiting them.
The size of the issue is measured by the number of sponsors losing their licences, which has been over 6,600 since the Labour government took office, more than 4,400 of whom have lost their licence in one year alone (to June 2026), a 140% rise on the previous year.
Comparing Old Rules vs. New Rules
| Situation | Old Rules | New Rules (2026) |
| Workers leave toxic sponsors. | Visa at risk immediately | Able to work for a different company |
| NRM positive decision | There is no direct visa benefit for the course. | Unlocks sponsor-change right |
| Finding a new sponsor | Required before leaving | Does not need to be completed before leaving |
| Employer refers worker to police | Rarely happened | Government actively promotes referral system |
| Broader sponsor-switching rights | Not available | Under development through immigration – white paper. |
What Indian Workers Specifically Should Know
This shift is especially noticeable for Indian nationals working in health and social care, hospitality and other sponsored sectors in the UK – one of the most popular skilled worker migration streams from India.
There are a few important points of clarification:
- That protection only extends to those who leave a bad boss, and not to everyone.
- If you want to change sponsors (except for employer-sponsored changes), you will need a positive NRM conclusive grounds decision.
- This does not extend your existing visa or provide a new one; it only applies to the period of your visa.
- If there is criminality by the employer, the case is referred to the police.
Last year, a total of 111,000 Skilled Worker Visas were granted (down 76% from 2023), including a reduction in the processing of new applications from overseas care workers, which the UK suspended in July 2025. This protection is for those who are here now.
How to Report an Abusive UK Employer
If you are on a Skilled Worker Visa and feel that you are being exploited, the main steps to take are:
- To start the NRM referral process, please call the Modern Slavery Helpline (0800 0121 700)
- Consult with an immigration lawyer experienced in sponsored worker immigration matters.
- Keep Records of all payslips, contracts, working hours, communications, etc.
- Don’t make a hasty decision to move away from your employer without knowing your visa status — seek advice first.
- When NRM status is confirmed, it is legal to switch jobs.
FAQs
Is there a way of changing jobs on a Skilled Worker Visa without employer’s consent?
Generally no – If you are a skilled worker and considering changing your job, a new Certificate of Sponsorship is required. However, in accordance with the 2026 rules, employees who have received a positive NRM decision will be able to change sponsors without needing to involve their current employer.
What is the National Referral Mechanism?
The UK Government’s system for naming and assisting victims of modern slavery and human trafficking. The new visa protection is triggered by a positive ‘conclusive grounds’ decision in this process.
Does this rule apply to all UK visa types?
The announcement does not apply to applicants who have an occupation that is not sponsored, such as in the care, hospitality and catering industry.
Will my visa be cancelled if I report my employer?
No – this rule change is a protection measure for those who report or leave a UK employer who is abusive and want to keep their visa status. The employer, NOT the worker, is targeted by authorities.
Are there rights to wider employer switching coming?
Yes. The UK immigration white paper is only a precursor to a more extended reform, which will make it easier for all sponsored workers — not just victims of exploitation — to switch employers in the future.
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