What happens if your sponsor loses its licence

Three kinds of action

A sponsor licence lets an employer hire people on visas such as the Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visas. If the Home Office thinks a sponsor is not meeting its duties, it can act. The three main actions are downgrading, suspending and revoking the licence.

Downgrade to a B-rating

A licence is usually rated A. The Home Office may lower it to a B-rating for relatively minor problems. The sponsor then follows a 3-month action plan and pays a fee.

While it is B-rated, a sponsor cannot sponsor new workers. It can still give a new certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to a worker it already sponsors, so they can extend their permission. A CoS is the electronic record that confirms a sponsored job. If the sponsor does not complete the action plan, the licence is revoked.

Suspension

The Home Office may suspend a licence while it investigates. During a suspension:

• the sponsor cannot assign any CoS
• workers who already have permission are not affected, unless the licence is later revoked
• applications to extend a visa or to settle, supported by that sponsor, are put on hold until the suspension is resolved
• the sponsor is removed from the public register of sponsors

A suspension ends with the licence restored (with an A or B rating) or revoked.

Revocation

Revocation means the licence is taken away. It ends on every route the sponsor was licensed for. The sponsor cannot sponsor anyone, and there is no right of appeal. It usually cannot apply again for at least 12 months.

What happens to sponsored workers after revocation

When a licence is revoked, the Home Office usually cancels or shortens sponsored workers' permission. What happens depends on whether the worker was involved in the reasons for the revocation.

• If the worker was not involved, their permission is normally shortened so that 60 calendar days are left. If they already have 60 days or less, it is not normally shortened.
• If the worker knowingly took part (for example, agreeing to a job that did not exist), all remaining permission is normally cancelled.

The Home Office says it will tell sponsored workers promptly about a revocation. It will not tell them the reasons.

During the 60 days, a worker can apply to stay on another basis. This could be a job with a new sponsor or a different visa route. GOV.UK says people who have not made an application by the end of the period are expected to leave the UK.

Some other situations work differently:

• Waiting for a visa decision. An application that relies on the old sponsor will be refused unless the worker changes it, for example to a new sponsor, before a decision. An application to settle supported by that sponsor is refused.
• Outside the UK. A visa application using the old sponsor's CoS is refused. A visa that was granted but not yet used is cancelled.
• Takeovers. Workers may move to a new owner that has no licence. The new owner then has 20 working days to apply for one. If it does not, the Home Office cancels the moved workers' permission.

The precise effect in a person's own case can depend on their visa dates and history. A regulated immigration adviser can look at an individual situation.

Support for displaced care workers in England

The government funds regional partnerships in England to help care workers whose sponsor lost its licence. The Department of Health and Social Care calls these workers "displaced workers". It has made up to £7.5 million available for 15 partnerships in the 2026 to 2027 financial year. It expects this to be the final year of funding, which runs to 31 March 2027.

Support can include:

• a single contact mailbox for each region
• help finding a new employer that can sponsor, including job introductions
• help with CVs and interviews
• signposting to immigration advice, housing and wellbeing services

The support offer for international care workers lists an email address for each region. It asks workers to send their name, address, contact details and the name of their sponsor. This support covers England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements.

Finding a new sponsor

Moving to a new employer needs a new visa application, not just a new CoS. The new employer must hold a sponsor licence and be A-rated. It assigns a new CoS for the job.

For care worker and senior care worker jobs in England, the new employer must also be registered with the Care Quality Commission. It must be actively providing regulated care.

Some people already have Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker permission as a care worker or senior care worker. They can apply from inside the UK to do these jobs for a new sponsor. Since 22 July 2025, employers cannot sponsor new care workers from abroad. The guide "Changing employer" explains the process and fees.

How the register shows changes

GOV.UK publishes a register of licensed sponsors. It is a spreadsheet listing each sponsor's name, town, rating and visa routes. It was updated several times in October 2026.

• A suspended sponsor is taken off the register during the suspension. It goes back on if the suspension is lifted.
• A revoked sponsor is taken off the register.
• The rating column shows "A rating" or "B rating".

A missing entry does not say why a sponsor is not listed. The Home Office advises people outside the UK to check the register before they travel.