Rules 5
If your Skilled Worker job ends: the 60 days
If your sponsorship ends through no fault of yours, the Home Office normally allows 60 days to find a new sponsor.
| Figure | In force | Since | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time normally allowed to find a new sponsor, normally, under caseworker guidance | 60 days | Start date not verified | Caseworker guidance, Suitability section 5 (gov.uk) |
This entry rests on caseworker guidance, not the Immigration Rules, so it says what normally happens.
What normally happens when a sponsored job ends
If your sponsor stops sponsoring you, for example because the job ends or the sponsor loses its licence, the Home Office may cancel your permission to stay.
When the reason is not your fault, caseworkers should normally allow you 60 days to find a new sponsor. “Normally” means usual practice, not a guarantee.
Where the reason for cancellation is not the fault of the applicant but is, for example, due to the actions of their sponsor, you should normally allow them 60 days to find a new sponsor.
The count starts from the decision
The period runs from the date the decision to cancel your permission is served on you. The letter you receive sets the actual date, so count from that date, not from your last day at work.
Date Workings: the period to find a new sponsor
Example case. Enter the date on your letter to work out your own.
| Day 0, the decision is served | 2 November 2026 | Entered |
|---|---|---|
| Day 60, the end of the period normally allowed | 1 January 2027 | Caseworker guidance, Suitability section 5 |
Normally allowed; the letter you receive sets the actual date.
Your options within the period
Find a new sponsor. The new employer must hold a licence and be listed as A-rated on the register, and you can look up any employer on the register before you apply.
Apply with a new certificate of sponsorshipCertificate of sponsorship (CoS) The reference a licensed sponsor gives a worker for one job, used to apply for a Skilled Worker visa. It lists the date the job is due to start.. You must apply within 3 months of getting it, and the new job must meet the salary rules, including the general thresholdGeneral threshold The salary most Skilled Workers must usually be paid: £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job if that is higher. It has applied since 22 July 2025. of £41,700 or the going rateGoing rate The yearly pay listed for each occupation code in Appendix Skilled Occupations. A Skilled Worker's salary must meet both the going rate for the job and the threshold that applies..
A job with a different employer needs a new certificate of sponsorship and an application to update your visa. GOV.UK says not to start the new job until your new permission is confirmed.
You should not start your new job until you’ve got confirmation of your new permission.
You can also switch to another route, or leave the UK before the period ends. Which switches are allowed from inside the UK is charted on the Routes page.
A new rule for modern slavery victims
Statement of ChangesStatement of Changes A document laid before Parliament that amends the Immigration Rules. Each has an HC number and one or more commencement dates. HC 584 adds a rule for Skilled Workers identified as victims of modern slavery: Skilled Workers identified as victims of modern slavery may work for any employer (new SW 18.3). It takes effect on .
History
- 8 October 2026. In force. Skilled Workers who are victims of modern slavery, HC 584.
- . Entry updated.
- . Entry first published.
Common questions
Is there a 60-day grace period on a Skilled Worker visa?
Not as a rule. Caseworker guidance says the Home Office should normally allow 60 days to find a new sponsor when cancellation is not your fault. The letter you receive sets the actual date.
When does the 60 days period start?
The period runs from the date the decision to cancel your permission is served on you, not from your last day at work. Check the date on the letter.
Can I start a new job straight away?
A new employer must sponsor you with a new certificate of sponsorship, and you apply within 3 months of getting it. GOV.UK says not to start the new job until your new permission is confirmed.
What happens if I am made redundant on a Skilled Worker visa?
If your sponsor stops sponsoring you, your permission may be cancelled. Where the reason is not your fault, caseworkers should normally allow 60 days to find a new sponsor, counted from the date the decision is served.
Sources
- Suitability, section 5: cancellation (caseworker guidance) (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
Where the reason for cancellation is not the fault of the applicant but is, for example, due to the actions of their sponsor, you should normally allow them 60 days to find a new sponsor.
A person’s entry clearance or permission may be cancelled where their sponsorship or endorsement has been withdrawn.
- Skilled Worker visa: Update your visa if you change job or employer (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
you want to change your job and your new job is with a different employer
Your new job must meet the eligibility requirements and you’ll need a new certificate of sponsorship to prove this.
You should not start your new job until you’ve got confirmation of your new permission.
You can continue working in your current job while your new application is being considered, or to work out your notice period, as long as you apply before your current visa expires.
- Statement of Changes HC 584 (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
SW 18.3. A Skilled Worker who has been referred into the National Referral Mechanism and is in receipt of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, where that decision was made during their most recent permission, may have the conditions in SW 18.2(b) to (e) amended, such that any work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted, except for work as a professional sportsperson (including as a sports coach).
The following paragraphs shall take effect on 29 October 2026.
- Statement of Changes HC 584: explanatory memorandum (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
These changes lift that restriction for Skilled Workers who are identified by the Home Office Competent Authorities as victims of modern slavery, allowing them to work for any employer for the remaining duration of their existing permission.
the changes relating to the Annual Uplift to the Student Route Maintenance Requirement will come into effect on 30 November 2026 and the EUSS changes relating to biometric residence permits will come into effect on 9 December 2026. All other changes will come into effect on 8 October 2026 as detailed in the implementation section of the Statement of Changes.
- Skilled Worker visa: Your job (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
You must apply for your visa within 3 months of getting your certificate of sponsorship.
You’ll usually need to be paid the ‘standard’ salary rate of at least £41,700 per year, or the ‘going rate’ for your job, whichever is higher.
- Skilled Worker visa: Overview (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before the day you are due to start work in the UK. This date is listed on your certificate of sponsorship.
- Immigration Rules: Appendix Skilled Worker (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
SW 5.3. The sponsor must be listed as A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors, unless the applicant was last granted permission as a Skilled Worker and is applying to continue working for the same sponsor as in their last permission.
- Statement of Changes HC 997 (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
APP SW2. In row A of the table following SW 4.4, for “£38,700”, substitute “£41,700”.
APP SW4. In rows C, D and E of the table following SW 4.4, for each instance of “£30,960”, substitute “£33,400”.
- Skilled Worker visa: When you can be paid less (gov.uk). Checked .
The passage relied on
You can be paid 70% of your job’s standard going rate if your salary will be at least £33,400 per year and one of the following applies:
How each figure is checked: Sources and method.
This is general information about the rules, not legal advice. For advice on your own situation, use a solicitor or an adviser regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (gov.uk).