On 28 November 2024, the Home Office announced that visa and employment laws are to be brought into close alignment as part of a crackdown on visa abuse and migrant worker exploitation.

Employers (including UK businesses with relevant company sponsor licenses granted for employing overseas nationals) who commit serious breaches of employment law or who repeatedly violate visa rules will be banned from hiring overseas workers for at least 2 years.

The Home Office has stated that currently, employers who flagrantly flout visa rules can only be sanctioned for a maximum of 12 months. However, under the upcoming changes they intend the period for repeat offences to be at least 2 years, double the current length, with final cooling-off periods announced in due course.

New rules will target exploitation and ban unethical practices such as charging migrant workers fees for sponsorship. This issue has been prominent in the care sector, leaving many migrant workers burdened with debt. Employers will also be required to pay the costs for recruiting international workers, with non-compliance leading to sponsor licenses being revoked.

According to the latest Home Office data, the number of UK employers who had their Skilled Worker Visa sponsorship licence cancelled in the second quarter of 2024 reached 1.023, compared to just 519 in the first quarter. Of the UK employers who lost their sponsorship licence in the second quarter, 524 had it suspended, while 499 were revoked. These figures mark a dramatic increase compared to the second quarter of 2023, when just 89 employers had their licence suspended and 28 had it revoked.

Therefore, it is of paramount importance for UK businesses, which are holders of active sponsor licences, to make sure their day-to-day operation, as well as internal HR systems and practices fully correspond to the current employment and immigration rules and regulations.

Our company provides tailored Immigration and Employment Audits that simulate a Home Office compliance check. If you would like to schedule an audit, we will visit your office to review your systems, interview staff, and ensure full compliance. Additionally, we offer support for situations where a company’s sponsor licence has been suspended or revoked, as well as in cases where a sponsor licence application has been refused by the Home Office.