On a Skilled Worker Visa? Know Where You Stand
The Skilled Worker route is one of the most common ways to build a life in the UK, and for many of the people I help it leads all the way to settlement. But there is one point that is easy to overlook when work is going well: your permission to stay is tied to a specific employer sponsoring a specific job. When that link changes, your immigration position can change with it.
I want to be clear that this is not cause for alarm - most sponsored workers reach settlement without any difficulty. It simply pays to know where the pressure points are, so that nothing catches you out.
If your sponsorship ends
Redundancy, dismissal or resignation can all bring your sponsorship to an end. When that happens, the Home Office will usually cut your permission short - often to 60 days. In that window you are generally expected to find a new licensed sponsor, switch to another route you qualify for, or make arrangements to leave.
The important thing to understand is how quickly that clock can start. Sixty days is not long once you are also job-hunting, so if your sponsorship ends, take advice early rather than waiting to see how things unfold.
Changing jobs is not automatic
This is a common query. Holding a Skilled Worker visa does not mean you can simply move to a new sponsor. Your new employer has to assign a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship, and you have to make a new application - and you generally cannot start the new sponsored role until that application is granted. Timing matters, and planning the move properly avoids an awkward gap.
Business transfers and TUPE
Sometimes it is your job that moves rather than you - for example where your employer is taken over, merges, or transfers part of its business under TUPE. This is widely misunderstood, so it is worth explaining.
Where a genuine TUPE transfer applies, the new employer already holds the right sponsor licence, it accepts responsibility for you through the sponsor system, and your duties are unchanged, a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship and a new application may not be required at all. The risk I see is the situation being handled as an ordinary job move when the specific TUPE rules actually apply, which creates unnecessary cost and worry. If your employer is changing hands, it is well worth checking which set of rules genuinely applies to you.
Keep settlement in sight
Here is the reassuring part: changing employer does not, in itself, break your five-year qualifying period for settlement - provided your permission stays valid throughout. What matters is continuity.
Two habits make a future application far smoother. Keep a running record of your time spent outside the UK - as a general rule, no more than 180 days in any 12 months. And hold on to your key documents as you go. The people who reach settlement with the least stress are almost always the ones who kept good records along the way.
Paul's Practical Tip
If your sponsorship ends, treat it as a matter of days, not weeks. The 60-day curtailment window is short, and the sooner you know your options - new sponsor, switching route, or next steps, the more room you have to act. The worst position to be in is realising the clock is nearly up.
What we offer
Every immigration case is different, and the information in this article is general guidance only. If you are facing a job move, a redundancy, a business transfer, or you are planning your settlement application, our fixed-fee service reviews your position and sets out your options clearly, so you know exactly where you stand.
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GB Visa & Immigration Services UK Ltd is regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA). Every application is assessed on its own merits, the rules can change, and the decision remains with UK Visas and Immigration.
