What happens when your job ends?
If you are on a Skilled Worker visa, losing your job has serious consequences for your immigration status. Here is what you need to know — and how to act fast.
When your employer stops sponsoring you
Your employer must tell the Home Office within 10 working days of stopping your sponsorship — for any reason. You do not have to report this yourself. They must also provide your last known address and contact details when they do so.
The Home Office will normally notify you directly. Check the register of licensed sponsors regularly — you can search your employer's name and see their current status at any time.
What happens to your permission to stay
- If you were not involved in any wrongdoing: the Home Office will normally shorten your permission to 60 days from the date they are notified. You will not lose your permission immediately. Use this time to find a new sponsor or make alternative arrangements.
- If the Home Office considers you were actively involved in the reason your employer lost their licence: your permission may be cancelled immediately with no grace period. This is rare but important to understand.
- If you have a visa application pending when your employer's licence is suspended: the Home Office will pause the decision on your application until the situation is resolved. Act quickly to find alternative sponsorship — do not wait for the outcome.
- Any Certificate of Sponsorship assigned before revocation automatically becomes invalid. An application made on that CoS will be refused.
The full rules on what happens when a sponsor licence is suspended or revoked are set out in sections C9 and C10 of the Home Office Sponsor Guidance Part 3 (PDF) ↗.
If your employer's licence is suspended or revoked
The Home Office can suspend or revoke an employer's sponsor licence at any time. This directly affects your right to stay and work in the UK — even if you have done nothing wrong.
Your employer's licence is suspended — investigation stage
Suspension means the Home Office is investigating. Your existing permission is not immediately cancelled — you can continue working for now.
- Check the register of licensed sponsors — your employer will be removed from the public register during suspension.
- Your employer cannot assign any new Certificates of Sponsorship during suspension.
- The outcome will be either reinstatement of the licence or revocation. You should prepare for either.
- Contact a regulated immigration adviser immediately: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
- Start looking for a new licensed sponsor now — do not wait for the outcome. See the Switch Sponsor section.
Your employer's licence has been revoked
This is serious — but if you were not involved in the reason for revocation, you have time to act.
- The Home Office should notify you directly. If you have not heard, check the register of licensed sponsors to confirm your employer's status.
- If you were not involved in any wrongdoing, your permission will normally be shortened to 60 days from the date of revocation — not cancelled immediately.
- Use the 60-day period to find a new sponsor and apply for a new visa. See the Switch Sponsor section.
- Any CoS already assigned to you automatically becomes invalid. An application made on that CoS will be refused.
- Contact a regulated immigration adviser immediately: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
You have a visa application in progress
If your employer's licence is suspended or revoked while your application is being decided, the Home Office will pause the decision.
- Do not wait for the outcome of the suspension or revocation — act immediately.
- Contact a regulated immigration adviser to understand your options for switching to a new sponsor: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
- If you can vary your application (for example, to be sponsored by a new employer) before a decision is made, you should do so. Waiting means your application may be refused.
- See the Switch Sponsor section for how to find a new employer quickly.
If your employer is taken over or sold (TUPE)
When a business changes hands, your job and employment terms may be protected under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings, Protection of Employment). Managing the sponsorship transfer is your employer's legal responsibility — not yours.
If your duties remain the same and the new employer has a valid sponsor licence, you do not need to make a new visa application. The new employer must report the transfer to the Home Office and confirm they accept sponsorship responsibility within 20 working days.
If your employer tells you that you must sort out your own visa following a TUPE transfer, this is incorrect. The legal obligation sits with the employer. If the new employer fails to act within 20 working days and does not have a valid licence, your permission may be at risk — which is why you should monitor progress and seek advice early.
For a full explanation of TUPE and what to do if you want to switch employer voluntarily, see the Changing employers & switching sponsors section →
The full rules are set out in section C4 of the Home Office Sponsor Guidance Part 3 (PDF) ↗.
⏱ Your 60-day countdown starts immediately
When your sponsorship ends, the Home Office gives you a 60-day grace period to either find a new sponsor, switch to another visa, or leave the UK. This period begins from the date your sponsor reports the end of your employment — not necessarily when you found out.
Do not wait. Start taking action on day one.Get written confirmation
Ask your employer to confirm in writing the exact date your sponsorship ends. This establishes your 60-day clock clearly.
Contact a regulated immigration adviser
Get advice immediately. Only use an OISC-registered adviser or regulated solicitor — do not use unregulated advisers. Find one at gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser or through the OISC adviser search.
Search for a new sponsor
Search the government's register of licensed sponsors: gov.uk — Register of Licensed Sponsors. A new employer can apply for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) while you are still in the UK within your grace period.
Apply to switch or extend
Submit your new visa application before the 60 days expire. If you apply in time, you can remain in the UK while it is processed under "section 3C leave".
You were dismissed
You have employment rights and immigration consequences to manage at the same time.
- Get the dismissal in writing — ask for a written statement of reasons.
- Check if the dismissal was unfair (see the Unfair Dismissal section) — you may be able to challenge it and get reinstated, restarting your sponsorship.
- Contact ACAS within 3 months minus 1 day to preserve your employment claim.
- At the same time, contact a regulated immigration adviser about your 60-day grace period: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
- Search the licensed sponsor register for a new employer: gov.uk — Register of Licensed Sponsors
⚠ Think carefully before resigning
Resigning voluntarily ends your sponsorship immediately and starts your 60-day clock. You also lose the right to claim unfair dismissal (unless it is constructive dismissal — where your employer forced you out).
- Before resigning, take advice from ACAS or a solicitor — if your employer has treated you very badly, you may have a constructive dismissal claim instead.
- If you must resign, try to have a new sponsor lined up first.
- Do not resign under pressure without first understanding what you are giving up.
- Find a regulated immigration adviser: oisc.gov.uk — Find an Adviser
You were made redundant
Redundancy can be a fair reason for dismissal — but the process must be fair, and you may be owed redundancy pay.
- Check you have at least 2 years' service — if so, you are entitled to statutory redundancy pay.
- Check the selection process was fair — you cannot be selected for redundancy because of your nationality or immigration status.
- Your 60-day immigration grace period still applies — start looking for a new sponsor immediately using the licensed sponsor register: gov.uk — Register of Licensed Sponsors
- If the redundancy feels targeted or unfair, contact ACAS.
Contract ended or not renewed
The non-renewal of a fixed-term contract can still count as a dismissal in law — you may still have rights.
- If you have 2+ years' service, non-renewal is treated as a dismissal and your employer must show a fair reason.
- Ask in writing why your contract was not renewed.
- Your 60-day grace period begins from the end date of your contract.
- Contact a regulated immigration adviser immediately: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser
Unfair Dismissal
If you have been dismissed (fired) and you believe it was unfair or the correct procedure was not followed, you can raise a formal grievance.
⏱ Strict time limits — act now
You must contact ACAS before making an Employment Tribunal claim. Time limits are strict. For full ACAS contact details, see the Get Help section at the bottom of this page.
Most claims: 3 months minus 1 day from dismissal dateSome claims: 6 months minus 1 day
Interim relief (keep receiving wages during case): 7 days from dismissal
Do not delay — seek advice immediately if you think you have been unfairly dismissed.
- Dismissed without a genuine reason
- No proper investigation before the decision
- Not given a chance to respond to the allegations
- Not told of your right to be accompanied at a hearing
- No prior warnings when your record was good
- Constructive dismissal — you were forced to resign due to your employer's conduct
To generate a formal unfair dismissal letter, see the Template Letters section.