UK Sets Deadline for a Category of Foreign Workers To Leave Country

The UK government has outlined strict consequences for foreign workers whose employers lose their sponsor licenceWorkers already in the UK have their certificate of sponsorship cancelled and their visa capped at 60 days to find a new route or departForeign workers outside the UK who hold a valid visa but have not yet travelled face outright cancellation and a travel barPAY ATTENTION: Mark YEN.com.gh as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!

The UK government has published formal guidance setting out what happens to foreign workers when their employer's sponsor licence is revoked, giving those already living in the country a strict 60-day window to secure alternative immigration status or leave.

Under the official rules, a worker's certificate of sponsorship is cancelled immediately upon the revocation of their employer's licence.

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Once sponsorship lapses, continuing employment becomes unlawful unless the worker submits a fresh visa application within that 60-day grace period.

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The government has made clear that workers who are found to have contributed to the circumstances that led to their employer losing the licence will not receive any grace period at all, their visa is cancelled immediately.

The rules also address scenarios involving suspension rather than full revocation. Where a licence is suspended and under review, workers already in the UK may continue in their roles during that period, although any pending applications to extend their visa will be placed on hold until the review concludes.

Workers who are still outside the UK when their sponsor's licence is revoked face a different set of consequences. Those with a visa application already submitted will have it refused outright, while those who hold a valid visa but have not yet entered the country will have it cancelled and will be prevented from travelling.

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Where a suspension is in place rather than a full revocation, pending applications are paused and visa holders who have not yet travelled will be contacted directly by UK Visas and Immigration.

The 60-day rule also applies in two additional circumstances: when an employer fails to renew their sponsor licence on time, and when a business changes hands and the new owner does not apply for a sponsor licence within 28 days of taking control.

The government has advised all foreign workers to confirm their employer's standing on the official register of licensed sponsors before making travel arrangements. An employer whose licence has lapsed or been suspended will not appear on the register, giving workers a means of verifying their position before committing to travel.

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the UK government has listed the four qualifying relationships under its Adult Dependent Relative visa route.

With this, an applicant must fall into one of the following categories in relation to their sponsor: parent, grandparent, son or daughter, or brother or sister.

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Philip Boateng Kessie (Head of Human Interest Desk) Philip Boateng Kessie is the Head of the Diaspora Affairs Desk at YEN.com.gh, where he has worked since 2022. He has over eight years of journalism experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Cape Coast. Philip previously served as Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh and has also worked as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and a content writer for Scooper News. He also holds certificates in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh