A Lifeline for Care Workers: PAC Clarifies Visa Protections Amid Employer Licence Loss

On 8 May 2025, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) grilled senior Home Office officials over the shortcomings of the Skilled Worker visa system — particularly its impacts on migrant care workers. A critical moment in the session clarified an issue affecting thousands: what happens to care workers when their sponsoring employer loses their licence?

Rather than facing automatic deportation, migrant care workers in these situations will have the opportunity to join a new “regional hub” system You can access the information here - Regional Hub.. This approach allows affected workers to remain in the UK temporarily while seeking new sponsorship — a shift from prior fears of abrupt removal. Home Office representatives confirmed that care workers are not being forced out immediately, and the department is actively encouraging re-matching with approved sponsors.

This matters deeply. With over 1,400 sponsor licences revoked in 2024 — many in the care sector — tens of thousands of workers found themselves at risk. The PAC emphasized that this population should not be punished for sponsor misconduct. Instead, stabilizing the system requires pathways for workers to transition, not exit.

While the committee continued to press for better monitoring and stronger safeguards against exploitation, this commitment to retention and re-sponsorship signals a more humane and practical direction.

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