UK Changes Work Permit Rules, Foreign Workers Can Now Switch Employers Without Risk
- The UK Home Office announced a new immigration policy allowing recognised modern slavery victims on Skilled Worker visas to leave exploitative employers
- The Home Office said no victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an abusive employer because of their immigration status
- Care workers and other sponsored employees in the UK have reacted to the new policy
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The UK Home Office has changed its immigration rules to allow foreign nationals formally identified as victims of modern slavery to leave exploitative employers and take up new jobs without losing their right to remain in the country.
The announcement, made on Thursday, September 3 affects workers on Skilled Worker visas whose immigration status is tied to a specific employer. Under the previous arrangement, such workers risked losing their visa if they left their sponsoring employer, a situation critics said left many vulnerable to abuse.
Source: Getty Images
The Home Office said via its official X account:
"No victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an exploitative employer because of their immigration status."
It added that recognised victims holding Skilled Worker visas would now be free to move to new employment.
How Nigerians and Other Workers Reacted
The policy drew a wave of responses online, particularly from Nigerians familiar with the UK care and support sector, where many sponsored workers are employed.
X user @daddyhope called the announcement:
"good news for care workers."
@JajaPhD welcomed the move but sought more clarity:
"Sounds like progress. What's a recognised victim though?"
@Unfilteredxrp8 called the news:
"fantastic"
What the Policy Change Means
The new rule is particularly significant for care workers and others in sectors where employer-sponsored immigration is common. For those who have been formally recognised as modern slavery victims, the change removes a major barrier to leaving harmful workplaces.
However, online reactions also pointed to a gap in public understanding of the National Referral Mechanism, the process through which individuals are assessed and formally identified as victims of modern slavery in the UK.
Source: Getty Images
Workers seeking to benefit from the new policy would need to go through that process first.
The Home Office has not yet published detailed guidance on how swiftly the change will take effect or how affected workers can access support to navigate the referral process.
UK releases new list of companies that can sponsor Nigerians' work visa
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the United Kingdom's Home Office has expanded its official list of employers authorised to recruit overseas talent, with the total number of licensed sponsor organisations now standing at 142,459, according to the updated Register of Licensed Sponsors.
The register covers employers approved to issue Certificates of Sponsorship under both the Skilled Worker and Temporary Worker immigration routes.
A Certificate of Sponsorship is a mandatory requirement for any foreign national applying for a UK work visa, and only organisations that have met the government's strict sponsorship criteria are permitted to appear on the list.
Source: Legit.ng
