The revocation process itself is not transparent to employees. UKVI can revoke a licence if the employer has breached the sponsorship code of conduct. Common breaches include failing to pay the immigration skills charge, not conducting right-to-work checks, employing people without valid visas, or not keeping proper records. The employer receives notice, but workers often find out only when they show up to work or when payroll stops. By then, you are out of status.
If your employer's licence is revoked, you have a grace period. The standard grace period is 60 days, though this can vary depending on the circumstances and when you are notified. During this window, you can do one of three things: find a new employer willing to sponsor you and transfer your visa to them, apply for a different visa category if you are eligible, or leave the UK. If you do nothing and the 60 days expire, you are in breach of immigration law. You cannot work. You cannot stay legally. You face potential deportation and a ban on future UK visas.
Finding a new sponsor within 60 days is possible but not easy. Your new employer must hold a valid Skilled Worker sponsor licence. They must be willing to go through the sponsorship process for you, which takes time and costs them money. The sponsorship fee for employers is £719 for a new licence application or £284 to add a new employee to an existing licence. Not all employers will do this for someone mid-contract, especially if they have already hired someone else for the role. You are also competing with other candidates who do not have this time pressure. Some workers have found new jobs within the window. Many have not.
The visa transfer itself is not automatic. You must apply through the UKVI online portal, and processing can take two to three weeks under normal circumstances. If you are applying near the end of your 60-day grace period, you are cutting it very close. There is no guarantee of approval. If your new employer's sponsorship application is rejected, you are back to square one with days left on the clock.
This is why verification matters before you accept a role. The UK Home Office publishes a register of licensed sponsors. Before you sign an employment contract, search the employer's name on the register at www.gov.uk/government/publications/register-of-licensed-sponsors-workers. Check that the licence is active, not suspended or revoked. Check the date it was issued and when it expires. If the licence is due to expire soon, ask the employer about their renewal plans. If they seem uncertain or evasive, that is a red flag.
Keep your own visa documentation organized and current. Know your visa expiry date. Know your sponsor's licence number. Take screenshots of the register entry showing your employer as a licensed sponsor. If you hear rumors that your employer is under investigation or having financial trouble, do not wait. Start looking for alternative sponsors immediately. The 60-day grace period sounds like a lot of time until you are living it.
If you are already in this situation, contact UKVI as soon as you know the licence has been revoked. Call the Skilled Worker visa helpline or use the online contact form. Explain your circumstances. Ask for written confirmation of your grace period end date. Do not assume you know when it is. Then start your job search. Be honest with potential employers about your timeline. Some will not touch it. Others will. Recruitment agencies that specialize in visa sponsorship can help, though they take a cut.
You can also explore other visa routes if Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available. The Graduate visa allows recent UK graduates to work for two years without a sponsor. The Health and Care visa offers a faster route for healthcare workers. The Innovator visa is an option if you have a business idea and backing. The Student visa is not a work route, but it does allow limited part-time work. None of these are quick fixes, but they exist.
The larger lesson is this: employer-tied visas create dependency. Your status, your income, your ability to stay in the country—all of it rests on one company's compliance with immigration law. That is not a flaw in your planning. It is a feature of the system. The UK uses sponsorship to control the flow of workers and to make employers responsible for enforcement. It works most of the time. When it does not, workers pay the price.
Do not panic if this happens to you, but do act. The 60 days will pass faster than you think. Get legal advice if you can afford it. Immigration solicitors who specialize in employment visas can help you understand your options and can sometimes negotiate with UKVI on your behalf. The cost is usually £500 to £1,500 for this kind of urgent advice, but it can save you from making a costly mistake. If you cannot afford a solicitor, organizations like the Migrant Workers Centre offer free advice to workers in precarious situations.
The UK needs the workers it brings in on Skilled Worker visas. But the system assumes employers will follow the rules. When they do not, or when UKVI decides they have not, workers are the ones left scrambling. Knowing how the system works and staying alert is your best protection.
