Skilled Workers officially recognised as victims of modern slavery are no longer tied to their sponsor for the rest of their visa, under a change in force from 8 October 2026. The change is part of Statement of Changes HC 584, published on 3 September 2026, and it addresses a situation in which a worker's immigration status depended on staying with the employer linked to their exploitation.

Why the tie mattered

Under the Skilled Worker route, a worker's permission is normally linked to a licensed sponsor and a specific role. For a recognised victim of modern slavery, that link could create a powerful reason not to leave an abusive employer, even after recognition, because leaving might have appeared to put their status at risk. Removing the tie for the remainder of the visa is intended to break that connection and give recognised victims more freedom to move on from the sponsor involved.

What else HC 584 changed

HC 584 is a wide-ranging statement. Most of its changes took effect on 8 October 2026, with further changes on 29 October for religious workers, 30 November for student maintenance figures, and 9 December for an EU Settlement Scheme identity-document change. The statement also affects the EU Settlement Scheme, long residence, settlement for victims of domestic abuse, visitor activities, Erasmus+, Hong Kong BN(O) settlement and other routes, so individual readers should check the part that applies to them.

This is general information about a rule change, not personal immigration advice. Anyone who believes they are a victim of modern slavery should seek help through official channels and a regulated adviser. Always check the official GOV.UK page, as rules change.