Recognised modern slavery victims on Skilled Worker visas can leave abusive employers
11 Oct 2026
If you're on a Skilled Worker visa and the Home Office has formally recognised you as a victim of modern slavery, this affects you. The Home Office announced on 9 October 2026 that you can now leave an abusive employer and work for any lawful employer for the rest of your visa.
Before this change, leaving an abusive sponsor could put your immigration status and your income at risk. The Home Office says the new rules are aimed at workers exploited by rogue employers, including care workers. In its announcement, the Minister said the changes "will give victims the freedom to leave abusive workplaces".
The Skilled Worker rules set out the detail. Paragraph SW 18.3 covers a Skilled Worker who has been referred into the National Referral Mechanism and has a positive Conclusive Grounds decision made during their most recent permission. The rules say their work conditions "may" be amended so that "any work (including self-employment and voluntary work) is permitted". The one exception is work as a professional sportsperson, including as a sports coach.
This applies to people who have been formally recognised as victims. If that is your situation, read the full announcement and the Skilled Worker rules to see how it applies to your case. Check the official pages below for the exact wording.
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