Sponsor Licence Revoked? Can Skilled Workers Continue Working During the 60-Day Curtailment Period?

Key Takeaways

• A sponsor licence revocation does not cancel your permission on the day it happens. Cancellation is a separate decision the Home Office makes about each worker afterwards.
• The Home Office guidance does not say whether you can keep working for a revoked sponsor until your permission is cancelled or expires, so take advice before relying on it.
• Where your permission is cancelled, you are normally left with 60 days, counted from the date the decision is served on you, to find a new sponsor, switch visa routes, or leave the UK lawfully.
• Care workers and senior care workers are, for now, not having their permission cancelled where the sponsor's revocation is the only reason.
• If your permission has 60 days or less left when the Home Office considers cancelling it, it is not normally cancelled, and it simply runs to its existing expiry date.
• If your employer challenges the revocation by judicial review, the court can grant interim relief, but it is not automatic, and a challenge does not by itself stop the Home Office cancelling your permission.

Introduction

One of the most stressful situations for a UK Skilled Worker is finding out that their employer’s sponsor licence has been revoked. Almost immediately, questions start flooding in:

Will I get a 60-day curtailment letter?
Do I have to stop working straight away?
Why did my colleague get 60 days but I didn’t?

For the employer's side of revocation, including when the Home Office cancels a worker's permission and who is not affected, see our guidance on Sponsor Licence: Suspension and Revocation.

If you are currently on a Skilled Worker visa and your company has lost its licence, you need to understand your position. The rules on cancellation (often still called curtailment), the 60-day letter and whether you can work during this period are often misunderstood.

This guide explains what actually happens when a sponsor licence is revoked, what the 60-day period means, and whether you can legally continue working during that time.

What Is a 60-Day Cancellation Letter?

When the Home Office revokes a company's sponsor licence, it will normally cancel the permission of the workers that company sponsors. The cancellation decision shortens your permission so that 60 days remain, counted from the date the decision is served on you. It never extends your permission beyond its original end date.

This 60-day window is designed to give you a grace period to:

• Find a new employer who can sponsor you.
• Switch to a different visa category.
• Make arrangements to leave the UK if you cannot find a new route.

Can You Continue Working During the 60-Day Curtailment Period?

The Home Office's sponsor guidance and its cancellation guidance do not say whether a worker who was not involved in the reasons for revocation can keep working for the sponsor until their permission is cancelled or expires. The short GOV.UK page for employees says you will have to leave your job and the UK unless you make a new visa application within the time you have left, but does not say whether you must stop work before that time runs out.

Your permission, and its conditions, continue until it is cancelled or expires. Because the point is not settled, take advice before relying on it. Your employer is in the same position and should take advice too.

Whatever the answer, use the time to secure a new Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) with a new employer.

Why Didn't I Receive a 60-Day Cancellation Letter?

Confusion often arises when one colleague receives a letter and another does not. There are three common reasons.

First, the Home Office only shortens permission to 60 days where the worker would have more than 60 days left on the date they receive the decision. If you have 60 days or less left, your permission is not normally cancelled. It simply expires on its original date, and you do not get an extra 60 days.

Second, cancellation letters are often sent some time after the revocation. The 60 days run from the date the cancellation decision is served on you, not from the date your employer's licence was revoked, so a colleague may receive their letter before you do.

Third, if you are a care worker or senior care worker, the Home Office is not currently cancelling permission where the sponsor's revocation is the only reason. See the section on care workers below.

The difference is usually the worker's own circumstances, not unfair treatment.

What If I Am a Care Worker?

If you hold Skilled Worker permission, including on the Health and Care Worker visa, as a care worker (occupation code 6135 or 6145) or senior care worker (6136 or 6146), the Home Office has told its caseworkers not to cancel your permission where the only reason would be your sponsor's revocation. This is a temporary arrangement and is subject to regular review. If there is any other reason to cancel, the usual 60 day approach applies. Your permission still depends on finding a new sponsor before it expires, so do not wait. Our guidance on Care Worker and Health Routes explains the rules for changing sponsor as a care worker.

What If the Employer Challenges the Revocation in Court?

An employer can only challenge a revocation by judicial review in the High Court. The court can grant interim relief while the claim is decided, for example restoring the licence for the time being, but it is not automatic and it depends on the facts. Bringing a claim does not by itself pause the cancellation of sponsored workers' permission.

Do not plan around the outcome of your employer's court case. Keep looking for a new sponsor, and take advice on your own position.

What Should Skilled Workers Do Immediately?

If your sponsor licence is revoked:

1. Do not panic
2. Check how long remains on your visa
3. Confirm whether a cancellation decision has been served on you
4. Start exploring new sponsorship or alternative visa options immediately

Waiting too long can severely limit your options.

Conclusion

A sponsor licence revocation does not cancel your permission on the day it happens. Home Office guidance does not say whether you can keep working for the revoked sponsor in the meantime, so take advice before relying on it.

Whether and when your permission is cancelled depends on your own circumstances: how much time you have left, whether you are a care worker, and whether any other reason for cancellation applies. Understanding your position early and acting quickly can make the difference between staying lawfully in the UK or being forced to leave.

If you are affected, get advice early, not when time has already run out.

How Can WorkPermitCloud Help?

A licence revocation is time-sensitive and complex. At WorkPermitCloud, we specialize in helping Skilled Workers transition smoothly to new sponsors. We can assess your current visa status, clarify your timeline once a cancellation decision is served, and guide you through the process of switching employers before your permission ends. Do not wait until the last minute.

📞 Call us: +44 020 8087 2343 
📧 Email: info@workpermitcloud.co.uk 
📅 Book a free consultation: workpermitcloud.co.uk/contact

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