Continuing its crackdown on abuse of the immigration system, a record number of visa sponsor licences have been revoked for rule breaking.
Between July 2024−June 2025, 1948 licences that allow organisations to bring in migrant workers were revoked. This is more than double the number in the previous 12 months (937). This surge in compliance activity follows just 261 licences being revoked in 2021−22 and 247 in 2022−23.
Licences have been revoked from companies for a wide range of rule breaking, which includes:
- underpayment of workers
- facilitating the entry of individuals to circumvent the immigration rules
- failing to provide promised work.
What responsibilities do employers have for sponsorship licences?
According to data collated by the Government, the sectors with the highest levels of abuse include adult social care, hospitality, retail and construction.
This is a continuation of the Government’s efforts to clamp down on exploitation of the border system, which has also included expanding sanctions on rogue employers by financial penalty notices, business closure orders and potential prosecution, as part of its Plan for Change. Illegal working arrests have also increased by 51% compared to the previous year.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Mike Tapp MP, said:
“We will not hesitate to ban companies from sponsoring workers from overseas where this is being done to undercut British workers and exploit vulnerable staff.
“My message to unscrupulous employers is clear: these shameful practices will not be tolerated.”
