The UK government has introduced a new immigration protection for recognised victims of modern slavery, allowing migrant workers on Skilled Worker visas to leave abusive employers without automatically putting their immigration status at risk.
The change, which took effect on Thursday, September 3, 2026, is aimed at protecting migrant workers who may have been trapped in exploitative jobs because their visas were linked to a specific employer.
Here are five things to know about the new UK Skilled Worker visa rule:
1. Victims can now leave abusive employers
Care workers, chefs, hospitality workers and other Skilled Worker visa holders who are officially recognised as victims of modern slavery can leave exploitative employers without automatically losing their immigration status.
