At a Glance

The UK Home Office published its third update in three months on May 20, 2026, and since April’s changes, sponsors now have a requirement to read the sponsor guidance in full and to be aware of any new developments. In news which will come as a relief for many sponsoring employers, the guidance updated in April 2026, which required sponsors to carry out checks on anyone they “directly engage” (not just their employees or sponsored workers), has been reversed to the situation before March 2026. Below are the most significant updates – effective immediately (from May 20, 2026).

Key Sponsor Guidance Updates

• Sponsors don’t need to conduct Right to Work (RTW) checks on non-sponsored workers they “directly engage” rather than employ. The guidance does, however, state that sponsors must perform checks on all sponsored staff – whether employees or not and all unsponsored employees.
• Expansion in sponsors’ record-keeping duties to include records of RTW checks on all employees.
• The Home Office will likely revoke a sponsor licence if a sponsored worker doesn’t have relevant RTW permission.
• Sponsor licence applications may be refused and revoked when it is presumed they are primarily constructed to bring someone to the UK.
• New details on how to satisfy the Home Office that an organisation is operating or trading to qualify for a sponsor licence.

Reversal of RTW Guidance for Sponsors

Updates in March and April 2026 to sponsor guidance stated that sponsors must conduct RTW...

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