As part of a flurry of late-September policy tweaks, the Home Office on 24 September issued version 11.0 of its guidance on temporary permission to stay for victims of trafficking and modern slavery, simultaneously updating immigration-bail instructions to version 23.0. The trafficking guidance withdraws an earlier policy that prevented applicants facing removal to Council of Europe countries from requesting reconsideration of negative decisions. Caseworkers must now apply a revised test that broadens eligibility for review, a change welcomed by NGOs and expected to increase protection-based applications over the next quarter. The bail guidance introduces a dedicated section on EU Settlement Scheme holders, clarifying when location-reporting devices may be mandated and separating “reporting” from “consent-based location recording”. It also aligns bail conditions with new powers under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, coming into force on 1 October. For employers, the most immediate impact is indirect: an uptick in reconsideration requests could divert case-worker resources, slowing decisions on work routes. Sponsors with employees who have trafficking indicators should note the wider scope for protective status and seek specialised advice. Advisers recommend checking active bail cases now to ensure reporting conditions match the new guidance; non-compliance can jeopardise future visa applications and, for sponsors, trigger licence action by UKVI.
Source: HJT Training
