The Home Office has issued version 10/26 of ‘Workers and Temporary Workers: Guidance for Sponsors – Part 2’, effective 8 October 2026. Key updates reflect the broader immigration rule changes and the extension of the statutory Right-to-Work Scheme. Employers will welcome the deletion of the resident-labour-consideration test for Religious Worker roles from 29 October, removing an administrative hurdle. Conversely, finance teams must prepare for new financial-maintenance thresholds applying to religious appointments from the same date. A headline addition is special leave for Skilled Workers identified as victims of modern slavery, which creates compliance obligations for sponsors to notify the Home Office if support arrangements change. The guidance also confirms that the Level 2 user role in the Sponsor Management System will cease on 8 March 2027, prompting organisations to audit user hierarchies now. With civil penalties for non-compliance rising sharply in April, HR departments should train staff on the revised right-to-work check procedures and update onboarding checklists. Failure to follow the new steps could invalidate a CoS and expose companies to fines of up to £60,000 per worker.
Source: GOV.UK
