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ARTICLE · 17 MARCH 2026

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Stricter Sponsor Guidance: Updates In Spring 2026

Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
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Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin

Joint managing partners: Jo Farmer, Richard Miskella International offices: Dublin, Hong Kong...

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The Home Office has published a significant update to the sponsor guidance tightening overall compliance expectations, introducing a new eligible role test, and new worker welfare obligations.

United KingdomImmigration
Supinder Singh Sian
Supinder Singh Sian
Loleini Williams
Loleini Williams
Pip Hague
Pip Hague
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The Home Office has published a significant update to the sponsor guidance tightening overall compliance expectations, introducing a new eligible role test, and new worker welfare obligations. Organisations will need to adapt quickly to these changes to avoid compliance action – a mini audit checklist in this article can help you get started now.

This article focuses on the changes to the sponsor guidance.

Key themes

  • Strict adherence to the sponsorship scheme is now essential to avoid revocation of a sponsor licence
  • Replacement of the genuine vacancy requirement with an eligible role test
  • Greater emphasis on making sure that what appears on a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) matches the sponsored worker's role in practice

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