Yorkshire and Humber International Recruitment Project

Newsletter for Care Sector Leaders

March 2026 edition

1. Project Update

The UK Government has confirmed funding for a fourth year (2026/27) to support displaced international care workers into new sponsored employment.

Whilst this is welcome news, overall funding has reduced by 60%. The programme will therefore continue to prioritise the matching of care workers displaced through sponsor licence revocation with ethical and sustainable employment opportunities across the adult social care sector.

The Yorkshire and Humber International Recruitment Project continues to support providers by connecting displaced migrant workers with employers who hold, or are seeking, sponsorship licences.

Impact to Date

More than 675 displaced care workers have been successfully matched to new sponsoring employers across Yorkshire and Humber.

2. Minimum Sponsored Salary Threshold for Care Workers

The Home Office has confirmed that the annual sponsored salary threshold will not increase in April 2026 whilst evidence is gathered through the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) regarding future salary requirements.

Current Salary Requirements

Employers sponsoring care workers must continue to meet both of the following minimum requirements:

Annual salary: £25,000
Hourly rate: £12.82 per hour for every hour worked

Please note: The National Minimum Wage increases to £12.71 per hour from April 2026.

What Does This Mean in Practice?

The following examples are not compliant with sponsorship requirements:

30 hours per week at £12.90 per hour (£20,178 annual salary)
37 hours per week at £12.71 per hour (£24,519 annual salary)
40 hours per week at £12.71 per hour (£26,507 annual salary)

Although the annual salary may exceed £25,000, the hourly rate must also meet the minimum sponsorship threshold of £12.82 per hour.

Workers Sponsored Before April 2025

Workers whose Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) was issued before April 2025 must be paid at least the current National Minimum Wage of £12.71 per hour from April 2026.

Important Reminder

When renewing, extending or issuing a new Certificate of Sponsorship, the salary threshold applicable on the date of issue will apply, or the current National Minimum Wage, whichever is higher.

3. Don't Just Be Compliant. Prove It.

The Home Office now receives payroll information directly from HMRC and can verify whether sponsored workers are being paid correctly.

Providers should ensure their payroll records clearly demonstrate compliance.

Your Payslips Should Show:

Pay in every pay period meets the minimum hourly rate requirement.
For monthly-paid staff, earnings over any three-month period are at least one-quarter of the annual required salary.
For weekly-paid staff, earnings over any 12-week period are at least 12/52 of the required annual salary.
For workers on variable hours, earnings over any 17-week reference period meet at least 17/52 of the annual salary requirement.

Also Check:

Unpaid leave arrangements
Travel time payments
Unlawful deductions from wages
Working patterns that could result in salary threshold breaches

Failure to meet these requirements could result in compliance action against your organisation.

4. Increase in Sponsor Licence Revocations

The Home Office has reported a record number of sponsor licence revocations, with 1,948 licences revoked between July 2024 and June 2025, more than double the previous year's figure.

This increase reflects greater enforcement activity, including:

Compliance visits
Intelligence-led investigations
Enhanced data sharing between government agencies
Direct payroll verification through HMRC

Common Reasons for Revocation

Failure to provide contracted work
Underpayment of sponsored workers
Excessive unpaid leave
Poor record keeping
Failure to meet sponsorship duties

All sponsors, regardless of sector, should review their systems and processes to ensure ongoing compliance.

Support Available

The Yorkshire and Humber International Recruitment Project can provide guidance, training and practical support to help organisations meet sponsorship obligations.

5. Probation and Trial Periods

Providers are reminded that it is unlawful to offer a displaced international worker full-time employment under the guise of a trial period, induction period or probation period without the appropriate sponsorship arrangements being in place.

Before Sponsorship

Where an organisation wishes to engage a worker before sponsorship is secured, employers must:

Conduct a valid right-to-work check
Confirm the worker's immigration status
Ensure any work undertaken is permitted under the worker's current visa conditions
Comply with National Minimum Wage and employment legislation

Existing Skilled Worker Visa Holders

If a worker currently holds a Skilled Worker Visa with another employer, providers must verify that the worker remains employed by their sponsoring organisation.

If sponsorship has ended, the worker cannot lawfully undertake employment without securing appropriate sponsorship.

If Sponsorship Proceeds

The Certificate of Sponsorship should only be issued once:

A genuine job offer has been made
Salary requirements are met
Eligibility requirements are satisfied
A confirmed start date is agreed

Any work undertaken before sponsorship must be covered by a separate employment arrangement that complies with visa conditions.

6. Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Allocations

Applying for Additional CoS

Some organisations continue to experience delays and refusals when applying for additional Certificates of Sponsorship.

Common reasons include:

Missing information
Insufficient evidence
Requests for further information from the Home Office

We can support providers with preparing robust applications and responding to Home Office enquiries.

Apply Early

Current Home Office processing times can be up to 18 weeks.

Providers are therefore encouraged to apply as early as possible, ideally six months before certificates are required.

Renewing Your Annual Allocation

The Home Office guidance states that:

Annual CoS allocations must be renewed each year.
Unused CoS allocations do not roll forward.
Unused certificates are removed at the end of the allocation year.
Sponsors will either receive an automatic allocation or be required to submit a manual request.

Automatic Allocations

Sponsors may qualify for an automatic allocation if:

Their licence is A-rated
Their allocation is listed as active in SMS
They hold an eligible Worker or Temporary Worker licence

Sponsors are encouraged to contact UKVI approximately three months before their allocation anniversary date to confirm arrangements.

7. E-Visas

All migrant workers who have not yet registered for an eVisa should do so as soon as possible.

An eVisa provides a secure digital record of:

Immigration status
Right to work
Visa conditions
Settlement status (where applicable)

Supporting Your Workforce

Managers should ensure international workers understand how to:

Access their eVisa account
Share proof of immigration status
Update personal details
Use online immigration services

Providing support early can reduce confusion and minimise disruption to employment and onboarding processes.

8. Sponsorship Fees from April 2026

The Home Office has announced the following sponsorship-related fee increases.

Sponsor Licence Fees

Small or Charitable Sponsors

Current fee: £574
New fee: £611

Medium or Large Sponsors

Current fee: £1,579
New fee: £1,682

Health and Care Visa Fees

Up to Three Years

Current fee: £304
New fee: £324

More Than Three Years

Current fee: £590
New fee: £628

Additional Employer Costs

Employers sponsoring workers should also budget for:

Immigration Skills Charge: £1,320 per year
Certificate of Sponsorship Fee: £525 per certificate

Important

Employers must not recover:

Certificate of Sponsorship fees
Sponsorship administration costs
Legal fees associated with sponsorship

Attempting to recover these costs from workers will normally result in sponsor licence revocation.

9. Bursary Support Available

Providers employing and sponsoring displaced care workers may be eligible for bursary support while project funding remains available.

Due to the reduction in programme funding, we are currently reviewing:

How long the bursary scheme can continue
Whether bursary values should increase in line with rising sponsorship costs

How to Apply

Please contact the team supporting your recruitment activity or your local regional hub.

Humber

East Riding, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire 📧 Makecarematter@northyorks.gov.uk

North Yorkshire

York and North Yorkshire 📧 Makecarematter@northyorks.gov.uk

South Yorkshire

Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield 📧 YHIRSouthYorkshire@sheffield.gov.uk

West Yorkshire

Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield 📧 YHIRWestYorkshire@bradford.gov.uk

Organisations operating across multiple areas should contact the hub covering the majority of their care provision.

Bursary Evidence Requirements

To claim a bursary, providers will be required to submit:

Confirmation of sponsor size
Transaction confirmation email showing date and payment amount
Certificate of Sponsorship (up to and including the personal information section)

Claims will be assessed against Home Office sponsorship requirements and available funding.

Bursaries are intended to support providers with sponsorship costs and are not guaranteed. Funding remains subject to availability and programme criteria.

Support Available

The Yorkshire and Humber International Recruitment Project can provide guidance, training and practical support to help organisations meet their sponsorship obligations.

For information on recent enforcement activity, visit:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-numbers-of-visa-sponsor-licences-revoked-for-rule-breaking [gov.uk]

Providers can also undertake a sponsorship compliance self-assessment using the Yorkshire and Humber Sponsoring Workers resources:

https://nyresourcing.co.uk/sponsoring-workers/

Probation and Trial Periods

For guidance on conducting right-to-work checks, visit:

https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work [gov.uk]

Applying for Certificates of Sponsorship

For detailed guidance on sponsoring workers:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workers-and-temporary-workers-guidance-for-sponsors-part-2-sponsor-a-worker [gov.uk]

For Sponsor Management System (SMS) guidance and sponsorship resources:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sponsorship-information-for-employers-and-educators [gov.uk]

E-Visas

Further information and support videos are available from GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/evisa-support-videos [gov.uk]

General information about eVisas:

https://www.gov.uk/evisa [gov.uk]

Sponsorship Fees from April 2026

Full details of current immigration and sponsorship fees can be found on GOV.UK:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-8-april-2026 [gov.uk]

Useful Resources

Sponsorship Guidance

Sponsor a Worker Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workers-and-temporary-workers-guidance-for-sponsors-part-2-sponsor-a-worker [gov.uk]
Sponsorship Information for Employers: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sponsorship-information-for-employers-and-educators [gov.uk]

Compliance and Right to Work

Right to Work Checks: https://www.gov.uk/check-job-applicant-right-to-work [gov.uk]
Record Sponsor Licence Revocations: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/record-numbers-of-visa-sponsor-licences-revoked-for-rule-breaking [gov.uk]