When a Skilled Worker's sponsorship ends before the end date on their visa, for example because of redundancy, the job ending, or the sponsor losing its licence, the Home Office will normally curtail (cut short) the visa. In most cases where the worker was not at fault, this means limiting permission to stay to 60 days from the date the sponsorship ends (or however long is left on the visa, if that is less than 60 days).

This is confirmed on GOV.UK's guidance for employees whose sponsor loses its licence, and in the Home Office's own caseworker guidance on cancellation and curtailment of permission, which states that it will "normally be appropriate" to leave someone with 60 days' permission so they can either apply for further permission to stay or make arrangements to leave the UK.

During those 60 days you remain in the UK lawfully, but you cannot work. This applies whether it would be for your former employer or anyone else, until you have a new, valid immigration status that permits it.

Sponsors have their own legal duty in this situation. Under their sponsor licence obligations, employers must report to UKVI within 10 working days of certain events, including when a sponsored worker's contract of employment ends earlier than the date shown on their Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS).

This reporting duty matters to you directly:

• It is generally what starts the process that leads to your visa being curtailed and the 60-day clock being set
• Delays or failures by an employer to report on time do not change the underlying facts of when your sponsorship actually ended
• It's worth finding out from your employer (or former employer) exactly when they notified, or plan to notify, UKVI

Broadly, if your sponsorship has ended, you have three options during your 60-day period:

1. Find a new licensed sponsor. You can look for a new employer who holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence and is willing to assign you a fresh Certificate of Sponsorship, then apply for a new Skilled Worker visa before your current permission runs out.

2. Switch to a different eligible visa category. Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible to switch into a different UK visa route.

3. Leave the UK. If neither of the above is realistic within your remaining time, you will need to leave the UK before your permission expires to avoid overstaying.

Which option makes sense depends heavily on your personal circumstances, timing, and immigration history. This is exactly the kind of decision where getting tailored advice quickly matters.

If you have dependants on your Skilled Worker visa, their permission to stay is tied to yours. When your visa is curtailed to 60 days, your dependants' visas are curtailed in parallel, also to 60 days. There is no independent grace period for dependants: they need to switch to a new valid status or leave the UK alongside you.

This page deliberately does not go into detail on several areas, because getting them wrong can have serious consequences and the correct answer depends on facts specific to you:

• Switching to a different occupation or SOC code. Eligibility rules here are detailed and change over time, so what was allowed previously may not apply to your situation now.
• The redundancy and consultation process itself (including ACAS guidance on employment rights). This is an employment law question distinct from your immigration status, with its own rules and timelines.
• Dependant edge cases beyond the general rule above, for example where a dependant has independent grounds to stay, or a separate application is already in progress.

If any of these apply to you, please treat this as a signal to get advice from a qualified immigration solicitor rather than trying to work out the mechanics yourself from general guidance.