UK Change of Employer: HR Guide for Skilled Worker Hires

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A UK change of employer is a formal immigration event the worker needs a new CoS and a fresh Skilled Worker visa decision before starting.
Your company must hold a valid A-rated UK Sponsor Licence and assign an Undefined CoS (not Defined) for in-country switchers.
The 2026 salary threshold is £41,700 or the SOC going rate, whichever is higher; the role must sit at RQF Level 6.
Total per-worker cost typically lands between £5,000–£7,000 including CoS, ISC, visa fee, and IHS for a 3-year sponsorship.
Letting the worker start before Home Office approval is the most common compliance breach and the most expensive fines reach £60,000 per worker.

Managing a UK Skilled Worker "Change of Employer"

A Skilled Worker visa is legally bound to a specific employer, job role, and Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). An employee cannot simply serve a standard notice period and switch companies over a weekend. The transition requires a formal visa update, and bypassing the process puts your company's sponsor licence at risk.

When a New Visa Application IS Required:

Changing Sponsors: The worker moves to an entirely new company.
New SOC Code: The core job duties shift significantly, placing the role under a different Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code.
Intra-Group Transfers: The employee moves between different legal entities or separate sponsor licences within the same corporate group.
Salary Reductions: A compensation restructure drops their pay below the mandatory Skilled Worker threshold.

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When a New Application is NOT Required:

Identical Role & Sponsor: The worker remains in the same job with the same employer, and the baseline salary requirement continues to be met.
Internal Promotions: The career step remains under the exact same SOC code and includes a compliant salary increase.
Reportable Changes Only: Minor administrative updates that only require a basic notification via the Sponsor Management System (SMS) (e.g., a change of address).

⚠️ The Compliance Trap: Do not treat internal team shakeups as routine corporate restructures. If a reorganization changes a sponsored employee's underlying SOC code, a full "Change of Employment" visa application must be approved before they can legally take on their new responsibilities.

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Target Eligibility: What the new role must meet

To pass a change-of-employer evaluation, the proposed role must hit the exact same criteria as a brand-new sponsorship application:

Sponsor Licence: Your business must hold an active, A-rated UK Sponsor Licence for the Skilled Worker route.
Skill Level: The position must meet RQF Level 6 (degree-equivalent) or higher.
Salary Threshold: You must pay at least £41,700 or the job's specific SOC "going rate"—whichever is higher. (Transitional rates apply if their first CoS was issued before July 22, 2025).
English Proficiency: The worker must prove a minimum B2 level (CEFR) standard.
Genuine Vacancy: The listed job description must accurately reflect the worker's day-to-day duties.

⚠️ The Cost Trap: If any single element fails to clear the bar, the visa is rejected. The Home Office does not refund processing fees, forcing you to pay again and restart from scratch.

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Step-by-Step Transition Process

Verify the Metrics: Run a pre-filing audit on the job’s SOC code, required working hours, and target salary.
Confirm CoS Allocation: Check your Sponsor Management System (SMS) balance. You must use an Undefined CoS for in-country switchers (Defined CoS is strictly for overseas hires). Read our UK Certificate of Sponsorship guide if you need a refresher.‍
Assign the CoS: Issue the Undefined Certificate of Sponsorship to the candidate via the SMS portal.‍
Worker Submits Filing: The employee applies for the change of employment on GOV.UK and pays the visa fees, biometric costs, and Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).‍
Run Right-to-Work Checks: Once approved, complete a digital right-to-work check using the applicant’s new eVisa share code.‍
Previous Employer Offboarding: The applicant's former sponsor has 10 working days to report the end of employment via the SMS.

🚫 Critical Compliance Rule: While the application is pending, the employee can legally continue working for their old boss but they cannot log a single hour of work for your company until the Home Office formally grants their new visa.

Step-by-step UK Skilled Worker change of employer process for HR teams

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Costs and timeline

UK change of employer cost breakdown 2026 (per worker)

Kostenposition	Small / charitable sponsor	Medium / large sponsor
Bescheinigung der Patenschaft (CoS)	£525	£525
Gebühr für qualifizierte Einwanderer (pro Jahr)	£364	£1,000
Visa fee, in-country (up to 3 yrs)	£885	£885
Visa fee, in-country (over 3 yrs)	£1,872	£1,872
Zuschlag für die Einwanderungsgesundheitsversicherung (pro Jahr)	£1,035	£1,035
Priority service (optional, 5 working days)	£500	£500

Standard processing for an in-country Skilled Worker change application is up to 8 weeks but commonly returns in 3. Priority service is 5 working days for an extra £500. For tight start dates, build priority into your offer.

UK change of employer cost breakdown 2026 for small and large sponsors

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Top UK Sponsor Compliance Risks

Premature Onboarding: Allowing a new hire to start before their visa update is formally approved. Even a single day of unauthorized work constitutes illegal employment, carrying civil penalties of up to £60,000 per worker.
Incorrect CoS Selection: Assigning a Defined CoS (overseas applicants only) instead of an Undefined CoS to an in-country switcher. This error triggers an automatic refusal with no right to appeal.
Losing Sponsor Lapses: The previous employer failing to report the end of employment via the SMS within 10 working days. While it's their breach, the resulting Home Office visa curtailment can severely disrupt your new hire's start date.

📋 The Compliance Reality: With Home Office enforcement audits stepping up sharply, most sponsor licence suspensions stem from poor tracking and record-keeping rather than intentional rule-breaking. Always verify the right-to-work eVisa share code before day one. For a deeper view of what triggers action, see our UK Sponsor Licence compliance guide.

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Special UK Visa Scenarios to Watch

The 60-Day Clock (Curtailed Leave): If a worker leaves their previous job before your new CoS is ready, the Home Office typically cuts their remaining stay to 60 days. The new application must be submitted within this tight window.
TUPE & Corporate Restructures: Changing the legal employing entity—even for the exact same job and pay within the same parent company—legally counts as a change of employer. Coordinate your immigration filings closely with corporate legal changes.
Promotions & Raises: If a career progression keeps the exact same SOC code and includes a pay raise, a new visa isn't required. Simply log the update on the SMS portal within 10 working days.
Switching Visa Routes: Moving a candidate from a Graduate, Student, or Dependant visa to a Skilled Worker visa is processed as a brand-new application, not a change of employer. This requires a completely different fee structure and evidence set.
Approaching ILR (Permanent Residency): Switching companies mid-route does not reset the employee's 5-year clock for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), provided they maintain continuous, lawful visa status during the gap. See our UK visa renewals service for managing the run-in to settlement.

UK change of employer special scenarios: curtailment, TUPE, and promotions explained

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How Jobbatical handles UK change of employer cases

Jobbatical team runs the full change of employment process end to end:

eligibility check
CoS assignment in your SMS
visa application preparation
eVisa right-to-work verification
SMS reporting through to the worker's next renewal.

Our platform tracks every permit expiry across your workforce, so the next change does not catch your team off guard. See the UK Change of Employment service page for what is included and how do we cover it.

Haftungsausschluss: Die Einreisebestimmungen ändern sich häufig; bitte informieren Sie sich bei offiziellen Stellen oder kontaktieren Sie uns, um die aktuellsten Informationen zu erhalten, bevor Sie Entscheidungen treffen.

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Frequently Asked Questions: UK Change of Employer

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Can a Skilled Worker start working for a new UK sponsor before the visa decision?

No. The worker must wait until the Home Office grants the new permission. They can continue in their existing role until the decision lands, but starting the new job early counts as illegal working. Civil penalties for the employer reach £60,000 per worker.

Do you need a new Certificate of Sponsorship for a UK change of employer?

Yes. The new sponsor assigns an Undefined CoS through the Sponsor Management System. Defined CoS is only for overseas applicants. Assigning the wrong type causes automatic visa refusal with no correction path; you lose the fee and restart.

How long does a UK change of employer application take in 2026?

Standard processing is 8 weeks for in-country applications but commonly returns in 3 weeks. Priority service runs at 5 working days for an additional £500. For tight start dates, plan for priority and budget accordingly.

What happens if a Skilled Worker is made redundant before finding a new sponsor?

The Home Office typically curtails the worker's leave to 60 days from the end of sponsored employment. Inside that window, the worker must secure a new CoS and submit the change of employment application. Missing it leads to overstaying and removal action.

Does an internal promotion count as a UK change of employer?

Only if the SOC occupation code changes. If the new role keeps the same code and meets the salary requirement, no new application is needed. Update the SMS within 10 working days. A move to a different code triggers a full change of employment application.

Do dependants need to apply separately for a UK change of employer?

Dependants keep their existing permission until it expires. They are not required to apply alongside the main worker's change of employment. They will, however, need to renew their visa on their current end date, or align with the worker's new visa at the next renewal.

What if our group restructures and the worker's legal employer changes?

A move between sponsor licences inside a group counts as a change of employer, even if the role and pay are identical. Plan the immigration step in parallel with the legal restructure. TUPE protections do not exempt sponsored workers from the visa process.

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Lisette Kampus

Lisette Kampus is Head of Global Service Delivery at Jobbatical, where she leads immigration and relocation operations across the United Kingdom, Estonia, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. She holds a degree in International Relations from International University Audentes and has spent 18+ years building deep operational expertise in corporate immigration and global mobility. Over her career, she has helped 100+ startups and established enterprises manage sponsor licence applications, skilled worker visas, work permits, and cross-border employee relocations. She is known for her ability to navigate complex and multi-jurisdiction hiring among our clients.

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