‘Good News’ — Nigerians react as UK allows foreign workers to change employers

The UK government has introduced a new immigration protection for recognised victims of modern slavery, allowing migrant workers on Skilled Worker visas to leave abusive employers without automatically putting their immigration status at risk. The change, which took effect on Thursday, September 3, 2026, is aimed at protecting migrant workers who may have been trapped in exploitative jobs because their visas were linked to a specific employer. Here are five things to know about the new UK Skilled Worker visa rule: 1.

Victims can now leave abusive employers Care workers, chefs, hospitality workers and other Skilled Worker visa holders who are officially recognised as victims of modern slavery can leave exploitative employers without automatically losing their immigration status. The change is intended to ensure that workers do not feel compelled to remain in abusive workplaces simply because leaving could affect their right to stay and work in the UK. They can work for another employer The new rule removes the restriction that previously tied a worker’s immigration permission to a specific sponsor in these circumstances.

Once a Skilled Worker visa holder is officially recognised as a victim of modern slavery, they can take up employment with another employer for the remainder of their existing visa. This gives affected workers greater freedom to leave an exploitative workplace and seek alternative employment while maintaining their lawful immigration status. Workers must receive official recognition The protection does not automatically apply to every migrant worker who reports workplace abuse or alleges exploitation.

Workers must first receive a positive “conclusive grounds” decision through the UK’s National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This is the formal process through which the authorities determine whether a person is a victim of modern slavery. Only those who receive the required official recognition can benefit from the new protection.

The change targets exploitation by rogue sponsors The government says the measure is designed to stop employers from using migrant workers’ immigration status as a way of keeping them in abusive or exploitative conditions. Modern slavery and labour exploitation can take different forms, including underpayment, excessive working hours, withheld wages, threats, intimidation, violence, restrictions on movement and c… Nigerians and other foreign workers in the UK have welcomed a new immigration policy allowing recognised victims of modern slavery on Skilled Worker visas to leave exploitative employers and take up new jobs without putting their immigration status at risk.

The UK Home Office announced the change on Thursday, saying workers who have been formally recognised as victims of modern slavery should not be forced to remain with abusive employers because of their immigration status. “No victim of modern slavery should be trapped with an exploitative employer because of their immigration status,” the Home Office said in a post on its official X account. It added that recognised victims on Skilled Worker visas would now be able to leave abusive employers and work elsewhere without risking their immigration status.