Car washes and vape shops can still sponsor skilled foreign workers despite visa changes
The rules were tightened in July 2025 to restrict the scheme mostly to graduate-level employees who would be earning at least £41,700.
Over 1,900 small businesses, including vape shops, car washes and mini-marts, remain eligible to sponsor foreign workers despite tighter visa rules implemented in July 2025, according to a BBC Verify investigation. The Home Office scheme permits licensed employers to hire skilled foreign workers earning at least £41,700 annually. However, a year after the rule change, numerous grocery stores, taxi operators, barbers and other establishments continue to appear on the skilled worker sponsor register.
The Home Office tightened the rules to restrict the scheme primarily to graduate-level employees, but BBC Verify discovered that more than 100 businesses were added to the register since the changes. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that the government would enforce the rules to prevent employers from circumventing them or finding loopholes.
Being on the register does not guarantee approval for individual visa applications. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered a review of businesses, such as vape shops and barbers, following concerns about potential misuse. The Home Office revoked licenses for illegal working cases between April 2024 and December 2025, with penalties reaching up to £60,000.
Dr. Madeleine Sumption from the University of Oxford's Migration Observatory noted that businesses previously sponsored individuals can continue to do so but cannot hire new workers under the new rules.
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