Skilled Worker victims of modern slavery to access new right to work
On 08 October 2026, the Home Office updated the immigration rules to state that migrants on the Skilled Worker visa who have been referred into the National Referral Mechanism and received a Positive Conclusive Grounds decision may work for any employer, for the duration of their visa.
This could be a major new relief, but several practical details still require clarity. This guide sets out what we know at this stage. It will be updated as we learn more.
Updated 09 October 2026
The guidance change
The Skilled Worker guidance updated on 08 October 2026 states the following:
S8.28. A Skilled Worker who has been identified as a victim of modern slavery may have their employment conditions lifted. This means they can take any employment (including self-employment and voluntary work), except as a sportsperson or coach, with any employer, for the duration of their remaining Skilled Worker permission.
S8.29. To be eligible, the worker must have been referred into the National Referral Mechanism and be in receipt of a positive Conclusive Grounds decision during their current period of permission as a Skilled Worker.
How can modern slavery victims access the new right to work?
While the guidance does not specify this directly, the Home Office clarified the following for the Work Rights Centre. There are two ways to access the new right to work, depending on when the positive Conclusive Grounds decision was received:
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Decisions after 08 October 2026: Skilled Worker visa holders who receive their positive Conclusive Grounds decision after 08 October 2026 should not have to do anything, other than wait for a notification from UKVI.
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Decisions before 08 October 2026: By contrast, Skilled Workers who received their positive Conclusive Grounds decision before 08 October, and where that decision was made during their most recent permission, can email nrm@modernslavery.gov.uk and include their NRM reference number.
NOTE: Victims who received a positive Conclusive Grounds decision, but have since obtained a new status (for example, found a new sponsor under the Skilled Worker visa), are not eligible for this provision.
I am still waiting for a decision on my modern slavery case
Latest data shows that Competent Authorities, the part of the Home Office responsible for modern slavery decisions, take an average of 25 days (3.5 weeks) to issue a Reasonable Grounds decision, and 76 days (11 weeks) to issue a Conclusive Grounds decision (from the date of a Reasonable Grounds decision).
To enquire about the status of your case, email nrm@modernslavery.gov.uk and include your NRM reference number.
I received a negative decision. How can I contest it?
If you believe the decision you received was unfair, you can make a reconsideration request usually by replying to the email address that sent you the decision. Generally, there is a 30 day time limit, though the Competent Authority may exercise discretion in some cases.
We encourage you to obtain specialist advice, as reconsideration requests can be complex. Legal Aid is available for those who cannot afford legal assistance for matters relating to Modern Slavery. You can find a list of providers here: Directory of providers - GOV.UK.
How can I access the modern slavery mechanism?
If you believe you were a victim of modern slavery, to access associated protections you will have to be referred into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) by a First Responder organisation.
First Responders are public bodies (like the police, the Fair Work Agency, local authorities or the Home Office) and other organisations accredited by the government to identify and refer victims into the NRM. You can see the full list of first responders here.
How this affects settlement
As the right to work for victims of modern slavery is a change of Skilled Worker visa conditions, and not a new application for a separate status, you should remain on your current path to settlement.
However, even if this doesn’t restart your route to settlement, there are still sections of the Immigration Rules (SW.24.1. To SW.24.4) which state that in order to settle, you would need a sponsor. We have contacted the Home Office for clarification.
We are awaiting clarification on several other practical details, including how these new provisions intersect with the rights of dependants, and curtailment. We will update the guide once we learn more.