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Thu, 06 Aug 2026

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 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.
The Home Office's skilled worker sponsorship list allows registered employers to recruit workers from overseas who meet a certain skill level. Despite rule changes in July 2025 tightening the scheme mostly to graduate-level employees earning at least £41,700, over 1,900 small businesses are still on the register and able to sponsor people to apply for visas. These businesses include:
* Over 1,500 grocery and convenience stores
* 150 taxi operators
* 100 barber shops
* Dozens of car washes and vape shops Many of these businesses were added to the list after the rule change, with over 100 new additions in the year since the rules were tightened. The Home Office has said that any business seeking to abuse the system will have their licence revoked, but concerns remain about the potential misuse of the scheme.