An investigation by BBC Verify has identified more than 1,900 small high street businesses currently holding licenses to sponsor overseas workers under the UK’s skilled worker scheme, despite restrictions implemented to tighten eligibility requirements. The businesses on the register include over 1,500 grocery and convenience stores, approximately 150 taxi operators, 100 barber shops, and dozens of car washes and vape shops.
The Home Office tightened the skilled worker visa scheme in July 2025, restricting eligibility mostly to graduate-level positions with minimum salaries of at least £41,700. Prior to this change, workers with qualifications equivalent to A-Level or higher could qualify if paid at least £38,700 in most cases. More than 100 of the small businesses identified were added to the sponsorship register after the rule changes took effect. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered an urgent review into the presence of such businesses on the register two months prior to this reporting, citing concerns about potential system misuse.
The Home Office stated that being on the register does not guarantee individual visa applications would be approved, and emphasized that businesses found abusing the system would have their licenses revoked. The department noted that some companies may have joined the register before the rules changed or remained listed because they were approved before July 2025 or continue sponsoring workers already in the UK. The Home Office revoked 3,299 sponsorship licenses in 2025 compared with 347 in 2023.
Data showed skilled worker visas granted declined 30 percent in the 12 months to March, falling to 68,067 total visas. The majority of approvals went to IT professionals and finance workers, while most of the decline came from food preparation and hospitality roles becoming ineligible. BBC Verify also identified 60 businesses on the register that had been fined for employing illegal workers between April 2024 and December 2025, with combined penalties totaling £2.5 million.
Migration experts noted that while the rule changes prevent new sponsorships for previously ineligible roles, businesses already employing sponsored workers for those positions can continue. Immigration lawyers indicated that some employers may misrepresent job titles or responsibilities to meet eligibility criteria, and that high street retailers would face particular difficulty justifying degree-level positions typical of the scheme’s current requirements.
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