What happens if my visa is curtailed?
Short answer
Your leave is shortened to a new, earlier expiry date and you normally have around 60 days to find a new sponsor, switch category or leave the UK. There is generally no right of appeal against curtailment, though administrative review may be available where a caseworking error was made.
Curtailment means the Home Office cuts your existing permission short. You are given a new expiry date, and by that date you must have obtained new permission or left the country.
Why it happens
- Your sponsoring employer’s licence is revoked or surrendered, or your sponsored employment ends
- Your course ceases or you are withdrawn from study
- A relationship breaks down on a partner route
- Deception or false representations are found in an application — with long-term consequences for future applications
The usual grace period is 60 days, which is short. Do not wait for the formal notice: if you know your sponsor has lost its licence, start looking immediately, because UKVI is notified and curtailment is very likely to follow even if it is not automatic.
What to do with the 60 days
- Find a new sponsor. The Home Office publishes a register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK, searchable by route, sector and location. Be extremely wary of anyone offering to "arrange" sponsorship for a fee — genuine sponsorship arises from a real job, and paying for a Certificate of Sponsorship can destroy your immigration history.
- Switch category if you qualify for another route, applying in time so that section 3C leave protects you while the decision is awaited.
- Consider dependants. Their leave follows yours and they share the same grace period.
If your employer is challenging the revocation, do not rely on it. A stay pending judicial review may allow sponsored workers to continue, but it requires strong grounds and fast action — keep looking for an alternative sponsor as a contingency.
Challenging it, and the cost of doing nothing
There is generally no right of appeal against curtailment itself. Administrative review may be available where a caseworking error was made, and separate human rights or protection claims can be raised if they apply. Take advice promptly, because the deadlines are days.
Overstaying after the curtailment date is a criminal offence. It can lead to removal and a re-entry ban of at least 12 months — longer in serious cases — and must be declared in every future application.
Related guides
Curtailment of Leave Explained
Curtailment means the Home Office shortens your existing visa permission before its originally stated end date. If your leave is curtailed, you will be given a new, earlier expiry date and must either obtain new permission to remain in the UK or depart by that date. Curtailment can happen for a range of reasons.
5 min
Sponsor Licence Revocation: What Workers and Employers Should Know
Sponsor licence revocation is a Home Office sanction that ends a company's ability to sponsor workers. For workers on Skilled Worker, Health & Care Worker, or other sponsored visas, revocation means they have 60 days to find a new sponsor or leave the UK. The number of revocations rose sharply in 2023-2024, particularly in the care sector. This guide covers both sides.
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Switching Between Visa Categories
Switching visa categories means changing from one type of UK leave to another without leaving the country. Not all switches are permitted — some routes can only be entered from outside the UK. Understanding what is and is not allowed before your current leave expires is critical.
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Administrative Review of Visa Decisions
Administrative review is a formal process for challenging certain UK visa and immigration decisions on the grounds that a caseworking error was made. It is faster and cheaper than a full tribunal appeal but has significant limitations — it reviews only caseworking errors, not the merits of the application as a whole.
5 min
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