New guidance released today reminds sponsors and migrant staff that Skilled Worker visa holders may take up to 20 hours of paid supplementary work per week—provided it is outside contracted hours and the main sponsored role continues unchanged. (fivestarinternational.co.uk) The document consolidates piecemeal updates issued since July 2025, giving HR teams a single reference point on allowable second jobs, voluntary roles and freelance gigs.
A key change is the emphasis on record-keeping: sponsors must now retain evidence that supplementary work is genuinely separate from the primary role and report any breaches within ten working days. Failure could trigger licence downgrades or revocation. The guidance also tightens the definition of ‘related’ occupations, warning that multiple casual roles cannot be combined to meet salary thresholds.
![Home Office Clarifies 20-Hour Supplementary Work Rule for Skilled Workers]()
For organisations unsure how to build these new requirements into everyday processes, VisaHQ can help. Our platform supports UK sponsors with bespoke compliance checklists, real-time document tracking and expert advice on Skilled Worker visas—making it easier to record supplementary work correctly and avoid costly penalties. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
For employees, the updated rules offer welcome clarity after months of confusion, particularly in sectors such as healthcare and hospitality where shift patterns make second jobs common. Workers should note that if they exceed the 20-hour cap or change occupation codes, they must submit a fresh visa application before starting the new role—an area where recent compliance audits have found repeated errors.
Companies should update staff handbooks, run awareness sessions and consider software solutions to track total working hours, especially for sponsored shift-based staff. With civil-penalty fines rising to £60,000 per illegal worker in April 2026, proactive compliance is becoming a bottom-line issue.
A key change is the emphasis on record-keeping: sponsors must now retain evidence that supplementary work is genuinely separate from the primary role and report any breaches within ten working days. Failure could trigger licence downgrades or revocation. The guidance also tightens the definition of ‘related’ occupations, warning that multiple casual roles cannot be combined to meet salary thresholds.
For organisations unsure how to build these new requirements into everyday processes, VisaHQ can help. Our platform supports UK sponsors with bespoke compliance checklists, real-time document tracking and expert advice on Skilled Worker visas—making it easier to record supplementary work correctly and avoid costly penalties. Find out more at https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/
For employees, the updated rules offer welcome clarity after months of confusion, particularly in sectors such as healthcare and hospitality where shift patterns make second jobs common. Workers should note that if they exceed the 20-hour cap or change occupation codes, they must submit a fresh visa application before starting the new role—an area where recent compliance audits have found repeated errors.
Companies should update staff handbooks, run awareness sessions and consider software solutions to track total working hours, especially for sponsored shift-based staff. With civil-penalty fines rising to £60,000 per illegal worker in April 2026, proactive compliance is becoming a bottom-line issue.
