United Kingdom · immigration

Can I Work During the 60-Day Curtailment Period in the UK?

If your UK visa has been curtailed following redundancy, dismissal, or sponsor licence revocation, your working rights are severely restricted. Under UK immigration rules, you cannot start a new job or take on supplementary employment once your sponsored role ends. Knowing your exact legal rights during these 60 days is essential to avoiding illegal working allegations and protecting your future in the UK.

What UK Immigration Law Says About Curtailment and Work Rights

In the United Kingdom, visa curtailment—formally categorized as the cancellation of permission under Part 9 of the UK Immigration Rules—occurs when the basis of your leave ends early. Under section 3(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1971, the Secretary of State has the power to vary or cancel limited leave to enter or remain. When an employer reports that your sponsored employment has ended, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) typically issues a curtailment notice reducing your remaining leave to 60 calendar days (or until your original visa expiry date, whichever is sooner).

The central legal problem facing workers during curtailment is conditionality. Under Appendix Skilled Worker (paragraph SW 18.1), your permission to work in the UK is strictly conditional upon working for the specific sponsor licensed by the Home Office who issued your Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). Once that contractual employment relationship terminates, you lose the primary legal basis to perform work. You have no general, open market right to work in the UK during the 60-day curtailment window.

Crucially, supplementary work rules under paragraph SW 18.2 do not permit you to work elsewhere once your main job ends. Supplementary employment—which allows up to 20 hours per week of work in an eligible occupation code—is strictly conditional on you continuing to work in the job for which you were sponsored. If you are no longer actively employed by your sponsor, any supplementary work becomes unauthorized, constituting illegal working under section 24B of the Immigration Act 1971.

Notice Periods, Licence Revocations, and Section 3C Leave

Whether you can perform any work at all during the curtailment window depends entirely on your exact employment status and why your visa was curtailed. If you are still working out a paid notice period or remain on garden leave before your formal termination date, you can generally continue carrying out duties for your existing sponsor, provided their sponsor licence remains active. However, if your employer's sponsor licence has been revoked by UKVI, all sponsored work must stop immediately; you cannot work for a revoked sponsor even while your curtailment letter is pending.

Many individuals believe that finding a new sponsor and lodging an application allows them to start working straight away. Under Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, submitting a valid in-time visa application before your 60-day curtailment deadline extends your lawful immigration status while UKVI makes a decision. However, Section 3C merely extends the conditions attached to your existing leave. Because your previous conditions tied your work authorization solely to your former employer, you cannot legally start working for your new sponsor until UKVI formally grants your new Skilled Worker permission.

Protecting Your Record Against Overstaying and Unlawful Working

A 60-day curtailment letter puts your entire immigration timeline under immediate pressure. Engaging in unauthorized employment during this window breaches section 24B of the Immigration Act 1971 and can trigger mandatory refusal under Part 9 of the Immigration Rules in any future application for leave to remain or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). An employer caught employing you before your new visa is granted risks civil penalties of up to £45,000 to £60,000 per illegal worker.

Your priority during this period must be regularising your immigration status. You have three options: secure a new sponsor who will issue an assigned CoS and apply for a new work visa, switch into an unsponsored category (such as Global Talent, Partner, or Student if eligible), or depart the UK voluntarily before the 60 days expire. You can use Caunsel to research immigration policy updates, save and organise your curtailment letters and employment documentation in a dedicated case file, or consult an independent immigration lawyer to map out your fastest route forward.

Steps

• Verify the curtailment end date on your official UKVI decision notice or via your digital immigration status account rather than calculating 60 days from your last day of work.
• Cease all side gigs, part-time jobs, and supplementary work immediately, as secondary employment rights end when your sponsored role terminates.
• Secure an interview and obtain an assigned Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from a licensed UK employer, or establish eligibility for a non-sponsored visa route.
• Submit your formal visa application to UKVI and pay all associated fees before 23:59 on the 60th day to preserve your status under Section 3C leave.
• Remain off payroll with your prospective employer until UKVI approves your new application, unless you qualify under specific transitional provisions.

Common mistakes

• Assuming the 60-day countdown begins on your termination date; it starts only from the date specified in the Home Office curtailment notice.
• Continuing supplementary or freelancing work under the mistaken belief that part-time work remains valid during curtailment.
• Starting to work for a new sponsor the moment you submit your visa application instead of waiting for official approval.
• Neglecting to update your contact details on your UKVI account, causing you to miss the curtailment letter and unknowingly overstay.

Questions people ask

Can I work a second job or freelance during the 60-day curtailment period?

No. Under Appendix Skilled Worker, supplementary employment is only permissible while you are actively working in your primary sponsored role. When your main sponsored job ends, your right to supplementary employment ceases immediately. Furthermore, freelance or self-employed work is strictly barred under standard work visa conditions.

Can I start working for my new sponsor while my application is being processed?

No. While lodging an in-time application gives you Section 3C leave to remain in the UK lawfully, Section 3C only continues the conditions of your previous visa. Because your previous visa only authorized work for your former sponsor, you cannot begin working for the new employer until UKVI issues a decision granting your new visa.

What happens if I cannot find a new sponsor before the 60 days expire?

If you do not submit a valid application for leave to remain before the curtailment date, your lawful leave ends, making you an overstayer under section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971. Overstaying damages your immigration record, exposes you to future re-entry bans, and requires you to leave the UK.

General information only, last updated 2026-10-07. Caunsel is not a law firm and does not practise law. AI answers and this guide are not legal advice. Verify filings, deadlines, and statutes with a licensed lawyer in United Kingdom.