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Closed petition: Make Skilled Worker sponsor-free after 5 years, with grace period and cap fees

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After 5 years, give Skilled Workers portable status to change jobs without a sponsor; keep no recourse to public funds (NRPF). Add a 180-day grace period after job loss; cap repeat visa/IHS fees.

A single employer can decide a family’s fate. If sponsorship is delayed or withdrawn, long-term taxpayers can lose job, home and stability overnight—despite never using benefits. Sponsor-free status after 5 years could protect contributors, cut red tape for employers, and keep UK-trained talent in critical sectors like AI, biosciences, fintech and healthcare. We believe this does not change ILR timelines or salary thresholds and costs taxpayers nothing, as NRPF remains until settlement.

146 signatures


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    This petition will stay open until 21 May 2026.