Certain UK immigration routes provide flexibility in employment, while others impose strict conditions. Understanding when supplementary employment is permitted is crucial for both employers and sponsored workers to remain compliant with immigration rules. This article provides a guidance to understanding the rules on supplementary employment in the UK.
Routes Allowing Flexible Work
Some visa categories—such as the Global Talent, Partner, and Dependant routes—allow individuals to work in almost any capacity, including self-employment. Others, like the student route, are more limited; for instance, students cannot engage in “business activity,” which is generally interpreted as restricting self-employment.
By contrast, routes such as the Innovator Founder visa are highly restrictive, requiring individuals to work exclusively for the business they are establishing.
When Supplementary Employment Is Permitted
Under several sponsored work routes, individuals can take on supplementary employment in addition to their main sponsored role. These include the:
- Skilled Worker route
- International Sportsperson route
- Creative Worker route
- Government Authorised Exchange route
- Religious Worker route
- T2 Minister of Religion route
Supplementary employment is also available to those under certain transitional arrangements, such as Senior or Specialist Workers previously sponsored under the old Intra-Company routes, and some International Agreement Workers.
This flexibility allows workers to take on additional paid work while maintaining their primary sponsored position. However, strict limits apply.
The Rules on Supplementary Employment
The key requirements are set out in paragraph S8.12 of Sponsor Guidance: Document 2.
Supplementary employment must:
- Not exceed 20 hours per week
- Be undertaken outside contracted working hours for the sponsored role
- Be in an eligible occupation, depending on the worker’s route and date of sponsorship grant
The worker must continue to perform their sponsored role and cannot replace or reduce their main sponsored duties.
There is one limited exception: Skilled Workers sponsored as GP trainees who have permission extending up to four months beyond their Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) end date may undertake supplementary work during that period, even if no longer working for their original sponsor.
Permitted Types of Supplementary Work
The supplementary role must meet one of the following criteria:
- It is in the same profession and at the same professional level as the sponsored job
- It is a role listed in the Appendix Immigration Salary List
- For Skilled Workers (post–22 July 2025 grants): the role is listed in Tables 1, 2, or 3 of Appendix Skilled Occupations
- For Skilled Workers under transitional arrangements (granted before 22 July 2025): the role is listed in Tables 1a, 2aa, or 3a of Appendix Skilled Occupations
Importantly, the supplementary employer does not need to be a licensed sponsor, and workers do not need to inform the Home Office of their additional employment. However, they must inform the secondary employer and ensure that all work is compliant with right to work checks.
Employer Responsibilities
Employers offering supplementary work must:
- Confirm that the individual’s visa permits supplementary employment
- Verify that the additional hours do not exceed 20 hours per week
- Ensure that the role does not overlap with the worker’s contracted hours for their sponsored job
- Maintain proper right to work documentation
The Home Office recommends obtaining a letter from the worker’s primary sponsor confirming their main role and hours before supplementary employment is offered.
The worker must continue to perform their sponsored role and cannot replace or reduce their main sponsored duties.
Limits and Transitional Arrangements
Some Senior or Specialist Workers under the Global Business Mobility route may also take supplementary employment if they previously held Intra-Company permission before 11 April 2022 and have maintained continuous status since.
It’s important to distinguish between supplementary and secondary employment.
- Supplementary employment is additional work (up to 20 hours per week) without a new CoS.
- Secondary employment involves two separate sponsorships with two CoS, and is not limited to 20 hours per week.
Key Compliance Considerations
While supplementary employment can offer valuable flexibility, it also poses compliance risks. The Home Office may question whether a sponsored role is genuine if most income or time is devoted to supplementary work.
Both employers and workers should ensure:
- The main sponsored role remains genuine and ongoing.
- Supplementary work stays within permitted limits.
- Accurate records are kept to demonstrate compliance.
Employers should have clear internal processes for verifying right to work and monitoring working hours to avoid inadvertent breaches.
Contact us
For specialist advice on immigration compliance or right to work checks, contact our Immigration Team at Clarkslegal LLP.
We assist employers in navigating sponsorship obligations, right to work compliance, and Home Office audits to ensure businesses remain fully compliant under the UK’s evolving immigration framework.
Please do not hesitate to get in touch with our immigration lawyers.
