Kerala man left without shifts despite being sponsored under skilled worker visa scheme
An employment tribunal in the United Kingdom has ordered a care company to pay nearly £37,500 to an Indian worker who was left without employment for about a year despite being recruited under the country’s skilled worker visa programme.
Shabin Shaji, from Kerala, moved to Stafford in 2023 after securing sponsorship from Swan Care Solutions Ltd for a care worker position. The move came amid reports of significant labour shortages in the UK healthcare sector.
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According to tribunal findings, Shaji paid around £17,000 to recruitment agents after being connected through contacts he found online
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He was interviewed via WhatsApp and subsequently received a certificate of sponsorship, enabling him to relocate and work for the company in Britain
Before travelling, Shaji purchased a car and completed online training in preparation for the role. However, after arriving in the UK, he said he was never allocated any work despite repeatedly requesting shifts.
The tribunal heard that the company’s sponsorship arrangement effectively restricted his ability to seek alternative employment, as visa rules limited the number of hours he could work for another employer. Shaji eventually secured sponsorship from a different employer in April 2024, roughly a year after his arrival, but later returned to India because of ill health.
During proceedings, the tribunal was told that company staff suggested he take cash-in-hand jobs and use a food bank while waiting for work. Shaji described living in severe financial hardship, relying on charity and surviving on inexpensive food.
Employment Judge Kate Edmonds found that Shaji had fulfilled all requirements to begin work and was “ready, able and willing” to perform his duties. The tribunal concluded that Swan Care Solutions failed to provide work or pay wages owed, resulting in unauthorised deductions from his earnings.
The company has been ordered to pay £28,843.54 in unpaid wages and holiday pay, as well as £8,700 in costs and additional remedies linked to failures in employment documentation and grievance procedures.
The case has renewed scrutiny of recruitment practices affecting overseas workers entering the UK under sponsored visa schemes.
