Tough penalties will be imposed upon sponsors whose family members do not comply with the visa rules.

Sponsors will now be licensed and could face a £5,000 fine or a jail sentence if they do not comply with the new sponsored family visa system.

Anne Fairweather, the REC’s head of public policy said: “Agencies that supply domestic workers were horrified to hear the Government’s plans first mooted two years ago to scrap the domestic worker visa.  

“Many domestic workers escape abusive employment relationships with the families they are based with, through seeking new work opportunities through recruitment agencies.  This route would have been closed down under the original plans.”