An Indian man who moved to the United Kingdom under the skilled worker visa scheme has been awarded almost £30,000 by an employment tribunal after his employer failed to provide him with any work for almost a year despite issuing him sponsorship to undertake care work.According to The Guardian, the tribunal ordered the care company Swan Care Solutions Ltd to pay Shabeen Shaji for work she was “ready, able and willing to do”, as well as other remedies for breaches including holiday pay and failure to provide a written contract and non-compliance with grievance procedures.Shaji, who hails from Kerala, moved to Stafford in 2023 after he was told there was a severe shortage of health workers in Britain. He bought a car for the job and completed online training before the trip. He said he had previously sought advice about securing work in the UK from a YouTube influencer, who connected him with agents.According to the tribunal, he paid recruiters £17,000 and was subsequently interviewed for the role on WhatsApp before being issued a sponsorship certificate, allowing him to live and work in the UK with Swan Care Solutions as his sponsoring employer.However, the computer science graduate, who had prior experience in health care in India, said she was not given any shift despite repeated requests. According to his visa conditions he could not work more than 20 hours a week for any other employer. He later secured sponsorship elsewhere in April 2024, a year after his arrival, but later returned to India due to ill health.The tribunal heard that Swan Care Solutions staff suggested she work cash-in-hand and use the food bank, and told her they would contact her when it was her “turn”.The Guardian quoted employment judge Kate Edmonds as saying, “The claimant did what was required to undertake the work… however, the defendant did not provide her with the work, nor pay her.”He further said, “The defendant withheld work from him… hence unauthorized deductions were made from his salary.”Shaji, who struggled without employment or income during his time in Britain, said, “I was broke and had to rely on charity. I drank tap water to survive and bought bread close to its expiry date.”The employment tribunal has ordered the company to pay £28,843.54 in wages and holiday pay, as well as £8,700 in costs.