Business
immigration
Managing employee mobility and sourcing skilled workers from outside the UK is critical for many businesses, particularly following the UK’s exit from the European Union reducing global mobility and gaps in particular skillsets within the UK. Business Immigration law has been subject to significant change in recent years and remains the subject of keen political focus. It can be difficult for employers to stay on top of these changes and to manage the increased compliance burden that comes with holding a sponsor licence.
We can help through:
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Skilled Worker sponsor licence applications.
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Advice on all stages of the recruitment of personnel on Skilled Worker visas, including assessing the suitability of roles for sponsorship, issuing certificates of sponsorship through the sponsor management systema and managing record keeping and reporting duties.
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Advising on (business) visitor visas and providing support to staff entering the UK.
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Business immigration advice as part of a due diligence exercise and acquisition.
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Document audits and the implementation of appropriate controls and practices to ensure compliance with Home Office guidance and avoid liability for illegal working.
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Working with legal partners around the world to obtain advice on jurisdictions outside the UK.
Case study
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Working with a global recruitment agency to manage an existing Global Business Mobility licence (previously the Intra-company Transfer route), add an additional limb to the licence to allow sponsorship of Skilled Workers, and provide for staff who came into the UK on the Intra-company Transfer route to be sponsored on the Skilled Worker route instead.
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Working with a non-trading sports/equine entity to establish the correct structure and management in the UK so as to ensure that it would meet the requirements to make a successful application for a sponsor licence and recruit workers with specific technical skills.
Case study in the health sector
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​Advice to a healthcare services provider with respect to a growing demand to fill roles which are deemed to be a ‘Shortage Occupation’ in the UK. We advised upon the structure of the licence within the Group, the appointment of Key Personnel, the application for the licence itself along with advice and training to HR on recruitment risks and management of reporting and record keeping duties.
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Taking instructions from the director of a national healthcare services business in relation to the proposed expansion of its business which requires key roles which are at a shortage in the UK.
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Carefully planning the need for a sponsor licence, the proposed licence structure (i.e. across various limited company subsidiaries of the group)
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Assisting with queries on the sponsor management system (SMS)
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Meeting with the management team (director/owner and HR) to define Key Personnel
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Providing clear understanding of the duties which will be held by Key Personnel under the licence which a view to codifying policy guidance as regards an appropriate HR structure for the management of the shortage occupations
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Providing associated training to the HR and management teams