Business Immigration
If you employ, or are thinking of employing, foreign workers you need to be aware of some significant changes in the immigration rules that could affect you and your business.
Increasingly UK businesses are employing migrant workers to fill gaps in the UK labour market or by way of an intra-company transfer, especially in the case of multi-nationals moving executives between their offices worldwide.
Employing people without them having the right to work for you is illegal and can open up employers to criminal and financial penalties.
The UK's immigration laws have been given a radical overhaul by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. The changes are extensive and the impact on employers who are employing, or planning to employ, migrant workers is significant. The new rules began to be effective on 28 February 2008 but will take a year to be fully implemented.
James Humphery, a Partner in the Employment Team and an expert in the field of Business Immigration, has written a helpful article explaining the key requirements for employers under the new immigration rules. James has also produced 3 case studies to illustrate some of the issues faced by employers under the new regime. Please use the navigation on the left to see these case studies.
Commenting on the changes, James says' "In many ways the new immigration rules have simplified things but as with many changes, the transitional provisions and regulations could cause issues for some employers."
To read the article produced by James, please click here.
James has also written two very helpful and detailed briefing papers covering the subjects:
- Immigration Law and Employing Foreign Workers; and
- Sponsorship of Migrant Workers
For further information about these papers, please contact James.
Would you like an Immigration Audit undertaken?
James has developed a very useful 'Immigration Audit' that enables him to assess with an employer whether there are any potential immigration issues from an employer's perspective. Looking at all elements of Immigration Law this is a really useful service for businesses of all sizes and includes:
- A review of current practices for compliance with new immigration rules
- Guidance on whether you need to apply to be licensed as a sponsor
- A check to see whether you can meet UKBA sponsorship requirements
- A summary report and booklet giving guidance on all applying for sponsorship and on your duties as a sponsor.
To find out more please email James or complete the short form by clicking here and James will get back to you.
We can help with:
- Immigration Audit
- Advice and assistance in dealing with work permits and other immigration issues
- Explaining the new immigration rules and how they affect you
- Providing practical guidance and advice on all matters related to employing migrant workers
