I’m focused on immigration compliance, advising employers on how to employ migrant workers lawfully in the UK and how to avoid Home Office fines for failing to meet immigration compliance duties. Lots of contact with HR teams, business owners and foreign workers.

I also carry out mock immigration audits. I assess employers’ HR and immigration compliance processes and records, and produce an audit report with action plans. Audits are good risk management practice, as it prepares employers for Home Office inspections – which are hugely stressful for businesses!

A typical day in the office could include reviewing company compliance documents, updating our client compliance records, calls with clients to give guidance on their compliance duties and Right to Work obligations and booking visa appointments for visa applicants.

For example, I’ve just taken a call from a client and provided an assessment of a Tier 2 application against Home Office guidelines – looking at the genuineness of the role, salary, hours of work and identifying suitable Standard Occupational Classification Codes. I have to be able to assess a number of critical factors against the guidelines to identity potential issues and support with the application documentation.

I also spend time off-site at clients’ premises acting as an official representative during Home Office site inspections. Immigration inspections are a big deal – any allegations of breaches can result in fines and deportation of workers. Added to that, immigration officials don’t always follow the process correctly, so I attend to support with the requests for documents and information, to ensure the client has a record of what happens and generally provide legal and moral support.