Prevention of Illegal Working Guide for Employers
All UK employers are under a duty to prevent illegal working in the UK, regardless of whether they employ foreign nationals. Failure to meet these duties risks enforcement action by the Home Office, including substantial fines. To comply with the so-called Right to Work requirements, there are practical steps that employers must take to help […]
Immigration Health Surcharge to Increase No Earlier Than 16 January 2024
The planned increase is now scheduled for debate in the House of Commons on 10 January 2024. It is therefore unlikely that the increase will be implemented by 16 January 2024, and instead the earliest this could take effect will now be 31 January 2024, or potentially early February 2024. Read our latest alert here. […]
Start Up to Innovator Founder Visa
If you’re in the UK on the Start up route, you may want to switch into the Innovator Founder route as a longer term option to remain in Britain. In this guide for Start up visa holders, we look in detail at how to switch from a Start up to Innovator Founder visa, from the […]
How to Avoid Employing Illegal Immigrants
Employers across all sectors may find themselves falling foul of immigration compliance and facing allegations of employing illegal immigrants. Under current immigration rules, employers operate under specific duties under the prevention of illegal working regime. Where employers are found to be in breach of their immigration compliance duties and are alleged to be employing illegal […]
MAC Proposes Reforms to Shortage Occupation List
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its latest review of the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL). The review was originally commissioned in August 2022 and covers information from the MAC’s own research as well as input from wider stakeholder engagement through a Call for Evidence. In its report, published on 3 October 2023, the […]
Changes to Ukraine Extension Scheme
The UK currently operates three different Ukraine Schemes designed to support those who wish to either come to or remain in the UK: Ukraine Family Scheme – for those with family members who are already settled in the UK Homes for Ukraine – for those sponsored by a UK household for 6 months Ukraine Extension […]
British Citizenship Requirements
There are several British citizenship requirements that must be met under the British Nationality Act (BNA) 1981 to prove your eligibility to naturalise as a British citizen. The following guide for applicants looks at each of the statutory requirements that must be met for a successful application for British citizenship. We also look at the […]
Sponsor Licence Change of Circumstances
Among the compliance duties that sponsor licence holders have to meet is the requirement to inform the Home Office of certain changes in circumstances relating to sponsored workers and to the organisation itself. Failure to the meet this duty can result in enforcement action, potentially impacting your permission to sponsor overseas workers. The following guide […]
Increase in Fees to Assign Certificates of Sponsorship
Among the latest increases in Home Office fees announced last week, the cost of assigning Certificates of Sponsorship will rise from 4 October 2023. The change impacts sponsor licence holders assigning all types of CoS to sponsored workers. Most notably, the cost of a Certificate of Sponsorship for a Skilled Worker is rising to £239 from […]
Increase in UK Visa Fees from 4 October 2023
The Home Office has announced increases in UK visa, settlement and nationality fees that will take effect from 4 October 2023. The increases are affecting a wide range of applications, covering UK entry clearance, indefinite leave to enter, indefinite leave to remain as well as applications for leave to remain in the UK including many […]