Immigration

Busy employers need to be spending their time on managing their organisation rather than studying the ins and outs of work or student visas.

However, with the Government increasingly putting the onus on employers to check the immigration status of their workforce and fines of up to £20,000 per illegal immigrant for companies and organisations which fail to do so, this is an issue which no-one can afford to ignore, especially not employers in the public arena.

Our specialist immigration team cuts through the complexity and keeps you up to speed with advice and assistance on all aspects of UK immigration law.

We provide focused, timely legal support to employers of all sizes across a wide range of sectors.

Combining employment expertise and the ability to deal with the authorities, we are uniquely placed to advise you on the full range of issues surrounding the employment of foreign workers whilst ensuring all relevant UK regulations are met.

Our team can provide assistance in a wide range of areas including:

Before recruitment

• Advise on the merits of becoming a registered sponsor of migrant workers with the Home Office
• Advise on the application procedure, eligibility, cost and timescale
• Step-by-step guidance through the application process
• Advise on the suitable type of application and visa
• Provide advice and support throughout the application process
• Prepare the application and supporting documentation for submission to the Home Office

Recruitment stage – preventing illegal working

• Provide guidance/training/procedures on carrying out right-to-work checks
• Ensuring recruitment policies and procedures, offer letters and contracts of employment are in line with immigration requirements
• Ensuring compliance whilst avoiding discrimination
• Reviewing HR systems and processes and recommending actions for improvement

Where migrant workers are already employed

• Ensuring you comply with your reporting duties
• Advise on employees extending their visas
• Advise when looking to promote an employee who is eligible to work in a specific role only
• Assistance when a migrant worker wants to change employer
• Assistance when a migrant worker wants to switch to a different visa category

Upskilling your staff

• We can provide a bespoke training package to ensure the appropriate members of staff in your organisation are aware of and fully understand your company’s obligations and responsibilities under immigration legislation.

We can help on a practical level with advice on HR practices and procedures when it comes to non-UK workers and on potential race discrimination claims.

We are members of ILPA (the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association) and we also offer free initial consultations for visa applicants to consider their eligibility for a business visa and employers who are looking to become a sponsor or recruit staff from overseas.

For further details on how we can help you to negotiate the minefield of immigration legislation, please get in touch.