The Government published yesterday 297-pages of changes to the Immigration Rules. Separately, it also announced changes to the Immigration fees. Most of these changes will be effective from 29 March 2019....
Brexit and immigration policy has introduced more challenges for the recruitment industry. Simon Kent explores what recruiters can do at a time of uncertainty....
If you are an elite sportsperson or coach who is internationally established in your sport, then you could be eligible to apply for a Tier 2 (sportsperson) visa. ...
The best tech talent from around the world can come to the UK on a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa; maintaining the UK’s position in being ahead of the global digital economy. The UK has a renowned digital technology reputation, and this is largely attributed to the great digital technology specialists we have in the UK....
The Home Office has updated its guidance for UK citizens travelling to Europe after 29 March 2019 if there is no EU Exit deal....
If you are looking to set up a branch or subsidiary in the UK for an overseas business and you are from outside of the EEA and Switzerland then this may be a suitable option for you as opposed to following the points-based system routes, which are more stringent. The business must not have any active branch, subsidiary or other representative in the UK. ...
The Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) is a key part of the Tier 2 (General) Sponsorship System. It is also one which has the potential of causing the most issues. This is because if not done right, the employer must re-do the test again causing significant delays which may result in losing their ideal candidate. It is also of note that if the RLMT is not conducted properly or evidence of it is not kept, the UKVI is very likely to take compliance action against the Sponsor....
The Government’s white paper on Brexit, promises a post-Brexit Immigration system for everyone. However, it has left businesses wanting, especially those who rely on their vital EU staff. ...
The new Agreement published on 8 February 2019 provides protection to the rights of residence for three EEA EFTA States: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein in the event of a no-deal. Fortunately for these selective States the entitlements (to work, study and access public funds) of their nationals will be broadly as they are now. Their rights will be protected by international and domestic laws post Brexit. Please note that similar provisions already apply to Switzerland....
From 10 January 2019 it become possible for architects to apply under a Tier 1 (Exceptional Talent) visa. Previously architects could only follow the Tier 2 route, where they would have to be sponsored by a licenced Sponsor, who would have to meet the Residence Labour Market Test (RLMT) before making an offer of employment to the migrant and prior to the migrant coming to the UK....
The Government, in its white paper last year, announced a proposal to remove the cap on sponsoring Tier 2 migrants. This cap applies to Tier 2 (General) migrants earning less than £159,600, applying from outside the UK or are already in the UK as a dependent of a Tier 4 migrant....
A key proposal of the new immigration system destined to start in 2021 is streamlining of the Sponsorship Licencing System under Tier 2 of the Immigration Rules. The Sponsorship Licencing System is currently a key resource available for businesses across the UK to sponsor non-EU nationals from across the world. ...
The UK is now 2 months away from its exit date from the EU. However, it is yet to agree on what type of Brexit deal it wants from the EU. This means that there remains a significant chance of exiting the EU without a deal....
The Government has published its report on the second private test phase of the EU Settlement Scheme. The results show that out of the 90.7% decided cases, no cases were refused. The Government says that it has used the data from the 29,987 applications received over the 51 days of this test phase to improve the overall user experience....
The 40-page AN EMPLOYER’S GUIDE TO RIGHT TO WORK CHECKS published by the Home Office on 29 June 2018, 2 years after the EU referendum and more than a year after the Article 50 trigger, has no references to Brexit. It does not therefore mention what employers would have to do if there was no deal. ...
Application fee for EU Settlement Scheme to be scrapped...
If you are an EU national or a non-EU family member of an EU national then you can register to enter the public test phase of the EU Settlement Scheme which opens today. Unfortunately, citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland will not be able to apply until the Scheme fully opens on 30 March 2019....
It is that of time of the year when most sponsors would have either received an email from UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) asking them to renew their CoS allocations or would have qualified for auto-allocation. ...
The UK is anticipated to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 (unless the two-year notice period is extended by agreement between the UK and EU). The new EU Settlement Scheme fully opens on 30 March 2019....
The last few days of Parliament have not provided anyone with any certainty on Brexit. A key group of stakeholders of Brexit are the EU citizens in the UK and those intending to come here post-Brexit. So, what happens if there is no deal before 29 March 2019 and the UK crashes out of the EU?...