A Comprehensive Guide to UK Immigration Law
The UK’s immigration laws provide the framework of rules, regulations and requirements applicable to anyone looking to come to the United Kingdom, whether to visit, work, study, join family, settle permanently or seek protection. The various routes, visa categories and processes comprising the UK immigration system are designed to allow the UK Government to manage […]
Guide to Choosing the Best Immigration Lawyer
The UK immigration system is complex, comprising numerous visa routes, entry and residency requirements and compliance obligations. This makes finding the right immigration lawyer crucial for anyone looking to live, work, or study in the UK. The UK immigration law market is large and complex, shaped by frequent policy changes and procedural reforms with a range of different types […]
L1 Visa Guide: Process, Requirements and Tips
The L1 visa is a non-immigrant visa for intra-company transferees in the United States. It enables international companies to transfer key employees—managers, executives (L1A), or employees with specialised knowledge (L1B)—from one of their offices in another country to the U.S. office or to establish a new office in the United States. This visa is particularly […]
Self Sponsorship Visa UK (An Ultimate Guide!)
A self-sponsorship visa in the UK typically refers to the route where entrepreneurs or business professionals move to the UK by sponsoring themselves for a visa, such as a Skilled Worker visa, through their own UK-based company. This approach has gained attention due to the restrictions and closures of other entrepreneurial visa routes to the […]
Can Visa Dependants Start A Business in the UK?
Dependant visa holders are generally permitted to start and run their own business in the UK, provided they have lawful status and remain eligible under their visa conditions. In this guide, we explain the rules on setting up a business if you have a dependant visa. Who are visa dependants? Visa dependants, or dependant visa-holders, […]
Do Academic Visitors Need a Visa for the UK?
To visit the UK for academic purposes as an overseas national, you may need an academic visitor visa. Not all visitors to the UK need to apply for a visa, but travelling to Britain without the relevant permission can result in you being refused entry at the border. This makes is critical to understand what […]
Innovator Founder Visa for Business Owners
Following the closure of the Start up visa and Innovator routes, the sole route for foreign nationals to set up and manage their own business in the UK is the Innovator Founder route. The Innovator Founder visa is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to start and run a successful business in the UK. […]
Health & Care Worker Visa Requirements
If you are a healthcare professional looking to relocate to the UK for work, it’s likely you’ll need to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa. The Health and Care Worker Visa is a dedicated immigration route for qualified medical professionals. The UK has a shortage of workers in the health sector, and this […]
Global Business Mobility Visas
Following an overhaul of the UK immigration system post-Brexit, the Home Office opened the Global Business Mobility Route in 2022. The visa categories under this route are highly specialised and designed for specialist overseas workers to come to the UK on a temporary basis to meet specific skill needs. This article will outline the five […]
Business Visitor Visa Guide
If you are coming to the UK for the purposes of business, you’ll need to ensure you have the relevant permission. Depending on your nationality, you may need to apply for a Business Visitor visa, or you may be able to travel visa-free. The following guide for foreign nationals looking to come to the UK […]
Skilled Worker Visa Overview
The Skilled Worker Visa is the primary work-related visa category under the new Points-Based Immigration System available for those seeking to move to the United Kingdom. At first, the Skilled Worker Visa process may seem daunting, but once you have confirmation of an eligible job from an approved employer it is overall a simple application […]
Losing Your Job As A Skilled Worker Visa Holder
One of the conditions of the Skilled Worker visa is that the holder has a qualifying role and is sponsored by a Home Office approved employer. Should the visa holder lose their job, however, this will impact their permission to remain lawfully in the UK. Your former employer will be required to notify the Home Office […]
What is a Sponsorship Licence?
Recruiting a skilled workforce from overseas has become vital for employers across the UK economy. If you are a UK employer and want to recruit foreign national workers under a sponsored work route, such as the Skilled Worker or Scale Up visas, your organisation is required to hold a valid sponsorship licence. To obtain a […]
How to Make a Sponsor Licence Application
Most UK employers will need a sponsor licence in order to hire workers from overseas. A sponsor licence is effectively the permission granted to an organisation by the Home Office, allowing them to employ foreign, non-UK resident workers in specific types of roles. In this guide, we explain the rules and requirements when applying for […]
Sponsor Licence Compliance: Essential Guide
As a licensed sponsor you have a number of duties and responsibilities so as to ensure compliance with the immigration rules and prevent abuse of the system – both by you as a sponsoring employer and by any migrants that you sponsor. Failure to meet the Home Office requirements can lead to sponsor licence suspension […]
What is a Certificate of Sponsorship?
Those entering the UK workforce from outside the UK often require sponsorship from a licensed UK employer. This sponsorship system acts as a bridge, connecting skilled individuals from overseas with job opportunities and facilitating their legal entry and residence in the UK. The Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is a crucial aspect of this system, enabling […]
Civil Penalty under Immigration Act (Been Fined?)
As part of the Home Office’s enforcement toolkit against illegal working, employers who are found to be in breach of their immigration compliance duties may be issued a civil penalty under the Immigration Act 2016. The Immigration Act also introduced criminal offences in cases of illegal employment and provided additional powers for immigration officers to […]
Do You Need an Artist Visa for the UK?
If you’re a professional artist or entertainer looking to perform in the UK, you may need to obtain a visa before you can travel here to work. Since the end of EU free movement in 2020, EU citizens coming to the UK for work will also require a visa. The following guide looks at the […]
How to Check Someone’s Proof of Right to Work
All UK employers, irrespective of size or sector, are required by law to ensure that any prospective and existing employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to undertake the work in question. Failure to check and verify an employee’s proof of right to work in the UK prior to the start of […]
Right to Work Documents List
Every worker in the UK has to provide proof to their employer that they have the right to work. This requirement applies regardless of the worker’s nationality, residency status, age or race. UK employers are required by law to carry out right to work document checks prior to any candidate starting employment. To carry out […]