New Criminal Offences for Employing Illegal Workers
From 12 July 2016 employers face hefty fines and significant jail terms if there is ‘reasonable cause to believe’ they have been employing illegal workers. Before these amendments an employer could plead ignorance when it came to employing illegal workers. Employers would only have criminal charges brought against them if it could be proved they […]
Protecting EU Employees’ Rights After Brexit
This article was published in July 2016, pre-dating proposals to post-Brexit immigration rules. EU employees are anxiously awaiting confirmation that their right to live and work in the UK will be preserved following the referendum. Protecting EU employees’ rights after Brexit is now a business priority for the many UK industries relying heavily on workers from […]
5 Myths Exposed: Immigration After Brexit
So much misinformation was circulated about immigration in the lead up to the referendum that it is difficult for UK employers and EU workers to know what to expect for UK immigration after Brexit. In fact, it is likely to be some time before the Government makes any definite policy announcements. To encourage cool heads during […]
NHS Seeks Solution to UK Nursing Shortage
While uncertainty dominates post-referendum Britain, for the NHS it has to be ‘business as usual’. Critical challenges such as the severe UK nursing shortage continue to demand immediate resolution, to minimise any impact on quality of care and patient safety. The Government has reluctantly agreed that the only viable solution to the UK’s nursing shortage is […]
UK Business Immigration post-EU Referendum
As Britain begins the process of extracting itself from the EU, nobody can say with any real certainty at this stage just how UK business immigration will change after Brexit, and which UK business immigration policies could or will replace the current system. For UK business owners that rely on EU migrant labour or have UK staff based […]
Tier 2 Visa Reforms: Update for Employers
On 24 March 2016, in a written parliamentary statement, the Immigration Minister, James Brokenshire, announced a number of imminent Tier 2 visa reforms, aimed at restricting the number of Tier 2 visas that are granted. “For too long we have had a shortage of workers in certain roles, and in the past, it has been […]
6 ways to prepare for UK Tier 2 visa changes
With UK Tier 2 visa changes imminent, organisations are advised to start planning now and ensure the survival of their business. Responding to criticism of increased salary thresholds, a spokesperson from the Home Office recently said: “This shouldn’t be catching employers by surprise; after all, they’ve had since 2011 – when the new rules were first […]
Beware Emerging Markets Immigration Risks!
Emerging markets immigration is coming to the fore at a time when immigration rules across the globe are becoming increasingly protectionist. As global businesses look to developing markets in the search for new sales and customers, from an immigration compliance perspective, this raises greater challenges such as enhanced risks, procedural uncertainty and higher overall project costs. Some of […]
Brexit Impact on Employers and HR teams
With the EU referendum date now set for 23 June 2016, Britain is about to embark on an unprecedented period of campaigning, public debate and mass speculation about the future of the UK and its relationship with Europe. In particular, for the 2 million EU workers currently in Britain, there is no definitive picture of […]
Review of Tier 2 – Migration Advisory Committee Recommendations
Following our Webinar on Thursday 28 January when we discussed the recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to the Home Secretary, we summarise below the details of their proposed reforms and the restrictions which could have a significant impact on employers who sponsor workers from overseas or wish to do so in future […]