UK Employers Sponsoring Refugees? What We Know So Far
New UK Employer Sponsorship Route for Refugees Alongside wider asylum and immigration reforms, the government has announced plans to introduce a new immigration route allowing recognised refugees to come to the UK through employer sponsorship. According to the Home Office, the proposed scheme will sit alongside new community and university sponsorship routes as […]
Shabana Mahmood Sets Out New UK Asylum Immigration Routes
Shabana Mahmood UK Immigration Routes: Reforms Announced Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has outlined a package of asylum and immigration reforms that will form the basis of the forthcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is expected to be published next week. The measures would significantly reshape how the UK provides protection to refugees while […]
What Are Andy Burnham’s Views on Immigration?
UK Immigration Policy under a Burnham Government As Burnham has not yet published a detailed immigration programme, any assessment of his likely approach necessarily relies on his parliamentary record, public statements and recent interviews. His parliamentary record generally places him within Labour’s more liberal tradition on immigration and asylum matters. More recently, however, […]
New Form for Accompanying an eVisa Published by the Home Office
What is the New Form to Accompany eVisas? The Home Office describes the document as a form for accompanying an eVisa. The published form contains information relating to the holder and their immigration permission. Nothing in the accompanying guidance suggests the document creates a new type of immigration status or replaces an existing […]
Brexit 10 Years On: How UK Immigration Changed
End of Free Movement Before Brexit, the UK effectively operated two immigration systems. EU citizens could generally live and work in the UK under free movement rights derived from European law. Employers could recruit workers from across the European Union without sponsor licences, immigration permission or ongoing Home Office compliance obligations. Non-EU nationals, […]
UK Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups Launched (‘VFRS4SU’)
Government Launches Visa Fee Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups The Government has launched a new funding scheme aimed at helping certain high-growth businesses reduce the cost of recruiting international talent. The Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups (VFRS4SU) allows eligible employers operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital and Technologies sectors to […]
Home Office Tightens Student Sponsor Compliance Rules for Universities
Home Office Raises the Compliance Bar for Student Sponsors The Home Office has announced significant changes to the Student sponsor compliance framework, introducing tougher performance thresholds and a new rating system for universities and higher education providers sponsoring international students. The reforms increase compliance expectations for licensed Student sponsors and create a more […]
10 Year Passport Rule Explained for UK Travellers
Section A: What Is the 10-Year Passport Rule? The 10-year passport rule has become a growing source of confusion for UK travellers heading to Europe. Despite the name, it is not a new passport policy introduced by the UK Government or a recently announced European measure. Instead, it reflects the passport validity requirements […]
Sponsored Care Worker Awarded £30,000 After Receiving No Work
Mr S Shaji v Swan Care Solutions Ltd: Background to the Case Shaji v Swan Care Solutions Ltd concerned a sponsored care worker who relocated from India to the UK after being offered employment in the care sector. He later brought a claim for unpaid wages after alleging that he had remained ready […]
Home Office Reverses Sponsor Right to Work Changes
Home Office Revises Sponsor Right to Work Guidance Following Industry Concerns The Home Office has revised its sponsor guidance to remove wording introduced earlier this year which appeared to widen sponsor right to work obligations beyond employees and sponsored workers. The updated “Sponsor a Worker” guidance, effective from 20 May 2026, confirms that […]