DavidsonMorris immigration blog
Switching from Tier 2 to Tier 1
Switching from Tier 2 to Tier 1? What you need to know. We’re often asked about 'switching' visa categories while in the UK. One of the more common requests from individuals is for switching from [...]
Sponsor Licence Suspended?
Tier 2 Sponsor Licence Suspended? Consider your next steps carefully. Sponsor licence holders are subject to continued Home Office scrutiny. From the initial demands of the sponsor licence application process, to the ongoing duties as [...]
When does the Tier 2 Cooling Off Period apply?
When does the Tier 2 cooling off period apply? The Tier 2 cooling off period prohibits a person who has previously held a Tier 2 visa from returning to the UK for a period of 12 months, [...]
Global Mobility for Competitive Advantage
How organisations can build competitive advantage through global mobility The cost of moving personnel across borders continues to cause concern for employers with global footprints. Compliance risks abound, and global immigration rules are continually being constricted [...]
MAC Call for Evidence – Have Your Say
MAC Call for Evidence: UK Business and Employers - Have Your Say! The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has been commissioned by the UK government to undertake a substantial research and analysis process looking at two [...]
Global Mobility Senior Buy-In
Gaining global mobility senior buy-in: Driving change for impact and improvement Global mobility is undergoing substantial change. On an organisational level, mobility functions are striving to move beyond the administrative remit of a visa processing [...]
Sponsor licence guidance for employers
Sponsor licence guidance for employers applying to hire non-EEA citizens. To employ skilled personnel from outside the EU, UK employers must first apply to UKVI for a sponsor licence. Hiring from overseas is a business [...]
Investment Immigration UK – What’s the Big Appeal?
Increased levels of investment immigration in UK suggests Brexit Britain still holds global financial appeal. The first three months of 2017 saw a record number of Tier 1 investor visa applications - the highest since [...]
Preparing to Apply for Sponsor Licence
To employ skilled non-EEA workers, UK employers first have to apply for sponsor licence. But a refusal rate of 15% suggests employers are struggling to get the application process right. UK immigration rules are demanding on employers [...]
2017 Mobility Trends – Where are we now?
Back in January we looked ahead at global mobility and business immigration trends for the year. Now at the halfway point, what are the 2017 mobility trends UK employers and HR teams can expect to [...]
The Immigration Bill & EEA Nationals in the UK
This article was posted on 21 June 2017, before the Government announced details of its settled status proposal on 26 June 2017. Proposed Immigration Bill has considerable implications for EEA nationals in the UK Brexit [...]
5 Benefits of Global Mobility Technology
Squeezed budgets, smaller teams and the demand for return on investment are driving employers to examine how they can improve their global mobility programmes. This is where global mobility technology is stepping up, offering solutions [...]
UK Immigration Policy Changes Ahead
Businesses in the UK who employ foreign workers have in recent years felt the impact of increasingly protectionist UK immigration policy changes. The introduction of the Immigration Skills Charge; closure of multiple visa routes; increases [...]
Tier 2 Guidance on Record Keeping
One of the most common areas of immigration compliance risk for sponsor licence holders relates to the Tier 2 guidance on record keeping. UK immigration rules place high demands on sponsor licence holders to ensure they [...]
New UKVI charges for overseas visa applications
With effect from 1 June 2017, UKVI is charging for all email communications relating to visa applications made from outside the UK. The charge is in addition to existing application fees and telephone charges. UKVI [...]
Latest immigration figures show extent of EU workers leaving UK
The last official migration figures to be released before the general election reveal EU workers are choosing to leave the UK. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report shows that at 36%, the majority of [...]
Why you might not have to pay a fine for illegal workers
The Home Office is continuing in its highly stringent approach to illegal employment enforcement. For employers, failure to meet your UK immigration compliance duties can result in a fine for illegal workers. Immigration breaches are more [...]
Big Data & Global Mobility – Why Bother?
Why organisations should leverage big data to enable evidence-based global mobility decisions If your organisation isn't making the most of data to drive its global mobility programmes - you are missing out. As with all areas, HR & [...]
How to Manage Recruitment Immigration Risks
UK employers face increasing recruitment immigration risks when hiring non-UK nationals Between July - September 2016 alone, UKVI issued £10.2million in fines to UK employers for illegal working. For employers, the option of recruiting from the [...]
Barista Visa – Solution to Labour Shortages or a Bitter Tonic?
Reports of shortages of labour in specific sectors and an exodus of EEA workers as a result of Brexit are fuelling speculation about potential changes in the UK immigration rules. With the General Election now upon us [...]