DavidsonMorris immigration blog
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 a Sponsor Licence
To employ skilled non-EEA workers, UK employers first have to apply for a sponsor licence. But a refusal rate of 15% suggests employers are struggling to get the application process right. UK immigration rules are demanding on [...]
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 [...]
EEA Permanent Residence Refused?
28% of permanent residence applications by EU citizens are being rejected, according to analysis by the Liberal Democrats earlier this year of the government’s migration data. To avert the uncertainty around Brexit, EEA nationals are [...]
3 Ways Global Mobility Should Deliver Organisational Value
Competition for best talent is intensifying on a global scale against a backdrop of increasingly stringent immigration policy. As such, organisations are more reliant than ever on effective global mobility to meet their people needs. [...]
Remaining in the UK following a Relationship Breakdown
The breakdown of a relationship between a couple with international backgrounds can lead to complex immigration issues, especially when one partner relies on the other’s immigration status to remain in the UK. Civil partnership dissolution, divorce [...]
Tier 5 Visa for Short-Term Skills Gaps
While the Tier 2 (General) visa remains the main entry route to the UK for skilled workers, recent changes to the Immigration Rules may precipitate employers exploring alternative immigration options to meet talent needs. Among the alternative [...]
New Immigration Charge on Care Homes Employing Tier 2 Foreign Workers
In the Government’s latest move to reduce net migration and revive the domestic labour market, as of 6 April 2017, employers will have to pay an ‘Immigration Skills Charge’ to bring skilled foreign workers to [...]
Guide to UK Business Visas for Non-EEA Citizens
The UK is facing a huge challenge in staying attractive for global business. Despite a backdrop of Brexit negotiations and the UK Government's pledge to reduce net migration, the economy will continue to rely on both [...]
3 Key Triggers of Business Immigration Risk
Employers may be surprised to learn that certain organisational changes can leave them open to breaches in immigration duties. Oversights and poor management of immigration issues can result in problems with retaining your sponsor licence and your ability to [...]