Head of Immigration Imelda Reddington considers the English language requirements of the Skilled Worker visa and provides some much-needed clarity as to the specific tests that a migrant needs to pass.
The Home Office have clarified which immigration-related costs employers can and cannot recover from Skilled Workers, in an updated version of the sponsor guidance published on 31 December 2024.
Keir Starmer has announced plans to link the sponsorship of migrant workers with the training of the UK’s domestic labour force – the path to achieving this might be hiding in plain sight…
The Home Office are set to escalate enforcement action – sponsors should expect a sharp rise in compliance visits and licence revocations.
A spike in the proportion of unsuccessful sponsor licence applications indicates that the Home Office are viewing these applications with more cynicism than ever.
The Home Office have reversed their decision to curtail all BRPs by the end of 2024 and BRPs can now be used to enter the UK until the end of March 2025.
The Home Office have taken steps to improve the availability of the post-licence priority service, which should make it easier for sponsors to make expedite requests in respect of their licence.
The Home Office have added Colombia to the visa national list, meaning that Colombian nationals will now need to apply for a visa before travelling to the UK as a visitor.
The Home Office have admitted that fees charged for visa-related English language tests and qualification assessments have no legal basis.
The Home Office have confirmed the limited rollout of the Sponsor UK system, which, it is hoped, will ultimately replace the current Sponsor Management System entirely.
The Home Office have launched a new online form for reporting errors on eVisas.
