Immigration for employers
Employer’s guide on the new immigration Points Based System and Right to Work checks.
The Home Office are continuing to implement its immigration strategy and are developing a simpler and more streamlined approach to visa applications and sponsorship.
An updated guidance document for employers has been published to help employers navigate the complexities of visa requirements for recruiting talented individuals into the UK or those who require visas already in the UK.
There is an overview of the new points-based immigration system work routes together with a brief assessment of eligibility for candidates together with the steps employers should take to access the system, including links to the sponsor licence requirements.
The document also includes the latest information on the temporary worker visa routes to include the highly publicised HGV driver visa and more recently the poultry worker visa to fill the labour shortages in the UK for Christmas. All these temporary visas come under the ‘Seasonal Worker visa’ which require pre-approval with the Home Office and the sponsorship scheme operators.
Finally, the document covers right to work checks highlighting changes for EU nationals from 1 July and the deferral for adjusted COVID-19 checks to 5 April 2022.
The Home Office encourage employers to first consider domestic recruitment options within the UK and provide a number of examples of programmes available to employers who are considering hiring employees, offering work experience or upskilling their existing staff. Hiring from the national workforce should always be a consideration before employers offer a role to a migrant worker.
The guidance document stretches to 16 pages which alleviates the need to scroll through numerous pages of text in multiple locations across the GOV website. As with all immigration law, it is important to fully review the details before embarking on any application.
FSP have an excellent track record with the Home Office and have assisted many clients in obtaining A rated licences. We also offer an administration service to register as a user on your licence to help sponsors maintain compliance with their sponsor duties.
If you are interested in registering for sponsorship with the Home Office, please get in touch with our Head of Immigration, Imelda Reddington: [email protected].
