Does my company need an immigration compliance policy?

Many UK businesses have, at some point in the past, applied for a sponsor licence from the Home Office to be able to sponsor migrants so they are able to work for them.

Many are unaware that this licence comes with a long list of requirements in relation to how the licence is administered, how migrants are sponsored, which changes in circumstances need to be reported, and which documents must be kept.

With the constant focus on UK immigration matters in the media, it is important for employers to have robust processes and systems in place that ensure they are complying with all of their obligations in relation to employees’ right to work, and in relation to the administration of their sponsor licence.

Employers can optimise their international hiring efforts, assure legal compliance and give their migrant workers a uniform and satisfying experience with the support of an effective business compliance policy. A company-wide documented policy ensures that all corporate immigration risks and responsibilities are considered, evaluated and managed in a way that is both compliant with the law and supportive of your company’s business and employee engagement goals. 

The UK’s exit from the EU and the COVID-19 pandemic have further increased the administrative burden of organisations, not to mention the fact that they have been unprecedented events. For those businesses who already had a well-established immigration compliance policy, incorporating the required changes was relatively simple, while businesses without such a policy have struggled significantly more.

At Gherson we help businesses every day to minimise the risk associated with holding a sponsor licence and sponsoring migrants. We can advise on and review your existing immigration compliance policy, or assist you in drawing up a new policy if you are new to the sponsored worker environment.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team is highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an email, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

©Gherson 2022