If you are a British or Irish national, you automatically have the right to work in the UK. If you have immigrated to the UK the right to work will depend on the type of visa you hold.
Brexit:
Prior to the UK leaving the European Union, freedom of movement meant that EU/EEA/Swiss nationals had the right to come to the UK to live and work without having to comply with any immigration requirements. Due to Brexit, freedom of movement ended on 31 December 2020, which means that from 1 January 2021 all EU/EEA/Swiss nationals coming to the UK have been required to secure the right to work in the UK before travelling. Generally, this means they now have to obtain a visa that allows them to take up a job.
Those EU nationals who resided in the UK prior to Brexit, and have subsequently secured either Pre-Settled or Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme, will continue to have the right to work in the UK.
Those EU nationals who have not secured status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and are looking to come to the UK to work, are now subject to UK immigration control, and therefore must obtain a visa to work in the UK. There are several types of work visas for the UK, and the type of work visa available will depend on each person’s circumstances. It is possible to obtain visas based on family connections or ancestry for example. However, most visas will be those sponsored by authorised UK companies permitted by the Home Office to bring worker to the UK as their employees.
How Gherson can assist
Gherson’s Immigration Team are 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 e-mail, 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.
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