AORA immigration

Now a lot of you recruiting international talent to the UK will resonate with Ali! For those that are considering it, be prepared for a lot of paperwork chasing. Unless of course you use AORA… #immigration #recruitment

Axel buys firms of solicitors ...

Ever wondered what makes a law firm desirable from an acquisition perspective? Axel Koelsch at Lawfront prefers firms "that aren't good at adopting tech." Technology can be the quickest way to increase your competitive edge and your valuation multiple. Clearly if you want your law firm to compete with the very best it’s probably time to start looking at using AI to streamline your workflows. On the other hand, if you want your immigration law firm to receive a lower valuation maybe AORA isn’t for you :)

Well put Kevin!

We’re excited to announce that the Former of Minister of Immigration, Kevin Foster has joined the AORA team! Some would call him the “Father Of The Skilled Worker Visa Programme." Since it’s introduction in 2020, The Skilled Worker Visa is still the most widely used visa in the UK to bring across overseas talent and no one knows it better than the man who led the team introducing it. Now, Kevin’s back to make it easier for all. Working with AORA to help us streamline the paperwork process for Sponsors while keeping them compliant, using AI.

Introducing The Global Mobility Series! We’re 6 years in and over that time we have ended up collecting hundreds of immigration, recruitment, and mobility challenges from conversations with Sponsors and Practitioners out in the field. There are some overlapping trends and reoccurring headaches so we figured helping you overcome these headaches would make for a good content series. We will be interviewing recruiters and admins, who live your role day-to-day, responsible for attracting and onboarding overseas talent to the UK, in addition to government decision-makers shaping the policies. We’re excited to have you onboard! #GlobalMobility #Visas

Former Immigration Minister’s New AI Role is His Cup of Tea The former Immigration Minister who oversaw the launch of the Skilled Worker Visa, is now helping promote AORA, a powerful AI tool for those working in the immigration and recruitment sectors. Kevin Foster served as Minister for Safe and Legal Migration between 2019 and 2022. His term oversaw the end of free movement with the EU and the introduction of a new migration system, including Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility & International Sportsperson Visas. Now he is bringing his insights and experience to work with AORA and their partner Passportia as they develop and deploy AORA, the leading solution for automating legislative evaluation and generating draft opinions in immigration law and tax. This ground-breaking software harnesses the virtues, without the downsides, of a range of AI resources, transforming access to authoritative expertise in strictly regulated environments, in exacting fields such as Skilled Worker Visas and British nationality law. AORA can gather the information needed from a sponsor and their prospective employee and quickly assess eligibility for the Skilled Worker Visa. It can then be used to produce a detailed report highlighting any issues as part of a client care letter. Once this stage is complete and the advice has been reviewed, AORA can swiftly pre-populate the Home Office’s online application system, removing repetitive work and the chance of mistakes, whilst ensuring the user can focus on detecting and resolving any errors before submission Commenting, Kevin said: “AORA is not just quick, its accurate, ensuring those advising on or regularly submitting skilled worker visa applications can focus on using their skills, not repetitive tasks and form filling.” “In the time it takes to make a cup of tea, AORA can effortlessly assess the information provided by sponsor and prospective employee, then produce a draft opinion and client care letter ready for review. It instantly highlights where there may be an issue, information missing or criteria not met, not only saving time on repetitive tasks but avoiding submission of applications which will not succeed.” “Use of AORA will be the benchmark for calculating the costs of immigration advice in future, saving clients and sponsors time and money. I am therefore delighted to be working with Bruce and the team to deliver their vision for it.”

Thanks to all who came to the launch of our new edition of British Nationality Law last night, especially those who made the journey from other European countries #BritishNationalityLaw

Interesting FT review of first of two programmes on BBC TV on immigration into UK from 1997. View episode 1 at https://lnkd.in/e8rUSwyK

In April 2024, the government’s changes to the Immigration Rules took effect in their new ‘five-point plan’ to reform UK immigration. Regarding the Skilled Worker visa, the yearly earnings threshold was increased as was the individual going rate for each job. In addition, the Shortage Occupation List was replaced by the Immigration Salary List (and made shorter). Significant shifts in the Immigration Rules post-Brexit implementation, include an increase in the number of Skilled Worker visas being granted, rising by 9% in the past year. Additionally, the number of sponsor licence applications increased by 44% in the year ending August 2024 (with Skilled Worker sponsor licences accounting for 85% of the numbers). Demand remains strong with about 2,000 new licenses appearing each month. One of the most recent transformative shifts has been the rise of flexible working. The rules for Skilled Workers have reformed significantly over the past few years and have adapted to permit a more flexible format. Skilled Workers are now permitted to undertake supplementary work up to 20 hours a week in any eligible job type with another employer (provided the worker is still working for their sponsor). Technological advancements are significantly influencing immigration, and in particular, the Skilled Worker route. The immigration landscape is becoming more streamlined in numerous ways to make the process more efficient. Technological advancements will revolutionise UK immigration, saving practitioners time and resources. An example is AORA Immigration, which provides lawyers and HR teams with AI-driven automation of Skilled Worker visa evaluation, eligibility, document drafting and application forms. Data is collected from both the sponsor and job applicant in the form of smart questionnaires. Once completed, a full Skilled Worker visa eligibility assessment is conducted by the software, which then automatically prepares and completes the certificates of sponsorship and visa applications. It usually takes 90 minutes to 2 hours for practitioners to manually complete the visa applications, as opposed to 15 minutes through AORA’s automation software. UK immigration will continue to be a crucial focal point for the new government. The UK relies on foreign workers to fill roles that domestic workers either do not have the skills or expertise to fill or simply do not want to fill. The government must address immigration carefully, ensuring that decisions do not restrict employers from meeting workplace demands while also encouraging work and innovation. As Skilled Worker immigration becomes more complex and competitive, practitioners need to adapt to automated technological advancements as they are now central to immigration processes and are beginning to be reflected through pricing pressures. Understanding how to adapt will allow practitioners to better support clients, avoid errors and advance visa preparation processes. Author: Skylar McKeith