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🚨 22 January: UK Immigration Policy Update: What You Need to Know Yesterday, the UK Parliament debated the Certificate of Common Sponsorship, shedding light on pivotal changes in immigration policy that could impact businesses, professionals, and families alike. Key takeaways from the discussion 🔑 For Businesses: Enhanced compliance requirements for sponsorship licenses. Simplified processes for accessing global talent, but with increased emphasis on transparency. 🔑 For Professionals and Families: Changes designed to streamline application procedures, ensuring a balance between efficiency and fairness. At LMY Global, we are already integrating these updates into our services to ensure our clients remain ahead of the curve. Whether you're a business leader securing a sponsorship license, a professional navigating visa options, or a family reuniting in the UK, we’re here to guide you every step of the way. 📩 Let’s discuss how these changes could affect your immigration plans. Message me or schedule a consultation to ensure you’re fully prepared. #UKImmigration #PolicyUpdate #CertificateOfCommonSponsorship #LMYGlobal #GlobalTalent https://lnkd.in/gsHHbP9V

✨Sponsorship Obligations✨ If your business sponsors (or plans to sponsor) workers under 482 or 494 visas, it’s important to stay on top of your obligations. ✅ Treat your sponsored workers fairly—same pay and conditions as Australian workers. ✅ Keep records—employment contracts, payslips, proof of travel costs, etc. ✅ Notify the Department of changes—like if a worker leaves or your business details change. ✅ Pay for travel home if needed—if a sponsored worker wants to return to their home country, you’ll need to cover their flight costs. ✅ Don’t pass costs to others—you can't charge sponsored workers for expenses like recruitment or agent fees. If things go wrong, you might face financial penalties, cancellation of your sponsorship approval, or a bar on future sponsorships—but that’s where we comes in. At Nikolovski Lawyers, we can help your business stay compliant with immigration laws (or plan accordingly) and take the stress out of your hands. DM me if you have questions! 

From 31 December 2024, passing sponsorship fees to your employees could cost you your sponsor licence. The Home Office updated its guidance on 31 December to confirm that businesses must cover: 👉 Sponsor licence fees (including premium service). 👉 Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) fees for Skilled Workers. 👉 Immigration Skills Charge. Whilst the Immigration Skills Charge has always been the business’s responsibility, this update leaves no room for doubt that the above costs are firmly on the sponsor. Actions for your business: - Inform HR teams of the updated guidance. - Update your sponsor duties policies to reflect this change. - Plan budgets to cover all sponsorship-related costs. The businesses that I work with already treat these as business expenses, so this clarification will not cause a big impact. For any business owners/HR needing guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out. #ABECLegal #ImmigrationLawyer #SponsorLicence

Employers holding Sponsorship Licences have several core duties they must discharge to demonstrate their compliance with UK Visa & Immigrations (“UKVI”) expectations, failure to do so could result in the sponsor's permission to employ migrant workers being modified or revoked entirely. Find out more about Sponsors Duties in our latest article from Amanda Paterson https://hubs.li/Q034h1MZ0

Before employing individuals in the UK, you must ensure that they have the legal right to work in the country. Conducting right to work checks is a legal requirement and helps prevent employing individuals without proper documentation or authorisation. You can verify an individual’s right to work by checking their identity documents and ensuring they have the necessary visas, sponsorship licence, work permits, or immigration status to work in the UK.  #righttowork #legalrequirements

Immigration expert, Adam Williams shares his insights with PM PeopleManagement on whether employers can limit the expenses they incur if a sponsorship ends prematurely. Read full article here - https://lnkd.in/eSG3wBEx #HRCompliance #WorkVisa #EmployeeSponsorship #BusinessImmigration #EmployerObligations #EmploymentLaw

🚨New Article Alert🚨 Are you a business sponsoring migrant workers? With the UK Home Office ramping up compliance audits, it's crucial to stay ahead of the curve. Our latest article, "Navigating UK Home Office Compliance Audits: Essential Guidance for Sponsorship Licence Holders," dives into what you need to know to prepare for these thorough inspections. [Tekcan Tek Jaden Elley-Murphy Thi Chan Baran Sabaz Srivarshini Chandrasekaran Sounak Basu Adithya Raamanaathan Archisman Mitra Nisa Ozer KTS Legal, Solicitors & Advocates]

The #HomeOffice is under political pressure to address sponsorship abuses and so may miss deadlines or make erroneous assumptions. Be willing, armed with good practices and evidence, to push back and demonstrate adherence or willingness to put right any issues that have been highlighted. Really important blog from Katherine Sinclair about how she and Hazel Findlay can help your business navigate #sponsorshiplicence compliance issues

▶ Visa Sponsorship License Controls: Implications for Employers ◀ The new Government has promised to strengthen the UK Skills system with stronger ties created between the Migration Advisory Committee (who advise on skills immigration freedoms) and the newly created Skills England, with a view to encouraging employers to invest in and then utilise homegrown skills, rather than rely on immigration. Ahead of this system revision and as reported in People Management magazine (https://lnkd.in/e89rHXCN), there was a sharp rise in skilled worker visa sponsorship license suspensions and revocations in Q2 2024, with 1,023 cancellations, up from 519 in Q1. This uptick highlights the UK Home Office's focus on compliance enforcement, especially in sectors like nursing and care homes. 💡 Key Insights: 🔹 Compliance is Key: "UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) has made it crystal clear: enforcing sponsor compliance is their top priority," says Smruti Jeyanandhan of Bates Wells. Hefty Fines: Non-compliance fines have tripled, increasing to £45K for first breaches. 🔹 Industry Impact: The care sector is under intense scrutiny, with potential targets including construction and hospitality. 🔹 Existential Threat: For businesses reliant on sponsored workers, the impact could be severe. A suspended license means no new migrant recruitment, and revocation can lead to reputational damage and significant operational challenges. 🔹 Prepare and Protect: Legal experts advise staying audit-ready, keeping license details updated, and ensuring robust right-to-work checks. 🔧 What Should Employers Do? 🔹 Stay audit-ready and ensure compliance. 🔹 Regularly update sponsorship details and review record-keeping practices. 🔹 Consider upskilling UK workers, but recognize the challenges in sectors facing immediate skills shortages. #Immigration #HR #VisaSponsorship #Compliance #SkillsShortage #UKBusiness

Adherence to Home Office guidance and sponsorship requirements by health and social care providers sponsoring migrant workers is crucial. Recent cases, like R(New Hope Care Ltd), highlight the importance of following these guidelines to avoid sponsorship licence revocation. Stay informed and compliant to protect your sponsorship licence. hashtag #HomeOffice #Healthandsocialcare #Compliance #immigration