After almost five years, the Home Office has updated its Code of Practice on Preventing Illegal Working, and it’s not before time. As all employers ought to be aware, the Code of Practice sets out the prescribed Right to Work checks that employers should conduct to avoid a civil penalty through employing someone to work […]
Tier 2 visa demand surges
The number of applications received by the Home Office from UK employers for Tier 2 visas to enable them to employ skilled non-EU workers continues to exceed the restricted numbers imposed by the UK Government that were introduced in 2011. This is obviously a significant problem for businesses, especially when the salary of many of […]
EU citizens to be granted ‘settled status’ to remain in the UK after Brexit
The government announced that EU citizens living in the UK for at least 5 years will be eligible for a new ‘settled status’ after Brexit. Over 3 million people are expected to apply for the new settled status but the application process might not be ready for all applicants before the UK leaves the EU […]
11 January 2018: a date for your immigration diary
In the first week of December 2017 the Home Office presented a new Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC309) to Parliament. Most of these changes will come into force next week on 11 January 2018. Below I have set out the most notable of these changes, briefly explaining their effect on certain routes for entry […]
Wells Burcombe launches immigration law service
We are delighted to announce the launch of a new immigration law service following the appointment of Melissa Vangeen, former partner at Solomon Taylor & Shaw. Melissa has more than 15 years’ experience in immigration law and specialises in EEA applications, UK visas, citizenship and corporate immigration, and joins the firm as a consultant. For […]
The Duty on Employers to Prevent Illegal Working
A familiar issue landed on my desk last week. An employer who had received a fine from the Home Office for employing someone illegally, adamant that they shouldn’t be required to pay the fine because the mistake was an innocent one. Of course I fully understand their distress but, by the time it has gone […]
The future of free movement within the UK
I live in rural St Albans, a small and yet highly desirable city in Hertfordshire. It happens also to be the place of my work. St Albans has an attraction that draws many to its local businesses and trades, and many of that workforce represent EU nationals from current EU member countries. In my view, […]
