HR Articles

One of the worst letters which HR can receive has to be a letter from the Home Office headed “Information Request: Illegal Working Civil Penalty” and demanding information about a current or former employee whom the Home Office suspects has been working illegally in the UK.

On 12 May the Immigration Bill received Royal Assent and will now be implemented as the Immigration Act 2016. The Act seeks to address issues around illegal migrants living in the UK.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has released a consultation outlining Government proposals to increase immigration appeal fees with the aim of making the immigration tribunal entirely self-funded by fees.

Employers who hold a Tier 2 sponsor licence can sponsor employees who are from outside of the European Economic Area by assigning a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to them.

Last year we blogged about the £35,000 earnings threshold for Tier 2 migrants wishing to apply to settle in the UK. This change is due to come into force from 6 April this year and will apply to all non-EEA migrants who came to the UK on a Tier 2 visa after 6 April 2011, unless they have worked in an occupation on the shortage occupation list.

UK Visas and Immigration have confirmed that later this month (or next month in the case of the Isle of Man) there will be a rise in the cost of visa application fees for many migrants wishing to come to the UK.

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics last week, show that annual net migration to Britain (i.e. the number of individuals immigrating to Britain less those migrating from Britain) was at a figure of 323,000 for the year ending September 2015, 13,000 less than the figure reported three months prior. When compared with figures for 2014, net migration is on the increase, however this drop is the first time the net migration figures have fallen in 2 years. The small drop predominantly arose through a reduction in the amount of non-EU individuals immigrating to Britain.

The Government has announced that from 6 April this year Australians and New Zealanders who spend more than 6 months in the UK will need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS).

In the immigration team we help people who are applying for many different kinds of visa – from students to skilled workers, visitors to spouses. But what do all visa applications have in common? The requirement to provide evidence that you meet the conditions for the specific visa. Unfortunately, failure to produce just one required document can have serious consequences.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises the government on migration issues, has published a review of Tier 2.