Civil Penalties and Right to Work Audits: What UK Employers Need to Get Right
Home Office enforcement activity has reached its highest level on record. Home Office data published in January 2026 shows a marked increase in illegal working investigations, civil penalty notices and follow-up compliance action across all sectors, not just those traditionally viewed as high risk.
Long-Term Workforce Planning: How UK Settlement and Citizenship Shape Retention
Workforce planning for overseas talent often stops at visa expiry dates. Sponsorship end dates, extension windows and right to work checks dominate the conversation. What is far less visible, but often more decisive, is what happens next.
UK Relationship Visas: Costs, Timescales & Application Tips
Relationship visas are expensive, time pressured and document heavy. For many couples, the real difficulty is not understanding that a route exists, but managing the cost, the timing and the evidence demands over several years. Applications under the UK spouse visa, the partner visa UK, the unmarried partner visa UK, the fiancé visa, the marriage …
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Troubleshooting UK Family and Child Visa Application Issues
Family and child visa applications often feel overwhelming when problems arise. Even well prepared families find themselves facing unexpected questions, missing documents, unclear refusals or delays that affect everyday life. Difficulties occur across the full range of categories, from the family visa UK route to child, parent and humanitarian applications. The wider rules in Appendix …
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Skilled Worker Visa & Sponsorship Guide for Employers
The Skilled Worker visa continues to be the UK’s main immigration route for hiring overseas employees, but the regulatory framework is dense and ever-changing. For employers, understanding how the route operates, from salary thresholds and sponsorship duties to switching rules and extensions, is vital for lawful, compliant recruitment that supports commercial objectives and competitive advantage.
Unsponsored UK Work Visas: Employers’ Guide
The Skilled Worker visa remains the backbone of UK immigration for sponsored employment, but it isn’t the only UK work visa route. A range of unsponsored work routes and legacy categories continue to provide pathways for individuals to live and work in the UK without direct employer sponsorship.
Managing a Sponsor Licence: Key Rules for UK Employers
UK employers who want to hire overseas workers will usually need a valid sponsor licence. The licence gives access to international skills but also places the business under Home Office scrutiny.
UK Visit Visa Rules: Proving You Are a ‘Genuine Visitor’
Travel to the UK is closely regulated. Whether arriving for a business meeting, a holiday or to see family, visitors face strict checks. For many nationalities, a UK visitor visa is needed, and even those travelling without a visa must comply with defined restrictions. With new electronic systems and updated immigration rules, scrutiny of visitors …
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Which Type of Sponsor Licence Should You Apply for?
UK-based organisations now usually need a sponsor licence to recruit non-UK resident workers who don’t otherwise have the requisite immigration permission to work in the UK. For an overview of the process and requirements, see our guidance on sponsor licence and sponsorship. There are different types of sponsor licences available, depending on the type of …
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Employment Rights Bill: Preparing Your Organisation
The Employment Rights Bill will bring in wide-ranging reforms of UK workplace legislation.