Paragon Law

Paragon Law

paragonlaw.co.uk
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Global

Corporate Immigration

Thalej Vasishta

Thalej Vasishta

Managing Director and Solicitor | Corporate Immigration | Paragon Law Thalej “Thal” Vasishta is the founder and Managing Director of Paragon Law and a senior UK immigration solicitor specialising in corporate immigration, sponsor licence compliance, right to work and challenges to enforcement action by UK Visas and Immigration. He has specialised in business immigration since 1996 and advises UK employers, multinational organisations, education providers, care businesses, professional services firms and overseas companies on the recruitment, sponsorship and mobility of international workers. He also advises businesses on the immigration implications of corporate transactions, mergers, acquisitions, restructures, changes of ownership and TUPE transfers. A significant part of Thal’s practice concerns sponsor licence risk and enforcement. He advises businesses facing UKVI compliance investigations, sponsor licence suspension or revocation, allegations of salary underpayment, reporting failures and concerns identified during announced or unannounced compliance visits. His work includes preparing representations to UKVI, Pre-Action Protocol correspondence and judicial review challenges in the Administrative Court. Thal is particularly experienced in cases where the loss of a sponsor licence threatens a business’s workforce, commercial operations and the immigration status of sponsored employees. His recent work includes preparing and conducting challenges concerning sponsor licence revocation, procedural fairness, salary discrepancies, sponsor reporting duties and the Home Office’s approach to mandatory and discretionary revocation grounds. His work involves High Court judicial review proceedings and in preparing evidence concerning sponsor licence revocation and its effect on sponsored workers and business operations. Alongside contentious work, Thal helps organisations prevent compliance problems before they arise. He works with boards, HR teams, legal teams and Authorising Officers to design and review sponsor management systems, right to work procedures, reporting frameworks, document-retention processes and internal immigration audits. He provides practical training on sponsor duties, Skilled Worker sponsorship, UKVI compliance visits, right to work checks and the management of immigration risk within complex organisations. Recent training materials and client sessions demonstrate his focus on robust compliance systems, internal audits, salary monitoring, reporting duties and preparation for UKVI enforcement activity. Thal also advises on the right to work regime and the prevention of illegal working. His work includes helping employers assess statutory excuse requirements, digital right to work checks, follow-up checks, contractor and supply-chain risk, third-party checking arrangements and the interaction between immigration compliance, procurement and workforce management. He regularly speaks and writes about changes to right to work legislation and guidance, translating complex legal developments into practical action for employers. His broader corporate immigration practice includes sponsor licence applications, Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility matters, UK Expansion Worker cases, overseas businesses establishing UK operations, international assignments, business visitors and the transfer of senior or specialist personnel. He advises international businesses on the immigration aspects of entering the UK market, including the evidence, corporate structure and workforce planning required to obtain a sponsor licence and deploy key personnel. His work for overseas organisations has included UK Expansion Worker sponsorship, the establishment of UK branches and subsidiaries and the preparation of evidence demonstrating overseas trading and planned UK expansion. Thal also has experience of cross-border executive immigration matters, including US L-1A intracompany transferee cases and evidence addressing managerial or executive capacity. His practice therefore combines UK corporate immigration expertise with an understanding of the commercial, workforce and evidential issues arising in international expansion and senior employee mobility. He is known for providing clear, commercially focused advice in high-pressure situations. His approach combines detailed knowledge of immigration law and UKVI policy with an understanding of HR operations, corporate structures, workforce planning and the practical consequences of enforcement action.
Kirin Abbas

Kirin Abbas

Director | Solicitor Kirin Abbas is a Director at Paragon Law and a leading solicitor in the Corporate Immigration team. She advises UK and international organisations on all aspects of business immigration, with particular expertise in sponsor licences, sponsor compliance, Skilled Worker sponsorship and immigration strategy. Kirin works extensively with organisations in the technology, care and healthcare, higher education, engineering, professional services and energy sectors. She also works closely with universities and colleges, providing advice on student visas, sponsor licence applications and in-house immigration training and seminars.  Kirin is known for taking the time to understand each client's organisation, commercial objectives and workforce needs. She provides practical, tailored advice that aligns with the client's business, rather than adopting a blanket approach.

Deals

  • We advised and handled the sponsor licence application to register the Mitchells and Butler Group of companies as a sponsor licence holder. This involved registering over 1600 branches on the licence, ensuring that all of the Group’s HR systems and processes were up to speed for a UKVI audit and providing internal training to HR and legal teams on compliance and management of their licence.
  • We advised the Brush Group Ltd. The Group sold their power division business to Baker Hughes. This necessitated legal advice on ensuring that the correct requirements were followed to ensure the transfer of sponsored skilled workers to Baker Hughes. The work also required a new sponsor licence application being made for Brush within strict stipulated time frames due to a change in the Group structure to safeguard the position of those skilled workers remaining with Brush. 

Team Services

Our client base is varied and includes large public companies, local authorities, charities, start-ups, universities, owner-managed businesses, and individuals, several of which are well-known in sports and entertainment.

Our work includes:

  • Advising and assisting clients with skilled worker applications and transferring senior or specialist staff from overseas affiliated companies.  
  • Advise and assist businesses to apply for a sponsor licence across all Tiers.
  • Manage the Sponsor Management System (SMS) for companies or supporting in-house HR teams to ensure they remain compliant with their sponsorship duties.
  • Challenging Home Office decisions to revoke or downgrade a business’ sponsor licence
  • Providing tailored training to in-house HR teams on sponsoring overseas workers and sponsorship compliance.
  • Evaluate Brexit’s impact on immigration and the implications of the EU/UK Trade Agreement for businesses in the UK and Europe and how to navigate the Rules in terms of people strategy
  • Review and implement HR systems and processes to ensure companies remain compliant with sponsorship duties and responsibilities. 
  • Assess the implications for companies with offices outside of the UK and advise overseas companies with business visitor applications and setting up UK subsidiaries.
  • Advise overseas entrepreneurs, workers, and investors on the right visa to commence operations in the UK under the Global Business Mobility routes.