Immigration – Changes To Sponsor Duties And MAC Recommendations

The Home Office has introduced the following changes which affect Tier 2 and 5 Sponsors:

• Record-keeping duties – for new migrant employees, Sponsors must keep copies of references, DBS checks, job descriptions and qualifications;
• Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT) – where a Sponsor advertises a vacancy on Universal Jobmatch, it must take a screenshot on the date the vacancy is first advertised;
• Genuineness test – if the Home Office refuses an entry clearance or leave to remain application because it does not consider the job role to be genuine. It may suspend the Sponsor Licence to carry out further investigation.

The Migration Advisory Committee's (MAC) review of Tier 2 published on 19 January 2016 has made the following recommendations: