VIDEO: Immigration Update: Managing Compliance and Tricky Immigration Law Issues in the Workplace
15th November, 2023
Laura Darnley
Partner | Employment
+44 (0) 330 137 3190
+44 (0) 751 519 9143
In this video we provide organisations with an update on immigration compliance in the workplace and will provide practical tips on addressing some of the tricky issues surrounding immigration.
UKVI has ramped up their compliance activity, and this only looks set to increase as we head into 2024.
Immigration compliance is an issue for all employers. Illegal working penalty fines are set to triple from the start of 2024 to £45,000 per worker for first offences and up to £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat offences. As such, employers must ensure they understand the current requirements and are properly complying with their duties to prevent illegal working and face significant penalties as a result.
Immigration compliance is a particular issue for registered sponsors, with 161 sponsors being suspended from the register in the last quarter and 48 sponsors ultimately having their licences revoked. Licence revocation is the ultimate penalty for failing to comply with the sponsor licensing requirements; organisations whose licences have been revoked will no longer be able to recruit any non-UK, non-settled nationals. In addition, any existing sponsored staff would usually be given 60 days to leave the country or find another sponsor. This applies no matter how senior or important the individual may be. This could result in major operational disruption, be reputationally damaging and have significant implications for strategic plans.