Latest insights

On 1 October 2026, the Home Office issued the finalised Employer's guide to right to work checks, replacing the 11 September 2026 draft....

The Home Office has confirmed that from 6 October 2026, eGate-eligible passengers will be able to use new contactless technology when...

Level 2 users will lose access to the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) from 8 March 2027. Sponsors should review arrangements for...

The Premier League is the most watched football league in the world, attracting the best talent not just on the pitch, but in the dugout...

The House of Commons Home Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into work-based immigration, looking at how migration links to skills...

Does a business restructure or TUPE transfer have any immigration or employment permit implications? The answer is yes: where a restructure involves a TUPE transfer, liability for employing foreign nationals without valid immigration permission will transfer to the new employer, and both parties will need to address their post-transfer notification obligations under the Employment Permits Act 2024.

On 3 September 2026 the Home Office published its Autumn Immigration Rules update. Key changes include new protections for Skilled Worker...

With only six months to go before the increased standard becomes a requirement from 26 March 2027, intending applicants should review...

From 1 October 2026, the UK's illegal working regime is getting a major overhaul. The new rules are complex, and they bring about significant changes to who needs to conduct ‘right to work’ checks and when. But beyond the immigration and employment headlines, these rules will have a major impact on commercial contracts – particularly where services are being subcontracted through supply chains, and for intermediary platforms that match workers with clients.

The Home Office released an updated draft Employer's guide to right to work checks on 11 September 2026. This indicates engagement with...

From 1 October 2026, the right to work scheme will extend beyond traditional employment relationships, bringing more people within scope of right to work checks. This means that sports clubs may, in some cases, have compliance responsibilities even where they are unaware that a particular individual is carrying out work for them. Read on to learn more.

On 15 September 2026, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP, appeared before the Home Affairs Committee to give oral evidence on the...

It may come to light that an employee who once had the right to work in Ireland may no longer have such permission. For example, they may have forgotten to apply for a renewal of their immigration permission before it expired or they may not be able to provide evidence of their immigration status during a repeat right to work check. These scenarios may produce a heart-in-mouth moment for a manager or HR.

More than 100 new organisations can now support researchers under the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) endorsement, and a new design...

The government’s new plan to simplify how stakeholders are consulted has sound principles but raises serious concerns. Here’s our view.

To maintain a statutory excuse against liability for an illegal working civil penalty in the context of a less straightforward follow-up...

From 1 October 2026, the UK's illegal working regime is undergoing a huge change. The new rules are complex and bring significant changes to who must carry out right to work checks and when. For businesses operating in the creative industries, the impact could be particularly far-reaching. Read on to learn more.

HMRC has published new compliance guidelines for employers with business visitors to the UK. The tone is constructive, but the detail is a wake-up call for any employers still winging their way through compliance.

Obtaining an allocation of Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) is becoming increasingly challenging. Sponsors can face extensive scrutiny from the Home Office, who’re frequently responding to requests by asking for detailed additional information and documentation. In this article we provide useful tips on how to prepare a robust CoS allocation request, minimising the risk of delay.

In this podcast, Rose speaks to Paul Bennett on the PerchPeek podcast about UK immigration compliance risks for businesses, preparing for a Home Office audit, what changing right-to-work requirements mean for employers and about effective collaboration between HR, Legal and business leaders.

The Home Office has confirmed that Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) will be introduced for all Sponsorship Management System (SMS) users...

UK businesses routinely pay immigration fees on behalf of their workers, but the tax treatment of these costs is often misunderstood. While some costs are not taxable benefits in kind, others can be. With HMRC increasing its scrutiny and data-sharing with the Home Office expanding, now is the time for sponsors to review their arrangements.

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its second stage report on the Temporary Shortage List (TSL), recommending 28...

The expanded illegal working regime brings new categories of working arrangements into scope for right to work checks and introduces extended liability provisions. If you are responsible for right to work compliance at your business, you may need to put resources in place over the summer to be able to operationalise expanded checking processes.

The Home Office has published a draft updated Employer's guide to right to work checks, due to come into force on 1 October 2026. This is...

The Home Office has launched a new nationality priority service this month, which introduces an option to pay for a faster decision on...

The Government has recently announced a new package of measures aimed at helping high-growth businesses start, scale and remain in the...

Sponsors seeking to increase their allocation of undefined Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) from the Home Office can face significant...

A draft revised Code of practice on preventing illegal working has been published and is due to come into effect from 1 October 2026. It reflects new legislation that significantly increases the risk of businesses receiving an illegal working civil penalty of up to £60,000 per worker, particularly for organisations using complex labour supply chains, subcontractors and agency arrangements. Online job matching platforms are also affected. Organisations should begin planning and making operational changes now to ensure compliance by the go-live date.

The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has delivered a sharp rebuke to the Government’s proposed earned settlement reforms. The Committee opposes extending the baseline qualifying period for settlement to 10 years (or longer for certain groups), warns that retrospective application of any changes would be ‘manifestly unfair’ and potentially unlawful, and calls for an evidence-based approach underpinned by improved migration data and a clear integration strategy for England. The Government is required to respond within two months, although whether this deadline can be met remains uncertain. 

International workforce management has always required employers to navigate legal complexity across borders. Employment law, immigration, global mobility, workplace privacy, consultation, pay transparency and crisis response all remain critical parts of the international employer agenda.

The Home Office has recently warned sponsor licence holders to be on alert for threats to Sponsorship Management System (SMS) account...

The FA has released the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) Criteria for the 2026/27 season, which takes effect when the summer transfer...

A UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account allows you to manage your immigration status digitally and access your eVisa. This process...

A new state-backed fund promises capital, supercomputing power, and fast-tracked visas for AI start-ups. Here is what leaders need to know.

In recent months the Home Office has been taking much swifter action to curtail immigration permission following the end of a sponsored...

The UK's illegal working regime is due to expand from 1 October 2026 to include non-employee workers, self-employed contractors and...

A recent report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) provides new insights into the factors that determine whether migrants on the...

In addition to reversing the expanded right to work checking obligation for sponsors, changes to the sponsor guidance emphasise that...

In a welcome update to the sponsor guidance made on 20 May 2026, the Home Office has undone its April 2026 change, which mandated that...

UK businesses using international talent should be aware that an ETA or immigration permission may be refused or could be cancelled after...

The Home Office has simplified the process for automatically granting settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). However, the...

The Department for Education (DfE) is reviewing the content of its English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program and the...

The Home Office's April changes to the Skilled Worker sponsor guidance confirm that the stakes are now higher for sponsors regarding...

A new consultation document published by the Home Office indicates an intention to roll out expanded right to work check processes from 1...

The Home Office has published updated sponsor guidance which expands the scope of right to work checks expected of work route sponsors...

A recent report by the Home Affairs Committee urges the Government to fully consider the potential impact of its proposed earned settlement model and warns that it is more important to get any changes right than to implement them quickly. In this article, we summarise the report’s key conclusions and recommendations.

This Q&A pulls together questions asked at our recent webinar, which provided a general update on recent and upcoming UK immigration law changes.

If you are a business inviting visitors to the UK or an individual visiting (or transiting landside through) the UK, you may be affected by the UK’s expanded electronic travel authorisation (ETA) scheme for non-visa nationals.

Since 25 February 2026, additional checks are in place to confirm your UK immigration status when travelling to or from the UK. Always...

The Home Office has issued a communication to sponsors' Key Contacts and Authorising Officers, warning of ongoing phishing scams and...

The UK government has reassessed which travel documents it will accept for entry following the full enforcement of the Electronic Travel...

The government is currently consulting on proposals to introduce a national digital ID scheme, with responses being accepted until 5 May...

The Home Office has published its latest round of immigration, nationality and passport fee increases, taking effect from 8 April 2026....

Although the Home Office’s earned settlement model has been deferred to a future Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules, there are still important developments employers need to be aware of. These include new payment-related requirements for Skilled Workers, and a higher English language requirement for settlement applicants from 26 March 2027.

The Home Office has published a significant update to the sponsor guidance tightening overall compliance expectations, introducing a new eligible role test, and new worker welfare obligations. Organisations will need to adapt quickly to these changes to avoid compliance action – a mini audit checklist in this article can help you get started now.

The Spring Immigration Rules statement includes a revision to payment requirements for Skilled Workers and liberalised work rights for...

As travel chaos and escalating tensions across the Middle East leave thousands stranded, UK employers are grappling with urgent questions about relocation, safety and support. Here's what you need to know.

After the Home Office implements its earned settlement model, the next step is to put in place an aligned earned citizenship system. Some...