Immigration is currently a key area of focus for the UK government as shown by the publication of the “Restoring Control Over the Immigration System” white paper published on 12 May 2025 (“the White Paper”) and the references to immigration included within the government’s policy paper, “the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy”
New Electronic Travel Authorisation Rules
An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) will soon be required to enter the UK as a visitor or to transit, for those who would not ordinarily require a visa in advance of travel to the UK.
The UK Home Office has stated that the introduction of the requirement by means of the ETA will improve border
United Kingdom: Increase in visa fees from 4 October 2023
On 15 September 2023, the UK Government announced that its proposed increases in immigration fees will come into effect at 9am on 4 October 2023. As we indicated in our post on the changes when they were first proposed, this will lead to a roughly 15% increase in the cost of work and visa
Increase to civil penalties for illegal working
All UK employers must carry out right to work checks before employing someone, to ensure that the individual is legally permitted, by reason of their immigration status, to carry out the work in question. Correctly conducting a right to work check prior to employment will provide the employer with a statutory excuse against illegal working.
Right to Work Checks – reminder of changes from 1 October
During the pandemic, the Home Office relaxed the requirement for employers to see physical documents as part of manual right to work checks, permitting the checks to be conducted via a video call with the document holder in possession of their original document and the employer holding a scanned copy.
Following a series of extensions
The High Potential Individual visa is now live
As of 30 May 2022, a new immigration route into the UK is now available via the “High Potential Individual” (HPI) visa. This route is aimed at attracting highly skilled foreign graduates who have obtained an eligible university degree within the last 5 years, with the intention to grow the UK as a leading international
All Change for Right to Work Checks
The Home Office has released updated guidance on right to work checks, to reflect changes which are due to come into effect, from 6 April 2022.
Rights to work checks
From 6 April, employers will no longer be able to carry out manual right to work checks for employees/candidates who are biometric card holders. Instead
Practical Tips for Managing Immigration Matters in the Cycle of a Corporate Transaction
Corporate transactions can uncover a number of immigration considerations, particularly if the buyer, seller, or target company, or any entity involved in the transaction, has a sponsor licence. Even without the complexities of a sponsor licence and the duties of the company, immigration issues can arise relating to the prevention of illegal working. Quite often