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If you are a business based in the UK that relies on skilled workers from outside the UK, or an investor or entrepreneur looking to invest funds or enter into business in the UK, it is imperative that you get the right business immigration solicitor to protect your interests and your potential workforce.
Our business immigration team, headed by highly-experienced partner, Bryony Rest, is recognised nationally and rated in the prestigious Chambers and Partners rankings.
If you’re looking for help with personal or family visa applications, head over to the Personal Immigration page.
The team can advise on all aspects of business immigration including:
Legal Aid – please note that legal aid is not available for personal or business immigration cases. We do not hold a Legal Aid contract for asylum and do not undertake asylum work.
We can help you wherever you are in the UK or abroad and have a proven track record of assisting clients:
- who wish to invest or undertake business in the UK
- with the recruitment and retention of key staff for their businesses
- who wish to enter or remain in the UK to work
Services for entrepreneurs & investors
There are several routes currently available for individuals who wish to set up in business or invest funds in the UK. These routes have very different and complex requirements so it is important that you receive advice to assist in identifying the most appropriate route to apply in and of the necessary criteria to be met.
We have extensive experience of advising on these applications with a high success rate with Entrepreneur applications in particular.
Services for employers
For a business to employ skilled workers from outside the UK as a skilled worker or temporary worker in Tier 5, they first need to obtain a Sponsor Licence from the UK Visas and Immigration government team. The business must be able to demonstrate that they are an established entity in the UK and have appropriate systems in place to monitor the migrant workers they wish to sponsor.
The obligations placed on employers can be onerous and the consequences, if they are not correctly complied with, can be very damaging to a business with a Sponsor Licence being suspended or revoked.
We have extensive experience in applying for Sponsor Licences. We also advise on immigration compliance issues including where sponsor licences are suspended and revocation threatened, right to work checks and civil penalties.
Services for employees
For a worker from outside the UK to work, there are a number of work visas available including skilled worker and temporary worker in tier 5 but also in other routes e.g. Ancestry.
It is important to identify the most appropriate visa application route available and be aware of the requirements to be met, in particular, the required points to be scored for skills and salary for the type of post to be undertaken.
Our business immigration solicitors have experience of skilled workers applying for both initial visas, extensions of leave visas and Indefinite Leave to Remain for themselves and their family members.
Contact us
You can talk to us by telephone on 0191 232 9547Â (ext. 2306) or contact us at immigration.enquiries@davidgray.co.uk
Alternatively, you can book an appointment and visit us at one of our North East offices:
Newcastle:
56 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 5XU
South Shields:
142 Fowler Street, South Shields, Tyne & Wear, NE33 1PZ
Frequently asked questions
What does a business immigration lawyer deal with?
Business immigration solicitors provide legal support to companies, entrepreneurs, investors, employers and their employees with regards to immigration law.
What does my business need to employ skilled workers from outside the UK?
All businesses who wish to employ skilled workers from outside the UK need to apply for a Sponsor Licence.
How can I obtain a Sponsor Licence?
To obtain a Sponsor Licence, you must fill in an online application where you will be provided with a submission sheet which then must be posted to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) with the correct supporting documents. Find out more here.
How long does it take to obtain a Sponsor Licence?
The Home Office currently state an application takes around 8 weeks.
What is a UKVI compliance visit?
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) can conduct announced and unannounced compliance visits on businesses who hold a Sponsor Licence in the UK. This is to check that the business is meeting compliance obligations. They can also undertake a pre-licence assessment visit to check the employer has the necessary systems in place to operate the licence.
