WEB 3068 Employing Migrant Workers: skilled workers and sponsorship

Level: Basic – Intermediate

Description:

A basic to intermediate level course aimed at those who do not yet feel confident with sponsorship and business immigration. We will take a closer look at the requirements for employers and workers.

Topics:

• Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility sponsorship, and the requirements for employers and workers;

• specific issues such as new overseas hires, salary points scoring, and applications to the Home Office (eg priority for Defined CoS allocations);

• the impact of the changes to the eligibility criteria for minimum salary levels for newly sponsored and extending staff, and;

• alternative immigration routes for those avoiding the sponsorship scheme.

The aim of the course is to expand and develop knowledge of business immigration law. We will demystify the sponsorship system and equip attendees to speak with confidence and precision on this tricky subject.

Audience:

This course is suited to all immigration practitioners and HR personnel for UK companies wishing to sponsor migrant workers.

Please note this course will not cover the health and care visa or the specific rules relating to health and education sector roles.

Tutors: Laura Darnley, Partner at Ward Hadaway and Shara Pledger, Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons

Laura is a Partner at Ward Hadaway. Laura is an experienced employment and business immigration lawyer who has practised for nearly two decades.

She acts for a wide range of clients from individuals, SMEs and owner-managed businesses to national and multinational organisations. She is particularly experienced in acting for clients within the recruitment, manufacturing, life sciences and technology sectors.

Laura regularly advises on employer sponsorship, Skilled Worker visas, the prevention of illegal working, the immigration implications of mergers and acquisitions and other global business mobility issues inbound to the UK such as the business visitor rules. Laura often advises on complicated overlapping employment and immigration law issues which arise during recruitment, during the employment relationship or at the point of termination such as dismissing sponsored employees.

Laura also delivers in-house training on employment and business immigration law to clients.

Shara has worked in the area of UK immigration with since 2010 and heads up the immigration team within Pinsent Masons UK. She handles sponsor licensing applications for employers as well as other complex Points Based System issues. Shara has comprehensive experience with applications for entrepreneurs/innovators and investors, and with assisting highly skilled migrants seeking endorsements as ‘Global Talent’.

Shara is a co-convener of the ILPA North West working group.

Shara delivers ILPA’s ‘Introduction to Business Immigration Law’ and ‘Employing Migrant Workers: Tier 2, sponsorship & alternatives’ training.