JMW Solicitors does not offer services related to finding employment in the UK. If you are looking to speak to a solicitor about any legal matters concerning an immigration application, contact us today.
Business Immigration Solicitors
Understanding and handling the complexities of business immigration law in the UK can be challenging, especially as Immigration Rules and sponsor licence compliance requirements evolve. For organisations and individuals looking to arrange immigration to the UK for business reasons, it can be difficult to know how to handle this process.
At JMW Solicitors, we specialise in providing comprehensive legal support for businesses that want to bring in overseas talent or entrepreneurs establishing operations in the UK. Our business immigration solicitors offer tailored advice to help your business comply with UK immigration laws while securing the right visas and licences for you and your employees. Our expert team’s guidance will simplify the immigration process and help you meet your business objectives efficiently and effectively.
To speak to us about corporate immigration, call our business immigration team on 0345 872 6666, or make an enquiry online and we will get back to you.
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Our Business Immigration Law Services
JMW Solicitors offers a full suite of business immigration services to UK-based businesses and foreign entrepreneurs seeking to establish, grow or manage their operations in the UK. Our business immigration solicitors work closely with our clients to secure the necessary visas and navigate complex immigration processes.
Our expert services include:
- Innovator visa applications: Designed for entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas, we assist in securing Innovator Founder visas to enable you to establish a business in the UK. Our full-service law firm can assist entrepreneurs with company formation and navigating UK business regulations.
- Investor visa extensions/settlement applications: We provide support for clients seeking to extend their stay or apply for settlement in the UK under the Investor visa. Our team will ensure your investment continues to meet the required conditions, and will guide you through the extension/settlement application process.
- Sponsor licence applications: For businesses seeking to hire overseas workers, we assist with sponsor licence applications and ongoing compliance with UK immigration laws. This includes helping employers obtain Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS), assigning CoS to workers, and helping to ensure you meet your obligations as a licenced sponsor.
- UK Expansion Worker visa: We provide support for international businesses looking to expand into the UK through the UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility), enabling you to send senior representatives to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary.
- Sports immigration and transfers: Our services also extend to sports immigration, assisting clubs and players with visa requirements and ensuring smooth transfers across borders.
Our team meticulously prepares and reviews all applications, and we handle the entire process from document collection to liaising with the Home Office. We are committed to providing you with clear advice and helping your business to remain compliant with UK Immigration Rules at every stage.
By partnering with JMW, you benefit from expert legal advice and a business immigration team that understands the intricacies of corporate immigration law. We focus on delivering a smooth immigration process, allowing you to concentrate on your business objectives.
Who Do Our Business Immigration Solicitors Work With?
At JMW Solicitors, we provide expert legal services to a range of clients to help them meet their business immigration needs with ease:
- UK employers looking to recruit non-UK talent: we assist UK businesses in hiring skilled international workers by securing visas and sponsor licences.
- International businesses setting up UK branches: our team supports global companies establishing a presence in the UK through UK Expansion Worker visas and guidance on expanding operations.
- Individuals looking to work in the UK: whether you are seeking a Skilled Worker visa, Senior or Specialist Worker visa, or another relevant category, we guide you through the entire process and improve your chances of a successful application.
- Individuals looking to start a business or invest in the UK: We help entrepreneurs and investors apply for Innovator Founder visas, as well as offer support for business incorporation, ensuring your entry into the UK market is legally sound.
Our business immigration team tailors its approach to each client, offering a personalised service that simplifies the immigration process and helps you achieve your goals.
Our Document Checking Service
Submitting a visa application with incorrect documents or information can be a costly mistake. At JMW, we offer a Document Checking Service to ensure your application is accurate and fully compliant with UK immigration law. Our expert immigration solicitors review your application, identify any potential issues, and provide tailored advice to strengthen your submission.
With ever-changing UK immigration laws and increasing Home Office fees, this service minimises the risk of refusal and helps safeguard your long-term plans, including future applications for indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship.
Why Choose JMW?
At JMW Solicitors, our business immigration team is known for delivering high-quality applications, with our solicitors regularly commended by the Home Office for their attention to detail and compliance with the latest immigration regulations. We stay ahead of legal developments to ensure your business is always fully compliant.
Our expertise in cross-border law helps businesses navigate the complexities of international trade smoothly and successfully. Working closely with foreign law firms, our business immigration lawyers provide seamless support across multiple jurisdictions to minimise any risk of disputes or legal challenges as you expand into the UK.
No matter what your requirements may be, we are committed to guiding you through all of your business immigration matters, simplifying complex immigration law issues and making sure you are able to take full advantage of the global mobility avenues available to you in the UK.
Business Immigration Law FAQs
- What Are the Most Common Business Immigration Issues?
Business immigration in the UK can involve several key challenges, especially for employers and international businesses. The most common issues include:
- Sponsor licence applications: UK employers must obtain a sponsor licence to hire non-UK workers who have no other basis of living and working in the UK. The application process is complex, and businesses must demonstrate compliance with various legal requirements. Failure to meet these obligations can result in refusal, delays in recruitment, or even revocation of licences for existing sponsors.
- Compliance with UK immigration law: Once a business secures a sponsor licence, it must follow strict rules to maintain it. This includes conducting right to work checks, managing sponsored employees’ documentation, and keeping the Home Office informed of any changes to employee roles or absences. Certain changes to the business must also be reported to the Home Office. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties, including heavy fines, licence suspension or revocation, and reputational damage.
- Visa applications: Obtaining visas for skilled workers, senior specialists or executives from abroad is a key part of business immigration. Ensuring that all visa applications are complete, accurate and submitted on time is crucial, as mistakes can cause costly delays or even refusals. A refused visa could leave businesses without critical talent or affect long-term hiring strategies.
- Changes in immigration law: Post-Brexit Immigration Rules have made it more challenging for UK businesses to recruit EU nationals. Businesses must navigate the points-based system, which places additional requirements on hiring from both the EU and beyond. Keeping up with ongoing legislative changes is essential, as failure to do so can disrupt business operations and recruitment plans.
- Preventing illegal working: employers are responsible for ensuring that all their employees have the right to work in the UK. The consequences of hiring individuals without the correct immigration status can be severe, including significant fines, loss of sponsorship privileges, and even criminal prosecution.
Errors in any part of the business immigration process can have serious consequences, including financial penalties, operational delays, the loss of licences and credentials, and significant reputational damage both within the UK and internationally.
By partnering with JMW’s business immigration solicitors, UK employers and international businesses can avoid these common pitfalls and ensure their immigration processes run smoothly, protecting their business and workforce from unnecessary risks.
- How Has Brexit Affected Business Immigration?
Brexit has significantly changed the landscape of business immigration in the UK. Prior to Brexit, EU nationals could freely live and work in the UK under freedom of movement rules. Now, all non-UK workers, including those from the EU, must apply for visas under the UK’s points-based immigration system (unless a visa can be secured under another immigration route).
Key impacts include:
- EU nationals now need to qualify for visas under the same rules as non-EU nationals. For example, the Skilled Worker visa requires applicants to meet specific criteria, such as job offer requirements, English language proficiency, and minimum salary thresholds.
- UK employers now need to apply for a sponsor licence to recruit workers from the EU, adding administrative burdens and compliance responsibilities that did not previously exist.
- Sectors that previously relied on EU workers have experienced labour shortages due to the additional visa requirements.
- New rules governing business travel and short-term assignments have affected companies looking to set up UK operations, by requiring individuals to apply for specific visas to facilitate cross-border operations.
Non-compliance with the UK business immigration requirements can have significant practical consequences, which is why it is essential for businesses to remain fully informed about the new rules. At JMW, our business immigration solicitors provide up-to-date immigration advice and tailored solutions to help you manage the complexities of post-Brexit immigration and avoid disruptions.
Talk to Us
If you are looking to speak to a solicitor about our corporate immigration services, contact JMW today by calling on 0345 872 6666. Alternatively, fill in our online enquiry form and a member of the team will be in touch.