As part of our commitment to support businesses in Greater Manchester to navigate their international trade journey, we are pleased to launch a free series of Bitesize Sessions which will take place fortnightly. The purpose of these sessions is to provide support and advice to businesses trading internationally during this time of change.

These sessions will provide an overview of a different topic each time including: general export and import processes, border controls, and export documentation, etc. There is a full list of upcoming sessions, however, please feel free to let us know what you’d like us to cover in future sessions when registering to attend.

27th January 2022 - The points-based immigration system

Since the end of the Brexit transition period, the UK’s immigration system has been evolving, so that migrants from EU countries now need to meet the same criteria as those from outside the EU in order to obtain a visa. This is a massive shift from the previous system, which allowed EU nationals to move freely to UK with or without a job.

Businesses wanting to recruit EU nationals (who do not have settled or pre-settled status under the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme) will need to have a Skilled Worker sponsor licence in order to sponsor migrant worker visa applications.

Having the licence allows the UK business to recruit from the EU as well as the rest of world, but certain criteria need to be met in terms of skill level and salary, as well the sponsor continuing to comply with a stringent set of compliance duties through the life of the licence and any sponsorships.

The session will look at the points-based immigration system and related areas including the following key considerations:

• Skilled Worker Licences - how to apply and the initial costs
• Skilled Worker visa - requirements and anticipated costs
• EU Nationals - what is their position within the system
• Pre-settled and Settled status - right to live and work in the UK for 5 years or indefinitely
• Other potential visa and work routes: Graduates; Youth Mobility Scheme; Hong Kong British National; Ancestry
• Remote working - no visa required, but what are the other issues?
• Considerations for businesses - recruitment needs; additional costs; HR systems
• Compliance - record keeping; reporting duties; complying with employment and immigration laws

Speaker

Phillip Vallon, Partner at Knights plc

Phillip specialises in employment and immigration matters. Phillip has advised and assisted a large number of clients of varying sizes on the process of acquiring a sponsor licence, sponsoring migrants and complying with the sponsor duties. He is has a wealth of experience helping clients navigate the complexities of a system, which despite recent reforms, remains unwieldy and inconsistent.

Please register using your corporate email

Book your place at our Upcoming Bitesize Sessions

• Moving Goods Temporarily With an ATA Carnet
• EU VAT Obligations for eCommerce Sellers

If you have any questions about any of the above, please email exportbritain@gmchamber.co.uk