Claire Nilson, Jeanine E. Leahy, Abilio Jaribu, Author at Laborsphere

U.K. Immigration: Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme to Launch in 2023

As part of its new universal “Permission to Travel” scheme, the United Kingdom (U.K.) government is introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visa-exempt individuals visiting the U.K. By requiring everyone wishing to travel to the U.K. to have permission in advance of travel, the U.K. government intends to implement security checks at an earlier stage. The government believes that this should result in a more seamless and efficient entry process at the U.K. border.

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Visiting the EU from November 2023? You May Need to Apply for ETIAS Authorisation

By the end of 2023, it is anticipated that visitors to the European Union (EU) who do not require a visa will have to apply for authorisation through the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS). This new pre-travel screening system will apply to visitors to countries that are in the Schengen Area of the EU. Countries within the Schengen Area include all EU member states (except for Ireland), as well as the four members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Although Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania are not currently within the Schengen Area, as EU member states that are expected to join Schengen, they will be part of ETIAS.

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How to Become a Scale-Up Worker Sponsor

The U.K. government has launched a new immigration route, the Scale-Up Worker visa. The route will allow the employer access to a cost- and time-effective means of hiring highly skilled foreign nationals, without necessarily committing to a long-term contract, and it will allow the employee the freedom to change employers without risking their immigration status in the U.K. This article will provide a brief explanation of how an organisation can become eligible to sponsor individuals/employees through this route.

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Statement of Changes, October 18, 2022 – Points of Interest

The Home Office released its most recent “Statement of Changes” on 18 October 2022. Whilst there are no major, over-arching changes being introduced, as we have seen in previous versions of the statement, there are still a number of announcements that will be of interest and significance to those individuals it applies to.

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U.K. Update: Changes to Right to Work Checks

On 6 April 2022, the Home Office updated the codes of practice on preventing illegal working. All “Right to Work” (RTW) checks must now be conducted in conformity with the updated codes. Below is a summary of the methods of conducting the checks that are now available to employers conducting RTW checks.

RTW checks must be conducted for all prospective employees, irrespective of their nationality or immigration status. The checks must be conducted before employment commences in the U.K.

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UK Immigration: Understanding the New Scale-Up Visa

What is a Scale-Up visa?

The Scale-Up visa is a route which enables businesses in the U.K. to recruit talented foreign nationals who have the skills needed to allow the Scale-Up business to continue growing. One of the main benefits of the visa is its exemption from the Immigration Skills Charge. The Scale-Up visa is a route to settlement in the U.K.

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