Business immigration

Who we act for

Our business immigration work covers small employers taking on their first sponsored worker, established sponsors managing a larger workforce, and in-house teams that need a second legal opinion on a specific point.

How the work is done

A solicitor takes instructions, reviews the position against the current Immigration Rules and sponsor guidance, and advises in writing. Where an application or a response to the Home Office is required, a solicitor prepares and approves it before it is submitted.

Compliance is a legal obligation, not an outcome we control

Sponsorship duties sit with the sponsor. Our role is to advise on what those duties require, help you record and evidence what you have done, and represent you if the Home Office raises concerns. Home Office decisions and enforcement action remain matters for the Home Office.

Who this page is for

• Employers considering their first sponsored recruit and unsure whether a sponsor licence is needed
• Existing sponsors managing reporting, record-keeping and right to work obligations
• HR and in-house teams that want a second legal view on a specific sponsorship question
• Sponsors who have received a Home Office information request, a compliance visit date, or notice of suspension
• Employers whose sponsored worker is changing role, salary or place of work

How the work is usually sequenced

• A solicitor takes instructions and establishes the employer's current position and obligations
• The position is reviewed against the Immigration Rules and sponsor guidance in force at the time
• Written advice sets out what the duties require and where the practical risks sit
• Where an application or a response to the Home Office is needed, a solicitor prepares and approves it
• Records and evidence of what the employer has done are organised so they can be produced if asked for
• We remain available for the follow-up questions the Home Office may raise

Evidence and records employers are usually asked about

Sponsorship is evidence-based. In practice that means recruitment records, right to work check records, contracts and job descriptions, payroll evidence, records of absence and reporting, and a clear audit trail showing who within the business is responsible for each duty. Where records are incomplete, it is better to identify and address that before the Home Office does.

Where sponsors most often run into difficulty

• Role or salary details that do not match what was assigned on the certificate of sponsorship
• Reportable changes that were not reported within the required period
• Right to work checks carried out late, incompletely, or without a retained record
• No identified owner inside the business for sponsor duties after a change of staff
• Responding to a Home Office information request without legal review of what is being sent

Sponsorship duties sit with the sponsor, and Home Office decisions and enforcement action remain matters for the Home Office. Our role is to advise on what the duties require and to represent the employer if concerns are raised.

Fees

We agree fees in writing before substantive work begins, and we confirm what is included in the scope of work. How we charge, and the Home Office fees that are payable in addition to our professional fees, are explained on our fees page.

If you would like the position on your own facts reviewed, make an enquiry and we will confirm the next step in writing. An enquiry is a request for a consultation; it is not advice, and it does not create a solicitor-client relationship.