Business Immigration Lawyers
If you are a foreign entrepreneur looking to expand your business in the UK or a UK company wishing to hire overseas staff, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the nuances of UK business immigration policies and compliance requirements. Any breach may result in severe penalties or hamper your business operations in the UK.
If your company struggles with recruiting foreign staff, moving employees internationally, or complying with the UK’s immigration laws, our specialist business immigration lawyers at IAS can assist you. Contact our legal team today on +44 (0)333 414 9244 to explore your options and/or discuss your immigration challenges.
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What are the benefits of choosing IAS’ Advice Package?
Our Advice Package is the ideal option if you are looking for expert immigration legal advice. With this service, you will have a one-on-one session with one of our immigration lawyers.
Your immigration lawyer will consider your case and offer bespoke advice, and they will advise you on the optimum route to take to achieve your desired result.
During your advice session, you will be able to discuss your case and get detailed information about your options to proceed with your case. We will:

Review your situation and explore your opportunities to get your desired immigration results.



Advice on the most appropriate documentary evidence required to support your case.



Discuss the requirements that you need to meet to qualify for your visa.



Outline the expected time frames to process your application.
Services we Provide
Professional Immigration Law Advice for Businesses
We at IAS have a team of highly qualified and expert lawyers who specialise in UK business immigration issues. Over the years, we have been advising businesses and individuals globally on immigration matters, visa applications, appeals, and visa/permit extensions.
At IAS, we understand your business immigration-related challenges and requirements vary. You might, for example, be looking for legal and immigration assistance as well as practical advice with one or more of the following:
- Complete and submit your application on your behalf
- Guidance and advice from one of our qualified legal advisers
- Ongoing support and advice even after the application is submitted
- Expanding your business operations in the UK
- Transferring your staff from overseas offices/branches
- Managing visa/permit application processes for your international employees
- Significantly higher chances of success than completing your application alone
- Complete, bespoke support for your application from start to finish
- Document collation and checking services
- Comprehensive Evidence Portfolio presenting your case & documents in a government-friendly format
- Obtaining sponsor licences in the UK to enable you to sponsor your foreign workers
- Complying fully with the complex immigration laws and the Home Office guidelines while recruiting foreign national employees
- Managing any other risks associated with the immigration process
- Recruiting international students or graduate trainees/interns, etc.
- Complying with tax and social security regulations for migrant workers
- Adhering to data privacy rules and employment laws, including meeting the minimum compensation and benefit thresholds
- Sponsor licence renewal or improving your licence rating to ‘A’ from a ‘B’-rated licence
- Complying with any other government or immigration system restrictions
- End-to-end relocation assistance for employees and workforce relocations
Certified Experts in Business Immigration
Bespoke Services for Businesses
Our expert and experienced business immigration lawyers also offer bespoke services in the following areas:
- Advising on and thoroughly reviewing your business plan before it is presented to a designated body for endorsement (for Innovator Founder visa)
- Strategic planning and multi-jurisdictional immigration assessments for individual and team relocations
- Global, regional and country-specific business travel advice and compliance assessments
- Explaining visa/immigration permission requirements in layperson’s terms (i.e., avoiding legal jargon)
- Visa/permit eligibility assessments and strategic advice
- Drafting, reviewing, and updating your company’s internal global immigration policies
- Providing comprehensive training for your HR staff and preparing them for the Home Office visits, covering global immigration basics, distinctions between business travel and work permission, etc.
- Liaising with country governments on your behalf as necessary
What is Business Immigration?
Business immigration is a broad term that covers the migration of foreign workers and directors from one country to another. It typically pertains to the process of managing international employees, as well as creating recruitment policies and procedures in compliance with government legislation.
The issues relating to business immigration can be complex and intricate, meaning that leaders and managers often have to account for significant time and effort in making sure that the correct policies and procedures are followed.
Normal processes in business immigration include employers gaining sponsorship licences and carrying out right-to-work checks, which an integral part of any business immigration plan. It may include the formulation of employment contracts or HR policies, and ensure a business is compliant with local labour laws.
Business Immigration – Why Planning is Important
Business immigration compliance, strategy and application assistance have become an increasingly core focus for organisations over the years. This is perhaps owing to more stringent government policies, such as the 2025 immigration white paper. Other policies have affected the business immigration landscape including, Brexit ending free movement in the EU and reducing opportunities for EU workers to come to the UK; changing requirements for work visas; and salary increases for skilled work visas.
Many foreign entrepreneurs, innovators, business leaders, and start-up founders today wish to expand their business footprint in the UK, given the country’s strategic importance in the global financial and technological space. They often struggle to understand what they require from a legal standpoint to expand in the UK and how to comply with the business immigration law to continue operating legally in the country.
Global business immigration requirements for hiring foreign workers are often strict, and can be difficult to understand. The UK government is no exception. The Home Office not only wants to protect the interests of its domestic workforce but also ensure that employers do not abuse work visa routes or indulge in malpractices leading to “modern slavery” or illegal working conditions.
Regarding welcoming international companies or start-ups, the benefits they bring to the UK and its citizens are rigorously scrutinised. Compliance is the key if you want to employ (and continue employing) foreign workers and run your business operations in the UK. Therefore hiring a corporate immigration attorney is crucial in your strategic planning phase.
Business Immigration Visa Options in the UK
There are seven different options we look at below for sponsoring and hiring foreign workers for a UK company, setting up or moving operations to the UK and business travel.
Setting up, expanding, or moving to the UK as a businessperson:
- Setting up a UK business (applying for a visa as a business founder)
- Migrate to Work in the UK Without a Job Offer
- Sponsoring “yourself” as a skilled worker
Business Travel:
- Business Visitor visa for business trips up to 6 months (not paid engagements)
Hiring Foreign Nationals for Your UK Company:
- Hiring “permanent” employees
- Hiring “temporary” workers
- Transferring overseas employees to UK operations
Set Up a Business in the UK
The Innovator Founder visa is for foreign entrepreneurs with a unique business idea who want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK. To be eligible for this visa, you must:
- Have a business offering that is different from anything already existing in the market, has potential for growth, can create jobs in the UK, and can expand nationally and internationally
- Have your business idea endorsed by an approved endorsing body or a legacy endorsing body recognised by the Home Office.
- Meet the other eligibility criteria, such as:
- You are 18 or over
- You meet the English language requirement
- You have sufficient funds to support yourself and your family (if any) in the UK
An Innovator Founder visa is valid for three years and is renewable after that, provided you continue meeting the initial conditions. You may also apply to settle in the UK after three years. However, your visa validity may be cut short if the endorsing body withdraws its approval.
Migrate to Work in the UK Without a Job Offer
Certain UK visas allow foreign nationals to come and work in the UK without a job offer. This means you will not need a sponsoring employer if you are eligible for the following visas:
Global Talent Visa
The Global Talent visa is for individuals who are leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. This allows them to live, work and study in the UK without requiring a valid job offer from a UK-based employer.
To apply for a Global Talent visa, you must either be endorsed by a recognized UK body as a leader or potential leader in your field or have won an eligible award.
A Global Talent visa can be granted for up to 5 years. You can apply to extend your visa as many times as you like, in increments of 1 to 5 years. You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain after 3 or 5 years, depending on your specific situation.
High Potential Individual Visa
If you have been awarded a qualification by an eligible university as specified on the Home Office website in the last five years, you may be eligible to apply for a High Potential Individual (HPI) visa to come and work in the UK. This visa also allows you to be self-employed.
You will be allowed to stay in the country for a maximum of two years, or three years if you have a PhD or other doctoral qualification, on an HPI visa. You cannot renew an HPI visa or apply to settle in the UK on this basis. However, you may be able to switch to a different visa (eg a Skilled Worker visa).
Self-Sponsored Skilled Worker Visa
Although the UK does not offer a self-employment visa, as a foreign business owner, you may take the Skilled Worker visa route to come and work in the UK for your own company. Your UK company must be a genuine and viable business and hold a Worker sponsor licence to sponsor a Skilled Worker in the UK. However, this is not a straightforward option.
If you wish to use your UK company’s sponsorship licence to assign yourself a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to come and work in the country, you should seek legal advice if you considering self-sponsorship. Note a family member must not issue the CoS to you as it is not permitted to assign a CoS to a family member.


Visit the UK for Business Purposes (Short-Term)
Foreign citizens can apply for a Standard Visitor visa for business purposes to engage in certain types of activities in the UK, such as:
- Take part in business meetings or negotiations
- Attend training, interviews, conferences, seminars, trade fairs, etc.
- Sign deals and contracts with a UK company
- Visit supplier sites or carrying out business inspections
- Deliver corporate training or giving a one-off or series of lectures
- Provide certain technical or IT-related services if you represent an overseas business with a service contract with a UK company or organisation, etc.
Please note that you will not be allowed to do any paid or unpaid work for a UK business or as a self-employed professional in the UK on this visa.
A Standard Visitor visa for business will allow you to stay in the UK for six months. Frequent business visitors may also be able to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa with a validity of two, five or 10 years. However, you cannot stay in the UK for more than six months on each visit.


Hiring “permanent” employees from overseas in the UK
There are several work visa options in the UK through which you can hire international workers (often through a points-based system) to fill positions in your company to perform duties and responsibilities that cannot be performed by your British employees or European Union nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK through the EU Settlement Scheme. A worker sponsor licence allows you to sponsor an overseas employee for a certain timeframe, and renew your sponsorship of them until they are able to settle in the UK via Indefinite Leave to Remain when you will no longer need to sponsor them.
- A Skilled Worker visa allows overseas talent to work for your company in the UK. The offered job type must be on the eligible occupations list and meet the minimum salary threshold for that occupation.
- A Health and Care Worker visa is for qualified foreign doctors, nurses and other health and care professionals who must be sponsored by a licensed health and care sector employer to come and work in the UK in roles that are listed as eligible occupations and meet the specified salary levels.
- A Scale-up visa, provided your UK branch or subsidiary meets the criteria and holds a suitable sponsor licence. Unlike a Skilled Worker visa, Scale-up visa holders may change jobs and/or employers after six months without a Home Office permission, so it comes with greater flexibility for both employers and employees.
A Skilled Worker visa and a Health and Care Worker visa are valid for up to five years and can be extended. A Scale-up Worker visa is initially valid for 2 years. You can extend your visa by 3 years as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.
All these visas provide a settlement route, meaning the visa holders can apply to settle permanently in the UK after living and working in the country for five years if they are otherwise eligible.


Hiring Temporary Workers from overseas for UK companies
You may also hire workers for your UK business to come and work for you in the country on a temporary basis. Your UK company will need a Temporary Worker licence to let you sponsor such overseas workers, including for volunteer work as well as job-shadowing.
There are six Temporary Work visas:
- Seasonal Worker visa
- Government Authorised Exchange visa
- Creative Worker visa
- Religious Worker visa
- Charity Worker visa
- International Agreement visa
- Sponsorship on the Creative Worker visa route means that you must either comply with the creative workers code of practice or ensure that the job is on the shortage occupations list.
- Other visas, such as the Representative of an Overseas Business visa, may not require sponsorship at all.
Move Your Overseas Employees to Your UK Operations
Overseas businesses with a presence in the country can use the global business mobility routes to temporarily transfer their foreign national staff to the UK for a specific work assignment that their UK-based employees cannot undertake.
There are five Global Business Mobility immigration routes to the UK:
Senior or Specialist Worker
When your overseas worker is a senior manager or specialist employee who is being assigned to your UK branch or subsidiary company to undertake temporary work assignments, they will need to apply for a Senior or Specialist Worker visa.
The Senior or Specialist Worker visa has replaced the Intra-Company Transfer visa. Applicants must be paid at least £48,500 or the ‘going rate’ for their job, whichever is higher.
Graduate Trainee
The Graduate Trainee visa is applicable where your overseas worker is on a graduate training programme leading to a senior management or specialist position and is required to do a work placement in the UK as part of the said training programme. They will be assigned to your UK business to undertake temporary work assignments.
UK Expansion Worker
When your overseas worker is a senior manager or specialist employee undertaking temporary work assignments in the country related to your business’ expansion plan in the UK, they must apply for a UK Expansion Worker visa.
Service Supplier
The Service Supplier visa is applicable where the foreign staff in question is either a contractual service supplier employed by you as an overseas service provider or a self-employed independent professional based outside the UK, and they need to undertake an assignment in the country to provide services covered by any of the UK’s international trade agreements, either in force or being provisionally applied.
Secondment Worker
A Secondment Worker visa is applicable for your overseas employees undertaking temporary work assignments in the country where they are being seconded to the UK as part of a high-value contract or investment by their overseas employer (i.e., your company).
Sponsoring Foreign Workers to come to the UK
The very first step in being able to sponsor foreign workers to come and work for you in the UK is to obtain a sponsor licence. There are two types of licences:
- Worker licences, which cover most forms of skilled and long-term employment, and;
- Temporary Worker licences, which cover specific types of temporary employment and visas.
In order to be eligible for a licence, you must first confirm that you:
- Do not have unspent criminal convictions for immigration offences or certain other crimes, such as fraud or money laundering
- Have not had a sponsor licence revoked in the last 12 months
- Have appropriate systems in place to monitor sponsored workers and people to manage sponsorship in your business
- Have suitable HR systems, policies and processes in place to meet their sponsor duties
Obtaining a Sponsor Licence
You must demonstrate that you have adequate systems in place to monitor sponsored employees and that you have staff who will be able to manage the sponsorship process by filling certain roles. These roles include the following:
- Authorising officer – a senior employee who manages and oversees the staff using the sponsorship management system (SMS)
- Key contact – your main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
- Level 1 user – an employee responsible for the day-to-day management of your licence using the SMS
UK Sponsor Licence Duties
A UK sponsor licence comes with specific responsibilities, which you must meet to keep your sponsor licence valid. The sponsor licence guidance, as specified by the Home Office, mentions four primary responsibilities:
- Record-keeping
- Monitoring and reporting (part of day to day management of your sponsor management system)
- Absence monitoring of your sponsor workers
- Notifying the Home Office of changes in circumstances
Immigration Compliance Audit
If the Home Office has reasons to believe that your HR systems are inadequate to comply with any of the above sponsor duties, your sponsor licence application may be refused, or your existing sponsor licence may be revoked.
To avoid this, please conduct an internal audit of your existing HR systems periodically to identify potential issues and breaches of compliance obligations. If your internal audit findings report any such issues or gaps, please address them before making a sponsor licence application.
Even after you are granted a sponsor licence, you must regularly check whether practices and procedures at any of your offices, where sponsored employees will be working, continue to meet the Home Office standards to ensure full compliance.
Cost of Sponsorship Licence Application
You will need to apply for your sponsor licence online through the Gov.uk website. The cost of a sponsor licence ranges from £574 £1,579, depending on the size of your business and the type of worker you wish to sponsor.
- Temporary Worker Sponsor Licence: £574
- Worker sponsor licence (small sponsor): £574
- Worker sponsor licence (large sponsor): £1,579
- Worker and Temporary Worker sponsor licence (large sponsor): £1,579
- Worker and Student sponsor licence (large sponsor): £1,579
- Worker, Temporary Worker and Student sponsor licence (large sponsor): £1,579
- Temporary Worker and Student sponsor licence: £574
Visa Management for Foreign Workers
Most foreign workers will need to use a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) in order to obtain a valid UK work visa. You will need to ensure that the foreign worker you are sponsoring will be working in a job that:
- Meets the minimum rate of pay and skill level for their visa. The current minimum salary requirement for a Skilled Worker Visa in the UK is £38,700. An employee can earn as low as £30,960, but only if the job you are advertising is on the Immigration Salary List.
- Meets all mandatory criteria necessary for their visa.
These may include specific eligibility criteria that you will need to be aware of during the sponsorship and hiring process. For example, one of the stipulations of the Skilled Worker visa is that only certain occupation codes on the ONS occupation coding tool are eligible to be offered as positions. The 2025 immigration white paper has outlined future changes including an increased level of proficiency in the English Language being mandatory, and the route to settlement for skilled workers being longer, hence sponsors must sponsor workers for longer (typically 6-10 years, rather than the current 5 years.) It is recommended to speak to a business immigration lawyer to see how the new changes affect your business.
What is CoS and How to Comply
Licensed UK companies can issue certificate of sponsorship (CoS) to eligible foreign nationals, enabling them to apply for a UK work visa. These work visas require sponsorship by a licensed UK employer:
- Skilled Worker visa
- Global Business Mobility visa
- Health and Care Worker visa
- Temporary Worker visa
The type of sponsor licence you apply for depends on whether you are hiring foreign nationals for skilled or long-term employment or temporary workers for specific types of temporary employment. For example, if you hire a foreign national on a Skilled Worker visa, you must apply for a Worker sponsor licence.
You may apply for a licence covering both types of workers. Hiring foreign nationals for unpaid employment, such as working for a charity in the UK, will also require a sponsor licence.
HR Support and Policies for Foreign Workers
The regulations and policies relating to the recruitment and management of foreign workers are numerous. However, there are a few fundamental policies that all businesses must follow when employing foreign workers. These include:
- Checking that your foreign workers have the necessary skills or qualifications to perform their roles, and keep copies of documents demonstrating this
- The job offer complies with the UK minimum salary requirements and working time regulations. The company may lose their sponsor licence, and the foreign national worker may be refused a UK work visa if this criterion is not met
- Only granting certificates of sponsorship to workers when the job is suitable for sponsorship
- Informing UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if your sponsored workers are not complying with the conditions of their visa
In addition to this, you are obligated to have HR systems in place that allow you to:
- Monitor your employees’ immigration status
- Keep copies of relevant documents for each employee, including passport and right to work information
- Track and record your employees’ attendance
- Keep employee contact details up to date
- Report to UKVI if there is a problem, such as if your employee stops coming to work
You must prove that you can carry out your duties and meet all regulatory requirements as a licensed employer. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may visit your business premises during your application review process to establish your trustworthiness as a licensed employer.
The importance of Sponsor Licence Compliance: Avoiding fines, penalties and downgraded ratings
How do Sponsor Licence Ratings Work?
Managing the sponsor licence process efficiently and effectively ensures you will not be liable for penalties or downgraded ratings for non-compliance.
There are two licence ratings that businesses can have. These are the A-rating and the B-rating. Most businesses will receive an A-rating after successfully applying for a sponsor licence. This means that you will be able to start issuing certificates of sponsorship to foreign workers.
- Your business will only be downgraded to a B-rating if you don’t meet your sponsorship responsibilities, such as not adhering to Home Office guidelines on HR policies.
- If your business is at a B-rating, you won’t be able to issue new certificates of sponsorship until you’ve made the necessary improvements and been upgraded to an A-rating again.
- To be upgraded back to an A-rating, you’ll have to purchase an action plan from UKVI and follow the necessary steps to bring your business back up to regulations. Action plans cost £1,579 each.
However, if you still need to make other improvements, you’ll be given a second B-rating and will have to follow a new action plan. If you still need to make improvements after receiving your second B-rating in the space of 4 years, you will lose your sponsorship licence.
What Are the Penalties for Employing Illegal Workers?
There are strict penalties in place to ensure that businesses carry out adequate right-to-work checks and deter illegal working. If you’re found to be employing someone who you knew didn’t have the right to work in the UK, you could face a jail sentence of up to 5 years, plus an unlimited fine.
You may also be penalised if you had ‘reasonable cause to believe’ that someone didn’t have the right to work in the UK. This includes if:
- They did not have permission to enter or remain in the UK
- Their immigration permission had expired
- They were not allowed to do certain types of work within the immigration rules
- Their papers were incorrect or false
You may also be penalised if you did not properly carry out the necessary right-to-work checks on an employee. If this occurs, you may receive a referral notice and be forced to pay a fine of up to £45,000 for each illegal worker you’ve employed, on your first offence, or £60,000 for repeat offences.
You will then be sent a civil penalty notice, and your business’ details may be publicly published by Immigration Enforcement as a deterrent to other businesses.
Right-to-Work Checks and How to Conduct Them
Before employing a foreign worker, it’s imperative that you conduct a full right-to-work check to verify that they are legally allowed to work in the UK.
You can do this by either checking the worker’s right to work status online (using their date of birth and right to work share code) or by checking the worker’s original documents and following Home Office procedures on how to conduct a thorough check.
If checking the worker’s original documents, you must follow a variety of steps. These include (but are not limited to) checking the following:
- The documents are genuine, original and belong to the person who has given them to you
- The worker still has valid and legal right to work in the UK
- Any photographs look like the applicant
- Dates of birth are the same across all documents
- The worker has permission to do the type of work they’re being employed for
You will also need to remember to make follow-up checks and also take clear and complete photocopies of their documents.
If the worker is unable to show their documents for any reason, you may apply to the Home Office for a Positive Verification Notice to confirm that they have the right to work in the UK.
Which Contract Types Are Right for You?
It may be the case that the type of contract you offer will be dictated by the requirements and restrictions of the specific visas your foreign workers apply for. In addition, you must ensure that the type of employment contract you offer fits within the guidelines of any specific visa.
For instance, there is no explicit rule stating that workers on a Skilled Worker visa must be sponsored for a job with a specific type of contract. However, there are strict Home Office guidelines on the type of work that may be considered to be acceptable if the foreign worker is working contractually or as a self-employed individual, as opposed to being a full-time employee.
In most cases, the sponsor must always retain primary responsibility for all of the duties, functions and performances that the worker will be carrying out. The basic requirements of minimum salary expectations must also be adhered to, including if the worker is employed on a part-time basis.
Whether you wish to employ people on a full-time, part-time, fixed-term, self-employed or permanent basis will very much depend on your own business needs and requirements. Regardless of how you employ people, however, you must always
Challenging Refusals in Business Immigration
If the Home Office refuses to grant your UK business immigration visa application, you will receive a refusal letter explaining the reason(s) thereof, as well as whether you are eligible for an administrative review.
Please note that not all UK work and business visa decisions can be challenged in this way. This option is available only when a decision has been made on an eligible work or business visa. Usually, an administrative review is possible for the following visas:
- Skilled Worker
- Scale-up Worker
- High Potential Individual
- International Sportsperson
- Seasonal Worker
- Religious Worker
- Charity Worker
- Creative Worker
- International Agreement Worker
- Government Authorised Exchange Worker
- Innovator Founder
- Global Talent
- Global mobility routes
Administrative Review
Asking for an Administrative Review is possible if you have reason to believe that the Home Office’s decision of refusing to grant you a business immigration visa is based on erroneous grounds as it contains one or more case working errors as defined in the UK immigration rules.
The visa refusal letter from UKVI will confirm whether your case qualifies for an administrative review. If so, you must apply online for an administrative review within 28 days of receiving your visa rejection letter if you are applying from outside the UK or 14 days if applying from within the UK and pay a £80 fee.
The Home Office then will review its decision and rectify it if it agrees that a relevant case working error was made while finalising the previous refusal decision. However, if the Home Office stands by its original refusal decision even after a review, you cannot request a second review (unless the result of the first review found new reasons for refusal), nor can you appeal the administrative review decision.
Therefore, seeking professional legal support is recommended if you are contemplating an administrative review. In case of an unsuccessful administrative review, your UK business immigration lawyer can also help you seek a judicial review of the outcome.
Judicial Review
If the administrative review for your UK business immigration visa application has been unsuccessful and you have exhausted all other options to remedy such a situation, a judicial review may be your last resort. It involves a court proceeding where a judge will review the lawfulness of a decision or action made by the Home Office concerning your UK business immigration application.
Judicial review is procedural in nature, meaning the judge will focus on how the Home Office reached its decision. They will not review whether the decision was correct.
Instead, the judge will review whether the Home Office has had the legal power to make the decision (‘illegality’), whether the process leading to the refusal decision has been improper (‘procedural unfairness’), and whether the decision under challenge is so unreasonable that no reasonable person, acting reasonably, could have made it (‘irrationality’).
You will need an expert UK business immigration lawyer, preferably one with vast experience in dealing with such cases and advising clients, to guide you through the complex web of a judicial review application, which can be costly, risky and complex at its best.


Is It Expensive to Hire a Business Immigration Attorney?
The cost of engaging business immigration law firms will vary depending on what services you are looking for, the complexities involved in your situation, and the extent of services required.
For example, the attorney fees will be higher for a multinational corporation moving several foreign employees to the UK (or hiring a considerable number of overseas workers) than a start-up founder who needs to hire just one key staff internationally.
Likewise, if you need us to provide end-to-end support for your Innovator Founder visa, starting from assisting you in putting together your business plan, guiding you through the endorsement process, and helping you with the visa application for yourself and your dependent family members, the service charges will be higher than if we are only helping you with the visa application part.
Irrespective of the cost, please note that it is crucial to hire an experienced and reputed business immigration lawyer to guide and advise with your visa/licence/permit applications and/or represent your company in a tribunal if your application is refused or challenged.
Professional legal advice can increase your chances of receiving a favourable decision, especially in complex immigration situations.
How Can IAS Help?
Investing in foreign workers can hold significant advantages for any business looking to expand the size and diversity of its workforce. However, it’s imperative that you’re aware of the necessary checks, procedures and guidelines that govern the process of employing workers and how to minimise risk for yourself and your business when doing so.
If you need additional help, advice or support in creating the right contracts and managing foreign workers or business immigration law in the UK, IAS can help.
We are one of the UK’s leading law firms, consisting of an experienced business immigration team offering consultancy and support for businesses in the UK and globally. Our experienced business immigration solicitors can work with you on a close, one-on-one basis to help deliver the support you need to successfully navigate the challenges of employing workers from abroad.
Whether you need advice regarding sponsorship licences, certificates of sponsorship, right-to-work checks or UK visas, our professional legal team can help guide you through the process and set you on the right path.
We can also help advise your business if you wish to expand into the UK, such as through an Expansion Worker visa or an Overseas Business route.
For more information about the services we offer and what we could do for you, reach out to us on 0333 4149244, or contact us online.
Our International Business Immigration Attorneys Can Help
At IAS, our business immigration team of lawyers has the expertise and experience to assist you with your business immigration requirements, regardless of the complexity of your case. We have helped several companies and organisations with their business immigration challenges so far.
We understand that it is of utmost importance for any business to comply with all relevant rules and regulations in a country so that you can continue operating legally there. As your business immigration and employment lawyers, we can help your company meet the compliance requirements in the UK, leaving you free to focus on the strategic and operational sides of your business.
We can also handle your immigration requirements, such as applying for a spouse visa for your husband/wife or partners.
IAS is here for you at every step of the process, from helping you decide which visa/permit option would be most suitable for your foreign worker in your circumstances to advising you on the required licences and documentation to complete your workers’ visa/permit applications on their behalf.
You might choose from any of our below packages and/or ask for more customizable services as required in your immigration situation:
- The Advice Package: Comprehensive immigration advice tailored to suit your needs and situation
- The Application Package: Legal advice and actual assistance in completing your visa application process
- The Fast-Track Package: A premium service for those on a tight deadline for submitting the visa/permit application
- The Appeal Package: Preparation of your appeal case and full legal representation in any hearings/tribunals on your behalf
To learn more about our full-service offering and how we can help you, please call us on +44 (0)333 414 9244 today to speak to our team of specialist immigration solicitors.
How Does Business Immigration Impact International Trade and Economic Growth?
Global movement of talent leads to increased trade between the home countries and the host countries by raising demand for certain goods and helping to establish business relationships. They can also help reduce the informal trade and economic barriers between countries arising from cultural, linguistic, or institutional differences.
Immigrants have a profound impact on the host country’s economy by addressing skills and labour shortages in the domestic markets. They bring innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to business, leading to new market opportunities. On the other hand, they also contribute to the economic growth of their home countries through foreign remittances and by increasing global economic and trade connections.
For Individuals Seeking a Business Visa in the UK, What Is the Minimum Investment Amount Required for Eligibility?
No minimum investment amount is specified to be eligible to apply for a business visa in the UK. If you wish to apply for a Standard Visitor visa for business purposes, you must submit evidence that you have (or your sponsor has) sufficient financial means to cover your expenses during your stay in the UK.
If you are applying for an Innovator Founder visa, you must satisfy the endorsing body that you have initial funds to set up and run your company in the UK (and prove the origin of such funds).
Table of Contents
Table of Contents will appear here.Legal Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at Immigration Advice Service before making any decisions based on the content provided.
Frequently Asked Questions
An Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate is an additional requirement that some foreign workers will require before commencing work in the UK.
You must check if the employee you’re sponsoring needs an ATAS certificate if:
- You have a Student sponsor licence
- You’re sponsoring the worker in one of the relevant occupation codes, which mostly cover science, medicine, engineering and technology
- The worker will be carrying out research at PhD level or above in a ‘relevant subject’ – the full list of relevant subjects can be found on the Gov.uk website.
- The worker’s nationality is not exempt from needing an ATAS certificate
If the worker needs an ATAS certificate, you must tell the worker that they need to get one and include it in their visa application. You must then make a copy of the ATAS certificate and keep it for your records.
The immigration skills charge is an additional charge you may have to pay when sponsoring a worker applying for either a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa.
If you need to pay the immigration skills charge, how much you have to pay will depend on the size of your organisation and how long the worker will work for you.
The various charges are as follows:
Small or Charitable Sponsors | Medium or Large Sponsors | |
First 12 Months | £364 | £1000 |
Each Additional 6 Months | £182 | £500 |
An Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate is an additional requirement that some foreign workers will require before commencing work in the UK.
You must check if the employee you’re sponsoring needs an ATAS certificate if:
- You have a Student sponsor licence
- You’re sponsoring the worker in one of the relevant occupation codes, which mostly cover science, medicine, engineering and technology
- The worker will be carrying out research at PhD level or above in a ‘relevant subject’ – the full list of relevant subjects can be found on the Gov.uk website.
- The worker’s nationality is not exempt from needing an ATAS certificate
If the worker needs an ATAS certificate, you must tell the worker that they need to get one and include it in their visa application. You must then make a copy of the ATAS certificate and keep it for your records.
The immigration skills charge is an additional charge you may have to pay when sponsoring a worker applying for either a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa.
If you need to pay the immigration skills charge, how much you have to pay will depend on the size of your organisation and how long the worker will work for you.
The various charges are as follows:
Small or Charitable Sponsors | Medium or Large Sponsors | |
First 12 Months | £364 | £1000 |
Each Additional 6 Months | £182 | £500 |
If you’re sponsoring foreign workers under 18, you must ensure suitable care arrangements for all of the following:
- Their travel to the UK
- Their arrival in the UK
- Their living arrangements in the UK
You must also obtain both of the following:
- A letter from their parents giving consent to the care arrangements that have been made
- A Disclosure and Barring Service check on any of your workers who need it
If you’re sponsoring foreign workers under 16, you must ensure that they’re on either:
- A Creative Worker visa ( they may also need a performance licence)
- A Government Authorised Exchange visa
You will also need to check the rules about how many hours children can work, and if the child needs an employment permit from their local council.
The sponsorship management system (SMS) is a system provided by the UK government to manage and keep track of your business’ sponsorships.
You can use the SMS to do the following:
- Manage or renew your organisation’s licence or services
- Create and assign certificates of sponsorship to prospective employees
- Create and assign confirmations of acceptance for studies (CAS) to prospective students
- Report changes of circumstances of your sponsored employees or students, including withdrawals of sponsorship
- Report changes to your own circumstances, such as a change of owner or a new address


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