Archive for category: News

Significant changes as of 1^st October 2026 mean that a wider range of individuals must be checked to establish their right to work. Whereas previously the need arose only where there was a direct employer to employee relationship,  the definition of “ employer” has been expanded and checks must now be made in the context of an expanded range of working arrangements including those working under workers’ contracts, subcontractors and those engaged through on-line matching services.

Right to work checks should be made in the prescribed way in these expanded situations in order to establish a statutory excuse against a civil penalty and detailed new guidance explains how to carry out such checks.

Employer’s guide to RTW checks

The liability for preventing illegal working has also been expanded to include those engaging with workers or contractors being provided by another company and individuals substituted by another worker. Liability for a civil penalty may therefore extend beyond the employer who holds the direct contractual relationship.

A statutory excuse can be established by complying with prescribed requirements relating to contractual arrangements before the work commences.  The guidance gives examples of situations where extended liability will arise and sets out the ways in which to establish an excuse, through contractual arrangements, substitution controls and identity verification.

With civil penalties being as much as £60,000 per illegal worker it is vital that employers familiarise themselves with the changes and ensure that measures are taken to ensure that they have established an excuse against such a penalty.

Amended guidance on duties and compliance, dated 6^th March 2026, makes it clear that sponsors must keep up to date on guidance and its frequent changes. Please see Section C1.3 below.

Sponsor-guidance-Part-3-compliance-03-26-v1.0.pdf

We are advising our sponsor clients to check the relevant guides on a monthly basis to ensure they don’t miss anything. They can be found in the Sponsorship Collection below.

Sponsorship: guidance for employers and educators – GOV.UK

The current settlement requirement for English language proficiency at level B1 will increase to level B2 from 26^th March 2026.

This will affect settlement applicants from a broad range of routes including the Skilled Work route and Global Talent route but also the UK Ancestry route, Bereaved Partner route ,Private Life route and Long Residence route.

Following the initial 18 months of extra permission available for those already on a Ukraine Scheme, there is now the possibility of applying for an additional 24 months. This means a total of 3.5 years under the extension scheme. Full details of the scheme can be seen at the link below.

Applying to the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme – GOV.UK

Sadly there is still no indication that living in the UK under a Ukraine Scheme will lead to settlement in the future .

Successful Graduate Route applications submitted after 1^st January 2027 will lead to grants of just 18 months of permission rather than the current two years.

This long- anticipated change will not affect PhD graduates who, like now, will still be given 3 years.