The way you hire from the EU is changing.
Legislation has been laid out in Parliament setting out a number of changes to the Immigration Rules.
These changes provide the foundation for the UK’s new Points-Based Immigration System, which will apply from 1 January 2021 when hiring anyone from outside the UK’s resident labour market (except Irish citizens).
The Points-Based Immigration System will provide simple, effective and flexible arrangements for UK employers to recruit skilled workers from around the world through a number of different immigration routes.
The Skilled Worker Route will open for applications from December 2020. In order to recruit overseas workers through the Skilled Worker Route, you must be registered as a licensed sponsor.
Getting a licence normally takes around 8 weeks and fees apply. You can find all the information you need, at GOV.UK/HiringFromTheEU.
EU, EEA and Swiss nationals arriving in the UK on or before 31 December should not apply through the Points-Based Immigration System. They should instead apply to the EU Settlement Scheme upon arriving in the UK.
You can view the full version of the Immigration Rules published on GOV.UK
The EU Settlement Scheme
If your employees are not UK citizens they can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living and working in the UK after June 2021.
The Settlement Scheme applies to those non-UK citizens living and working in the UK before the country left the European Union. If their application to the scheme is successful, EU citizens will be able to continue living and working in the UK after 30 June 2021.
To find out more about the Settlement Scheme and how to apply, visit the government website.
Grant funding support for businesses
If you are struggling with the extra costs to support your workforce with advice and guidance, there is grant funding available to put towards the costs of transition activities that are necessary for your business. Click the link below to find out if you could receive funding towards the necessary training and recruitment to guide your staff.
