All Posts

The MAC recommends lowering Skilled Worker going rates from median to 25th percentile. Here's what it means for UK employers—and what happens next.

If you're a UK employer sponsoring overseas workers, you've probably wondered whether your sponsor licence has an expiry date—and what happens if it does. The rules changed significantly in April 2024, and there's a lot of outdated information still circulating online. Here's the short version: most sponsor licences no longer expire in the traditional sense. But that doesn't mean you can relax. In fact, the Home Office has redirected its resources from processing renewals to

Home Office revoked 1,948 sponsor licences in 2025—double the previous year. Learn what triggers investigations, what happens during raids, and how to stay compliant.

If you employ staff in the UK, checking that every worker has the legal right to work  is non-negotiable. Get it wrong, and your business could face civil penalties from £45,000 per illegal worker , compliance audits, and reputational damage. With the move to digital immigration status , EU Settlement Scheme updates, and new rules for sponsored workers, employers need a structured approach  to Right to Work checks - and that’s exactly what this imminova guide delivers. 1️⃣

From 8 January , the UK Home Office raised the English language requirement to CEFR Level B2 (upper-intermediate)  for key immigration routes, including new Skilled Worker applications . While this change has been widely reported, much of the commentary aimed at employers has been either over-simplified or inaccurate . For sponsors, the real issue is not whether candidates “speak good English” — it’s whether the correct evidence exists, at the right time, and under the correc

Need to contact the Home Office about your sponsor licence? Get the right phone numbers, emails, and tips to reach UKVI faster. Updated guide for UK employers.

Expanding into the UK often starts with one critical question: How do we legally move senior people to the UK before we are fully operational? For overseas businesses without an existing UK trading presence, the UK Expansion Worker visa  is the Home Office’s answer. It allows international companies to deploy a small number of trusted senior employees to the UK to establish a branch or subsidiary - but it comes with strict limits, tight compliance rules, and no margin for err

Hiring internationally is no longer just about finding talent. It’s about proving - clearly and defensibly - that your salary decisions meet UK immigration rules. At the centre of this is the Skilled Worker going rate . It’s one of the most misunderstood parts of sponsorship, and one of the easiest places for employers to fall out of compliance without realising it. In 2026, with higher salary thresholds and closer Home Office scrutiny, getting this wrong is no longer a low-r

For UK employers that rely on sponsored talent, the Immigration Skills Charge (ISC) has quietly become one of the most significant - and most misunderstood - costs of hiring internationally. Introduced to encourage investment in the domestic workforce, the ISC is not a fee you can negotiate, reduce, or pass on to employees. It is a fixed cost of sponsorship, payable upfront, and from December 2025 it will increase sharply. In this article, we explain what the Immigration Skil

Hiring international talent can be a powerful growth lever for UK businesses - but sponsoring someone for a work visa is a regulated process, not a simple job offer. Employers must secure Home Office approval, meet strict compliance standards, and maintain those standards for as long as they sponsor migrant workers. This guide explains, in clear and practical terms, how to sponsor someone for a UK work visa , what’s involved at each stage, and what employers need to plan for

Applying for a UK sponsor licence can be a slow process - even when everything has been prepared carefully. Standard processing times can stretch to several weeks, and for businesses with live hiring needs, that delay can have real commercial consequences. To help employers manage tight recruitment timelines, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) offers two fast-track options: Pre-Licence Priority Service  - for faster decisions on new sponsor licence applications Post-Licence Pri

The UK’s Global Talent Visa: Your Gateway to Exceptional Talent The UK’s Global Talent visa is designed to attract world-leading individuals in fields like science, engineering, digital technology, arts, and culture. It’s flexible, fast-tracked, and crucially - it’s unsponsored , meaning no employer licence is needed. If you're an employer looking to hire innovators, researchers, or creatives, or you're a high-potential individual aiming to relocate to the UK, here's everythi

The UK Graduate Visa: Your Pathway to Work in the UK The UK Graduate visa is one of the most accessible immigration routes for international students. It allows you to stay and work in the UK after completing your studies. Whether you’re a graduate eager to kickstart your career or an employer looking to tap into this talent pool, understanding this route is crucial—especially with upcoming changes on the horizon. ⚠️ July 2025 : The UK Government confirmed that the Graduate

Understanding the Scale-up Sponsor Licence A Scale-up Sponsor Licence allows qualifying UK businesses to sponsor overseas nationals under the Scale-up Visa route . This visa ties the worker to the sponsor for just 6 months . After that, they gain full work flexibility for the remainder of their 2-year visa. Once your licence is approved, you can assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to qualifying candidates to support their visa application. ⚡ Imminova insight: This ro

The Global Business Mobility (GBM) routes offer powerful options for international companies to transfer staff to the UK or establish a...

In a major shift to sponsorship rules, the UK government has removed the requirement for most employers to renew their sponsor licence ...

Illegal working enforcement is a growing focus for the Home Office. Employers who fail to carry out proper right to work checks - or...

Holding a sponsor licence gives your business access to global talent. But with that privilege comes strict legal duties. The Home...

Holding a sponsor licence comes with serious responsibilities - and getting it wrong can lead to enforcement action by the Home Office,...

In 2025, right to work (RTW) checks remain a legal must for all UK employers - and the penalties for getting it wrong are only growing. Whether you're hiring a British graduate or an EU national with settled status, the law requires you to carry out a correct check before employment begins . This guide explains what counts as a compliant check , how rules have changed post-Brexit, and how imminova automates the pain points many HR teams face. 1️⃣ What Is a Right to Work Chec