Global mobility – a focus on immigration into the UK

By Sybille Steiner and Ben Xu

The United Kingdom, and London in particular, has rarely been a more popular destination for high net worth migrants and international businesses, especially after Brexit.

Global mobility has been the centre of the Brexit discussion, and will remain so moving forward. It’s crucial that anyone considering moving to the UK understands the new immigration system that was introduced following the UK’s departure from the EU, and which visa categories might apply to them.

Before embarking on a visa application, we strongly advise you ask yourself the following questions:

• What’s the purpose of your travel? Is it personal or business? Or do you want to bring someone to the UK to work for you?
• What kind of activities do you propose to carry out while in the UK? Are they covered by the Standard Visitor visa?
• How long do you intend to stay in the UK?
• Is a UK visa required? If so, what are the requirements, application process and fees associated with the application?

UK immigration law has never been more uncertain or more important. Professional advice should be sought to ensure all rules and regulations are adhered to, so you can avoid any visa refusals or unpleasant surprises at the border. Incidents such as this might affect your immigration history and future applications, both for the UK and potentially other countries.

The impact on foreign manufacturers, suppliers and subcontractors

Foreign manufacturers and suppliers relying on the business visitor visa to send their employees to the UK and provide after-sales services must very carefully assess the activities proposed to be covered by their employees in the UK. They must ensure they fall within the definition of permitted activities of the relevant immigration provisions.

Where it involves subcontractors, they must also be a party to the contractual arrangement for after-sales services agreed at the time of the sale.

Get in touch 

Whether you’re an individual looking for the right way to enter and/or remain in the UK, or a business trying to navigate the complexities of applying for and maintaining a company’s sponsorship licence and employee work permits, we can guide you through the entire application process.

Our immigration team is renowned for its expertise, service standards and focus on building trusted, long-term relationships.

We understand that in order to advise a person or a business, we must first seek to understand what drives them. Once we know that, we can anticipate a need before it even arises. With our creative and outside-the-box advice we help our clients achieve their ultimate UK immigration goals.

For further information about our Business Immigration services please contact  Sybille Steiner and Ben Xu for further information.