News and Insights

Welcome to our News and Insights section. Here we’ll talk about the latest legal developments with our articles and videos. You can browse or search by practice area or sector. We’ll also let you know about changes at our firm including the expansion into new practice areas, sectors and locations.



Topic

Type



Update on Coronavirus and UK immigration

This update highlights the available policy information, the problems posed for visa holders and their employers and what they can do...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 5 Jul 2021



Graduate route to open for international students in the UK

The new graduate route launches on 1 July 2021. This will allow international students to remain in the UK to work. This route...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 22 Mar 2021



Post-Brexit Travel to the EU

Now that Brexit has fully come to pass, it’s time for UK businesspeople to familiarise themselves with the details of travel...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 8 Mar 2021



Business travel in the post- Brexit landscape

In this article, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams explains when employees and business people are able to...


News | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 26 Feb 2021



Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa

A special UK visa for those with British National Overseas (BN(O)) status in Hong Kong came into force on 31 January...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 25 Feb 2021



UK - EU Business Travel

In this short video, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams sets out the basics of business travel between the UK...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 24 Feb 2021



Parole d'export

In this French-language podcast, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams discusses the impact of Brexit on the...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 23 Feb 2021



UK-EU break up to make up roundtable series

Please join us for an informal conversation about immigration issues affecting EU nationals and their employers in the UK....


Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 20 Feb 2021



Construction Timebomb? Detonation date 1 March 2021

Think of one of the worst things that could happen to the construction sector at this moment in time What would it be?...


Article | Construction, Engineering & Projects | Post-Brexit
Posted: 9 Feb 2021



Sponsorship Forever – An update on the new Skilled Worker and Intra-Company Transfer routes

The new rules for Skilled Workers and Intra Company Transfer Workers have been in place since 1 December 2020. Join us as we...


Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Jan 2021



Brexit - What are the Consequences

On 1st of January 2021, we entered the post-Brexit period and the consequences for business have started to be implemented or...


Article | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Jan 2021



Brexit and Private Client

Describing the relationship between EU countries as Byzantine is an understatement. Leaving the EU is no less complicated, as...


Article | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Jan 2021



Frontier workers: Qu’est ce que c’est?

Free Movement may have ended but there are lots of different UK immigration options for EU nationals. This blog post for HR...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 13 Jan 2021



Data Protection – Do you need a representative?

EU Representative The European General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) has a wide territorial scope. It doesn’t only...


Article | Post-Brexit
Posted: 12 Jan 2021



Data Protection – where are we now?

The UK and EU finalized the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (the Agreement) setting out the post-Brexit relationship on...


Article | Post-Brexit
Posted: 3 Jan 2021



Businesses to check EEA nationals’ right to work or risk a fall from grace

This article was written by Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams on 30 November 2020. Employers should have...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 30 Nov 2020



Sponsoring Skilled Workers and Intra-Company Workers

This article was written by Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams on 25 November 2020. This article focusses on...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 25 Nov 2020



Business trips to the UK from January 2021

 Francophiles will be interested in this video in which Samar Shams, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner, explains how...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 13 Nov 2020



Brexit: The UK Government’s consultation on extending the right to depart from Retained EU law beyond the Supreme Court

From 1 January 2021, the meaning of EU-derived law will be determined in the UK courts by reference to CJEU case law as it...


Article | Employment Law | Post-Brexit
Posted: 6 Nov 2020



The future has arrived: post-Brexit immigration rules published

This article was written by Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams with support from Associate Partner Talitha...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 23 Oct 2020



What businesses need to do to prepare for the end of the post-Brexit transition period and the future immigration system

You may be concerned about your European staff or bewildered about planning for recruitment in line with the changes to...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 20 Oct 2020



Employment law – 5 tips for October Redundancy focus

This month we are focusing on some redundancy issues that have come up with particular reference to furlough but also to throw...


Article | Employment Law | Post-Brexit
Posted: 15 Oct 2020



Brexit EUIPO Update

EUIPO (European Union Intellectual Property Office) becomes an office of second filing for WIPO Digital Access Service for...


Article | Post-Brexit
Posted: 5 Oct 2020



Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa and exceptional entry options

A special UK visa for those with British National Overseas (BN(O)) status in Hong Kong will be available from January 2021. The...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 5 Oct 2020



EEA family permits vs EU family permits

What is the difference between an EEA family permit and an EU family permit? Immigration and Global Mobility team members Samar...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 29 Sep 2020



The new Student route which replaces the current Tier 4 route

The government have announced that the current Tier 4 route will be replaced with the new Student and Child Student categories,...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Sep 2020



Update - Home Office covid concession in relation to exceptional assurance.

Talitha's latest video takes a look at visa holders who intend to leave the UK but have not been able to do so and have a visa...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 10 Sep 2020



Updated Home Office Covid Concession

Take a look at our latest video from Talitha Degwa, Associate Partner - Immigration talking about the updated Home Office Covid...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 4 Sep 2020



The latest update on the Identity Verification App

Take a look at the latest update on the Identity Verification (IDV) App which the Home Office introduced to allow eligible...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 2 Sep 2020



Representative of Overseas Business

This video is for those interested in the Representative of Overseas Business visa. It covers the June 2020 changes to this...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 30 Aug 2020



The Innovator visa

The Innovator visa, for entrepreneurs wishing to set up and run a business in the UK, requires endorsement of a business plan,...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 29 Aug 2020



Global Talent

The Global Talent visa is more attractive than ever. Watch this short video for an overview with a focus on digital tech. Get...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 28 Aug 2020



Sponsoring skilled workers

The Government’s planned changes to sponsorship and the Tier 2 General visa, in particular, are summarised here by Samar...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 27 Aug 2020



Immigration updates

Had enough of trying to keep up to date with the fast-paced changes in the world of UK immigration? We highlight below the main...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 17 Aug 2020



Details published on the UK’s future immigration system

‘The UK’s future immigration system’ is not a new immigration system. Rather, the government proposes further changes to...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Jul 2020



Remote control: Checking right to work documents for employees working from home

The Spencer West immigration team has been fielding a lot of queries about checking right to work documents whilst employees...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 23 Jun 2020



Back to the Future of Work

A stellar panel of experts guided us through the trickiest return to work issues, including discrimination and staff refusals....


Article | Employment Law | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 12 Jun 2020



Sense and screenability: an analysis of the UK’s quarantine plan

In this article, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams summarises the UK’s quarantine plan. She considers the...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 5 Jun 2020



UK recovery depends on skilled migrants

If you think that increased unemployment in the UK means that there is less need for work visas for overseas nationals, think...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 18 May 2020



Immigration issues arising in the context of the return to work

Immigration status is not a protected characteristic, but employers of overseas nationals must navigate part-time work, right...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 May 2020



The UK's Future Immigration System

With only months to go before the UK’s future immigration system takes effect on 1 January 2021, you should understand the...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 31 Mar 2020



Coronavirus and UK immigration

There is relatively little information available to date on the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for visa holders and...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | COVID-19 | Post-Brexit
Posted: 16 Mar 2020



How the UK’s immigration system will change when free movement ends

Samar Shams considers the government’s plans for a points-based immigration system once the UK fully withdraws from the EU....


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 6 Mar 2020



Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) publishes recommendations on a points-based visa route and salary thresholds for sponsored workers

This article first appeared as a Thomson Reuters Practical Law Legal Update on 30 January 2020. The Migration Advisory...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 31 Jan 2020



Immigration update: The Migration Advisory Committee Report

Take a look at Immigration Partner, Samar Shams's summary of the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendations for a points-based visa route and a lo...


Video | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 28 Jan 2020



What the Conservative win means for business immigration

With the win of a majority in Parliament on 12 December 2019, the Conservative party has also won the prize...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 16 Dec 2019



The Loop

The Loop: Shortage Occupation List changes Welcome back to work, everybody. In this issue of The Loop. . .


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 10 Sep 2019



The Business Guide to a No-Deal Brexit

With the government pushing for Brexit on 31 October 2019 and the possibility of a deal drifting ever further out of reach, our...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 21 Aug 2019



The Loop

The Loop: Your Sponsorship Management Digest Spencer West LLP is delighted to introduce The Loop, our digest reporting on all things . . .


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 8 Aug 2019



Securing EU nationals’ right to work

This article first appeared in the March issue of Employment Law Journal, published by Legalease Whatever course Brexit takes,...


Article | Immigration & Global Mobility | Post-Brexit
Posted: 14 Mar 2019