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.
How to address the Immigration Stealth Surcharge?
The Prime Minister's announcement last week of significant increases in both immigration application fees and the Immigration...
News | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 19 Jul 2023
Changes to sponsor guidance
Sponsorship guidance was updated in April 2023. Many of the changes implement new Immigration Rules introduced the same month....
News | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 9 May 2023
Directors Duties and Insolvency in the Construction Industry
This is the second article in a series of articles looking at insolvency in the construction industry. This article focuses on directors’ duties...
News | Construction, Engineering & Projects | Immigration & Global Mobility | Insolvency & Restructuring
Posted: 11 Apr 2023
New Immigration Rules on pre-travel authorisation for visitors, higher salary requirements and more
Pre-travel authorisation for visitors What is it? An ‘Electronic Travel Authorisation’ (ETA) is an authorisation to travel...
News | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 5 Apr 2023
Suzanne Brooker turns her attention to the Construction sector to outline the current challenges and some tips
This is the first in a series of articles focussed on this competitive and challenging sector. In 2021 2,579 construction sector firms be...
News | Construction, Engineering & Projects | Immigration & Global Mobility | Insolvency & Restructuring
Posted: 29 Mar 2023
HR Zone features Samar Shams article on changes to the Employer's guide to right to work checks
Changes to the ‘Employer’s guide to right to work checks’ published on 28 February 2023 affect right to work checks using...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 17 Mar 2023
Webinar - UK Visit Visa rules for business 2023
Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams hosted an informative webinar explaining all that companies and individuals...
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 10 Mar 2023
Early termination of Skilled Workers
What happens when a Skilled Worker is made redundant? In her latest video, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar...
News | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 16 Jan 2023
Samar Shams featured in Employment Law Journal on right-to-work checks and balances
Covid-19 meant adjusted processes for right-to-work checks and these are now coming to an end. Checking digital copies of...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 10 Oct 2022
Health and Care Visas - It's all in the process
In her article in Care Home Management Magazine, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams discusses how the Health...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 5 Sep 2022
The Scale-Up Visa
What makes the Scale-Up visa a better choice over the Skilled Worker Route? In this helpful video, Immigration and Global...
Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 1 Sep 2022
The High Potential Individual visa
The High Potential Individual visa (HPI) has been available for a couple of months now. We thought it worth sharing some tips...
Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 11 Aug 2022
Skills shortage: How to hire immigrants post-Brexit
The shortage of skilled workers is a major issue for construction businesses. With the UK’s departure from the EU and the end...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 24 Jun 2022
Immigration: In with the old
In this article, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams discusses how the government’s 2022 immigration changes...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 9 Jun 2022
New right to work check processes
Is your organisation ready for the changes to right to work checking? Immigration and Global Mobility expert Samar Shams...
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 3 May 2022
Set up in the UK with a Skilled Worker visa
Please note that the information provided below should not be taken as legal advice. Please contact Samar Shams, Partner –...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 31 Mar 2022
The Rule is Change: New Immigration Rules published 15 March 2022
In this article, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams explains the main upcoming changes to Immigration Rules...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 16 Mar 2022
Sponsor duties: It’s all fun and games until someone loses the right to work
Sponsoring non-UK nationals to work in the UK is popular as UK businesses compete for talent. Immigration and Global Mobility...
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 14 Mar 2022
Prepare your organisation for changes to right to work checks
This article was published on 17 February 2022 and updated on 14 March 2022. A number of changes to right to work checks will...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 14 Mar 2022
Samar Shams offers advice to French speakers interested in UK visas
French speakers interested in UK visas will appreciate Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams’s contributions to...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 14 Feb 2022
Samar Shams writes for People Management on labour shortages and immigration
The UK’s labour shortages were a major issue in 2021, affecting employers across many sectors. The shortages were caused by...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 10 Feb 2022
Carers finally included in Health and Care visa route
From 15 February 2022, care workers and home carers will be eligible for sponsorship. The Government is expanding the Health...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 31 Jan 2022
Now that the RLMT is not required
Sponsors of Skilled Workers were dancing in the streets when the requirement to advertise roles was abolished. Now that the...
News | Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 9 Dec 2021
Samar Shams’ article on labour shortages featured in International Employment Lawyer
Businesses across many sectors are suffering from a shortage of workers, due to Brexit, Covid-19 and other factors. Spencer...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 2 Dec 2021
Overview of the process of applying for a sponsor licence
If your organisation is having trouble filling a vacancy, consider sponsoring a non-UK national to work. In this video,...
News | Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 11 Nov 2021
Ex-employees’ business travel to the UK
Many UK organisations have accommodated employees’ requests to work from abroad by moving them to contractor arrangements. In...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 1 Nov 2021
Migration Advisory Committee recommends changes to the Intra-company Transfer visa route
This article was written by Samar Shams, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner, on 26 October 2021. On 13 October 2021, the...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 26 Oct 2021
International Employment Lawyer features Samar Shams on UK youth mobility scheme
Our Immigration Partner Samar Shams has been featured in International Employment Lawyer with an article discussing the...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 27 Sep 2021
Startups features Samar Shams on immigration rules for SMEs
Samar Shams, an Immigration and Global Mobility Partner at Spencer West discusses what SMEs need to know about the new...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 14 Sep 2021
Post-Brexit UK-EU business travel and remote deployments
In this article for International Employment Lawyer, Samar Shams explains the EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement framework...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 8 Sep 2021
People Management features Samar Shams on the new High Potential Individual visa route
Spencer West’s Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams is featured in People Management, the official online...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 6 Sep 2021
Remote control: Checking right to work documents for employees working from home
The Spencer West immigration team prepared this short summary of how to check employees’ documents by video conference in...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 31 Aug 2021
International Employment Lawyer features Samar Shams on UK-EU travel post-Brexit
Our Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams has written an article for International Employment Lawyer, discussing...
Press | Immigration & Global Mobility | General
Posted: 22 Jul 2021
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
New graduate visa route now open to international students in the UK
The new graduate route launched on 1 July 2021. This route allows international students to remain in the UK to work after...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 1 Jul 2021
Business visitors to the UK – What companies need to know about immigration and tax
SpeakersSamar Shams of Spencer West LLPCharlotte Hobrough of BDO
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 22 Jun 2021
Right to work checks in the not-so-remote future
The Government has published several new policy documents on conducting right to work checks after the post-Brexit transition...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 21 Jun 2021
Post Study Working It! The New Graduate Visa
The exciting new graduate route visa is nearly here! You can now stay in the UK for up to 2 years post study. Are you ready for...
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 3 Jun 2021
EU Settlement Scheme tips in advance of the deadline
The EU Settlement Scheme deadline is fast approaching! In this quick video, Samar Shams explains some little-known but...
Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 26 May 2021
Check it out: Right to Work update
In this timely webinar, Spencer West Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams will take stock of the new right to...
Webinar | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 6 May 2021
End of temporary policy allowing remote right to work checks
This article was written by Samar Shams, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner, on 21 April 2021 and updated on 17 May...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 21 Apr 2021
What businesses can expect from Immigration reforms
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced measures for reforming the current immigration system during the 2021 budget, with most...
Article | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 7 Apr 2021
Contractual Service Suppliers and Independent Professionals Post-Brexit visas.
In this short video, Immigration and Global Mobility Partner Samar Shams explains how contract-based work by employees and the...
Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
Posted: 24 Mar 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
British National Overseas (BN(O)) visa route updates.
British National Overseas (BN(O)) visa route updates. The BN(O) visa route officially came into force on 31 January 2021. See...
Video | Immigration & Global Mobility
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