Top Tips for Employers to do now
- Review existing members of staff and look to avail of the EU settlement scheme
- Look at your current recruitment practices and decide if you need to apply for a sponsor licence to facilitate hiring both non-EU and EU migrants
- Ensure that your HR team understands the latest requirements particularly around right to work, auditing and compliance obligations with the Home Office once you obtain a sponsor licence.
Key areas for Employers
- Frontier worker permit
A Frontier Worker permit lets workers come to the UK to work while living elsewhere. This will apply to workers;
- from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
- who live outside of the UK
- who have worked in the UK by 31 December 2020
- who have kept working in the UK at least once every 12 months since you started working here
Irish citizens do not need to apply for a Frontier Worker permit and British citizens cannot apply (this includes dual citizenship).
- EU Settlement Scheme: Helping EU workers apply to stay in Northern Ireland after 30 June 2021
Brexit may have an effect on your business especially if you employ workers from the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) or Swiss citizens. From 1 January 2021, freedom of movement between the UK and EU will end and the UK will introduce an immigration system that will treat all applicants equally, regardless of where they come from. Anyone you want to recruit from outside the UK, excluding Irish citizens, will need to apply for permission first. The new system will not apply to EEA or Swiss citizens you already employ in the UK. EEA and Swiss citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and their family members, can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme. They have until 30 June 2021 to apply.
- UK points-based immigration system
From 1 January 2021, the UK will introduce a points-based immigration system. The new system will treat EU* and non-EU citizens equally. Anyone you want to hire from outside the UK, excluding Irish citizens, will need to apply for permission in advance.
https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/brexit-recruiting-people-outside-uk-1-january-2021
Guidance to becoming a licenced sponsor
Note that you do not need to sponsor an EEA or Swiss national, or their eligible family members, if they arrive in the UK before 11pm on 31 December 2020, provided they apply for status on the EU Settlement Scheme by 20 June 2021 and the application is granted.
Supports available
- Advice NI – offers free EUSS advice and support- https://www.adviceni.net/eu-settlement-scheme
- Invest NI – nibusinessinfo.co.uk / Immigration tutorials and advice clinics
- InterTradeIreland – £2k available to get some bespoke advice from the Brexit voucher scheme intertradeireland.com/brexit/funding
Please see slides from a recent DFE webinar:DfE Webinar – Points-Based Immigration System Practical Implications fo..