Post-Brexit Guidelines for Employers
It is an offence to employ those who do not have permission to work and employers also have an obligation to check that any employee is entitled to work. UK employers who currently employ EU workers may wish to check that such workers have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme for the appropriate status if they wish to ensure that that they will be able to continue to employ them from July 2021 onwards.EU citizens moving to the UK to work on or after 1 January 2021 will need to get a visa in advance. EU citizens applying for a skilled worker visa will need to show they have a job offer from an approved employer sponsor to be able to apply.
Becoming a Sponsored Employer
If you are an employer planning to sponsor skilled migrants from 2021, and are not currently an approved sponsor, you should consider getting approved now.
These UK Visa Sponsorship links will give you more information on how to go about this and also the charges involved:
Certificates of Sponsorship | GOV.UK
Immigration Skills Charge | GOV.UK
Changes to Employee Requirements
The Government have now confirmed that those employers who have registered as Tier 2 Sponsors may be able to sponsor and employ employees from outside the United Kingdom under a Tier 2 (General) work visa even if the potential employee only meets RQF level 3 rather than the current RQF level 6.
In practice, this should mean that jobs which are considered to be A-level standard can be sponsored, instead of the Bachelor’s degree qualifications which are required now. As is the case now the issue of a certificate of sponsorship will be subject to the post to be filled attracting a minimum salary.
This presents a potential opportunity for those employers who are not currently registered as Tier 2 Sponsors. Employers should consider the merits of registration now so that they are ready to employ workers from outside the United Kingdom when the United Kingdom (finally) leaves the EU.
Brexit Affect on Low Skilled EU Workers
There will not be a general migration route specifically for those who do not meet the skills or salary threshold requirements. Therefore, there will be fewer low-skilled workers able to enter the UK. If your business relies heavily on these individuals to fill vacancies, these new measures will affect your recruitment strategy moving forward. Vacancies will have to be filled from an alternative source. There may be specific routes available to certain sectors outside the points-based system such as the agricultural industry.
The changes could also dissuade skilled workers from applying for UK jobs. That being the case, employers should look to promote from within the business by training and developing existing employees.
You might also find these links of use:
Recruiting people from outside the UK from 1st January 2021 | GOV.UK