At a Glance
- The Home Office is resuming on-site audits for prospective and existing UK sponsors after these were halted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Prospective and existing UK sponsors should be ready in the event they are subject to a compliance audit. Visits can be announced or unannounced.
The situation
According to a Sponsor Management System update, the Home Office is resuming on-site audits for prospective and existing UK sponsors after these were halted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A closer look
During the audits, Home Office officials will be following Public Health England advice in relation to personal protective equipment and social distancing, and will comply with sponsors’ internal measures.
Background
UK sponsors have certain compliance obligations that they must meet by virtue of holding a sponsor licence. The Home Office conducts both targeted and random on-site compliance audits to assess a company's ability to satisfy these compliance obligations as part of the sponsor licence application process and/or once a sponsor licence is in place.
Impact
Prospective and existing UK sponsors should be ready in the event they are subject to a compliance audit. Visits can be announced or unannounced.
Looking ahead
Sponsors and foreign nationals should be prepared for the immigration system changes that will be phased in until January 2021, when free movement from the European Union comes to an end.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected]
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