Business Immigration Solicitors in London

Companies who require Immigration advice on a multi-jurisdictional level need to be confident the legal advice they receive is accurate.  Widely regarded as one of the best Immigration and employment law firms in London, OTS Solicitors can provide you with the assurance that when it comes to moving your employees between global offices, you have all your Immigration compliance basis covered.

With outstanding commercial acumen and attention to detail, the dynamic, the down-to-earth team of highly accredited Immigration solicitors at OTS we will ensure you receive the most comprehensive and practical Immigration and Employment advice available.  We advise both UK companies who need to transfer employees to foreign jurisdictions and overseas-based companies who want to send staff to the UK.

To talk to us about our services for UK businesses, please phone our Fleet Street office on 0207 936 9960.

Keeping Your Business on the Move

The world’s economy is now more global than at any other time in history.  Corporations require the ability to react to emerging opportunities quickly and get staff swiftly on the ground, with the freedom to be productive from day one.

This requires employers to have access to commercially astute legal advice, delivered quickly and accurately.  The head of our Immigration and employment law teams, Teni Shahiean, a law and business graduate, has been ranked by the Legal 500 as a recommended Immigration solicitor from 2012 to 2015 and has been highly accredited by the Law Society for her Immigration knowledge and advice through the Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.  Teni and her teams collaborate to provide companies who need guidance on intra-company transfers with legal advice on the following:

• the global movement of employees to multiple jurisdictions, including access to local expertise on procedures, standards and timescales
• development of bespoke global networks to be operated via a single point of contact or through local contacts
• assistance with Schengen visas
• obtaining accommodation, factory and/or office space, plant equipment and vehicles
• tax implications in foreign jurisdictions
• prevention of illegal working/right to work compliance checks and best practice advice across all jurisdictions
• visa and security requirements for employees working in developing countries and conflict zones

UK Intra-Company Transfer Visa

If you wish to transfer employees to your UK-based office, and they are a non-EEA national, they will need a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Visa to enter the UK.

You must provide your employee with the following for them to be eligible:

• a certificate of sponsorship reference number
• an ‘appropriate’ salary
• the employee must have £945 in savings – this is to prove they can support themselves and they must have had this in their bank account for 90 days before the visa application is made

If your company has a fully approved (‘A-rated) Sponsorship Licence and you can certify that you can support and accommodate the employee for the first month they are employed, they will not need to show £945 in savings.

Appropriate salary definitions are as follows:

• Long-term Staff applicants – at least £41,500 or the ‘appropriate rate’ for the role (whichever is higher)
• Short-term Staff, Graduate Trainee or Skills Transfer applicants – at least £24,800 or the ‘appropriate rate’ (whichever is higher)
• staff already in the UK on a Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) visa or work permit issued before 6^th April 2011 – at least the ‘appropriate rate.’

Family members of the employee can also come to the UK; however, they will require appropriate visas if they are non-EEA nationals.

Why Chose OTS Solicitors

Our Immigration and Employment teams are widely regarded as well-informed, practical and commercially minded.  We collaborate with our business clients when it comes to their legal matters, forming enduring partnerships, which allows us to get to know their commercial goals and ambitions in detail.

When you engage our services you can expect the following standard of service:

• Based on the information you provide us, detailed advice as to the UK and/or international Immigration laws that apply to your business requirements
• A clear, concise discussion with your Solicitor, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your application
• Advice as to what documentation you will need to provide to support your application
• Assistance with filling in the relevant application forms
• Full follow-up with the Home Office if there are any questions or problems with your application
• Your Immigration Solicitor will prepare strong, detailed legal representations setting out the legal framework to support your application
• A full explanation of the compliance obligations pertaining to your intra-company transfer application

OTS Solicitors is registered with and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Our Fees

We can offer a fixed fee service for business clients in some circumstances.  We can also offer payment options if required.

To find out more on how we can advise your business with intra-company transfers, please phone our office on 0203 959 9123 to talk to one of our team.  We would be happy to offer an initial consultation over the phone, or you can make an appointment to see us in our London office.

OTS Solicitors is widely regarded as one of the best Immigration and employment law firms in London.  Our experience in the technology sector is extensive, and our clients range from those in the start-up phase of their business to multi-national corporations.

With an innovative approach to finding legal solutions and a laser-like attention to detail, our dynamic, down-to-earth team will ensure you receive the most comprehensive and practical Immigration and employment law advice available in the UK.

To talk to us about our Immigration solutions for technology clients, please phone our London office on 0207 936 9960.

The head of our Immigration and employment law teams, Teni Shahiean, a law and business graduate, has been ranked by the Legal 500 as a recommended Immigration solicitor from 2012 to 2015 and has been highly accredited by the Law Society for her Immigration knowledge and advice through the Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.  Teni and her teams collaborate to provide business owners, suppliers, employers and employees working within the UK technology sector with legal advice on the following:

• Tier 1 (entrepreneur) Visa applications
• Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa applications
• Advice on the Tier One Exceptional Tech Talent scheme
• Applying for and obtaining a Tier 2 Sponsor Licence
• Applications to come to the UK as the sole representative of an overseas business
• Advice on sponsor compliance obligations
• Day to day advice on business Immigration law best practice
• Inter-company transfers
• Lobbying the Home Office on your behalf
• Prevention of illegal workers
• Indefinite Leave to Remain and minimum salary requirements

The Tier One Tech Talent Scheme

Last year technology companies in Britain raised a staggering $3.6bn from venture capitalists. Strong investor appetite for London-based start-ups and fintech groups resulted in record levels of tech investment flowing into the country, and the growth shows no sign of abating.

In 2010, in response to the rapid growth in the technology sector, the Government set up Tech City UK.  The organisation’s mission was to support businesses in the technology sector and attract the most talented people from around the globe to come and work in the UK tech industry.

The Tech Nation Visa Scheme

Following consultation with business leaders in the technology section, the Tech Nation Visa Scheme was created.

To make it easier for businesses in the technology sector to attract and retain top talent from outside the EEA, four new qualifying criteria were added.

The new qualifying criteria are:

• Building UK scale-ups
• Recognising “exceptional promise.”
• Powering the Northern Powerhouse
• Recruiting teams of up to five individuals at any one time

Teni and her colleagues can assist you in taking advantage of this opportunity to recruit the talent you need to scale up your business and increase its profits.  Not only can we assist you with the two-stage application process, but we can also draft your Employment contracts and staff handbooks, so you can concentrate on building your team.  We can also assist you with any Employment disputes which may arise in the future.

Why Chose OTS Solicitors

Our Immigration and Employment teams are widely regarded as well-informed, practical and commercially minded.  We collaborate closely with our clients in the technology sector, forming enduring partnerships, which allows us to get to know their commercial goals and ambitions in detail.

Our Solicitors understand how fast things can move in the tech industry and therefore manage legal issues with speed, accuracy and efficiency.  Many of our Solicitors are multi-lingual, allowing us to swiftly deal with cross-jurisdictional matters.

When you engage our services you can expect the following standard of service:

• Based on the information you provide us, detailed advice as to the UK Immigration laws that apply to your business requirements
• A clear, concise discussion with your Solicitor, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your application
• Advice as to what documentation you will need to provide to support your application
• Assistance with filling in the relevant application forms
• Full follow-up with the UK Border Agency if there are any questions or problems with your application
• Your Immigration Solicitor will prepare strong, detailed legal representations setting out the legal framework to support your application
• A full explanation of the compliance obligations pertaining to your sponsorship application

OTS Solicitors is registered with and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Our Fees

We can offer a fixed fee service for business clients in some circumstances.  We can also offer payment options if required.

To find out more on how we can advise your business, please phone our office on 0203 959 9123 to talk to one of our team.  We would be happy to offer an initial consultation over the phone, or you can make an appointment to see us in our London office.

OTS Solicitors is widely regarded as one of the best Immigration law firms in the United Kingdom.  With a deep knowledge of the education sector and strong attention to detail, our dynamic, down-to-earth legal team will ensure you receive the most comprehensive and up to date Immigration advice available.

We have many years’ experience advising higher and further educational establishments, independent schools and English language schools.  Our Immigration team are experts in explaining complex Immigration law pertaining to the education sector in a practical manner, free from legal jargon.

To talk to us about our services for UK businesses, please phone our London office on 0207 936 9960.

The head of our Immigration team, Teni Shahiean, a law and business graduate, has been ranked by the Legal 500 as a recommended Immigration lawyer from 2012 to 2015 and has been highly accredited by the Law Society for her Immigration knowledge and advice through the Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.  Teni and her teams collaborate to with educational establishments to the following:

• Applying for a Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence
• Regulatory changes to Tier 4 (Student) Visa eligibility and procedures
• Compliance obligations of educational institutes
• Negotiating with the Home Office and/or UKVI
• Lobbying for policy change
• Appealing Sponsor Licence suspensions, revocations and HTS refusals
• Staff training on Immigration matters
• Drafting internal and external policies, procedures and contracts
• Risk management and due diligence
• Preparation for Home Office visits

A Brief Guide to Applying for Tier 4 Sponsorship

If you want to enrol students from outside the EEA then you must apply for a Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence.

The licence is granted for four years unless it is revoked for some reason.  To be issued a Tier 4 licence, an education provider must be:

• a genuine education provider that has acceptable educational quality standards, and is operating lawfully in the UK, complying with all appropriate rules and regulations;
• considered eligible and suitable to hold a Tier 4 licence; and
• capable of carrying out its duties as a sponsor.

An education provider must meet these criteria in order to be granted a Tier 4 licence, and continue to meet them in order to retain its licence.

As a Tier 4 sponsor, an education provider has a number of sponsorship responsibilities and will need to allocate the following four roles to members their staff:

• authorising officer – a senior and competent person who is responsible for the actions of staff and representatives who use the sponsor management system (SMS)
• key contact – your main point of contact with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) about your institution’s application
• level 1 user – responsible for all day-to-day management of your licence using the SMS
• level 2 user – an SMS user with more restricted permissions than a level 1 user

These roles can all be filled by the same person or by a combination of different people.

When you successfully apply for a Tier 4 licence, UKVI will give you a probationary Sponsor Licence. This is a transitional period lasting 12 months whilst you demonstrate you can fulfil all of your duties as a Tier 4 sponsor. You must apply for a basic compliance assessment after 12 months.

Why Chose OTS Solicitors

Our Immigration team is widely regarded as well-informed, practical and solutions focused.  We collaborate with education institutes when it comes to their legal matters, forming enduring partnerships, which allows us to get to know their commercial goals and academic ambitions in detail.

When you engage our services you can expect the following standard of service:

• Based on the information you provide us, detailed advice as to the UK Immigration laws that apply to your educational institution’s requirements
• A clear, concise discussion with your Solicitor, outlining the strengths and weaknesses of your application for a Tier 4 Sponsorship Licence
• Advice as to what documentation you will need to provide to support your application
• Assistance with filling in the relevant application forms
• Full follow-up with the UKVI  if there are any questions or problems with your application
• Your Immigration Solicitor will prepare strong, detailed legal representations setting out the legal framework to support your application
• A full explanation of the compliance obligations pertaining to your Tier 4 sponsorship application

OTS Solicitors is registered with and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Our Fees

We can offer a fixed fee service for educational institutions in some circumstances.  We can also offer payment options if required.

To find out more on how we can advise your organisation, please phone our office on 0203 959 9123 to talk to one of our team.  We would be happy to offer an initial consultation over the phone, or you can make an appointment to see us in our London office.