Clifford Chance

Our immigration group provides business related immigration advice to financial institutions, multinationals and companies operating in the UK. We also regularly assist employers with registering as licensed sponsors and maintaining A-rated status.

We combine a wealth of experience in advising on UK law applications with a thorough knowledge of how situations will be viewed by decision makers. This background enables us to provide user-friendly, practical and commercial solutions to complex problems, clearing the way for clients to meet their commercial global mobility needs.

We provide strategic immigration solutions for short term and prospective long term situations. Our comprehensive service spans entry clearance requirements and leave to remain issues, all the way to settlement and British Citizenship.

Going beyond application advice, we frequently deliver tailored training to businesses and HR teams on topics including the prevention illegal working, understanding the Points Based System, compliance with UK immigration legislation, and compliance duties as a 'sponsor'.

Our expertise

Our skilled and experienced team works closely with business clients, providing strategic advice to support long-term objectives, and project management of their UK immigration needs worldwide.

Our approach

From London, we work with in-house counsel, HR professionals and senior managers on a range of issues including:

• advising employers on becoming and operating as licensed sponsors under the UK Points Based System, including licence management issues such as suspension or revocation of sponsor licences
• applications made under the Points Based System:
  • Tier 1 Investor applications
  • Tier 2 Skilled Worker (General and Intra Company Transfer)
  • Tier 4 (General and Child)
  • Tier 5 Temporary Workers (Government Authorised Exchange Schemes, International Agreements and Youth Mobility Scheme)

• dependant applications (spouses, children, unmarried and civil partners)
• applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain/Settlement in the UK
• European applications (pre-Settled Status, Settled Status, Family Permits, residence cards, permanent residence, etc)
• applications for British Citizenship
• guidance and training on the prevention of illegal working in the UK
• the scope of the permissible activities for visitors
• immigration compliance issues following corporate reorganisations, mergers and acquisitions
• attending Home Office compliance audits at client sites and conducting ‘mock audits’
• UK Ancestry applications