KNOWLEDGE BASE UK Hiring And Visa Options
The information on this page was current at the time it was published. Regulations, trends, statistics, and other information are constantly changing. While we strive to update our Knowledge Base, we strongly suggest you use these pages as a general guide and be sure to verify any regulations, statistics, guidelines, or other information that are important to your efforts.
Brexit Update:
Since the UK officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020, the relationship between the two has evolved and continues to be shaped by the ongoing implementation of the withdrawal agreement.
Key Dates:
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January 31, 2020: UK officially left the EU and entered a transition period that ended on December 31, 2020.
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December 31, 2020: The transition period ended, and the UK fully exited the EU single market and customs union.
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January 1, 2021: The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement came into effect, outlining the post-Brexit relationship between the two entities.
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2023/2024 Current: The UK and EU are still navigating the ongoing implementation and potential revisions of their post-Brexit relationship.
It's crucial for businesses operating in either the UK or the EU to stay informed about the latest developments and adjust their operations accordingly.
Hiring And Visa Options In The UK
Of course, you want to find and hire the best possible people to help you grow your business, and there are different options available to you for expanding your workforce in the United Kingdom. Each has its own considerations, including the employment laws and regulations that cover it. If you want to jump into Employment Law first, you can get an overview of the regulation that will govern your employer-employee relations. The first decision you will need to make is whether to bring your employees from home or hire employees in the UK. Below you will find a discussion and the resources to determine your visa requirements if you decide to bring your workforce (all or part) with you to the UK and the resources to help you hire local talent if you decide not to bring your employees with you.
Bringing your employees with you
For many companies, having someone who has been employed at the home office and transfers that culture and experience to a new foreign office, sets up the office, and hires the first team abroad, is the preferred approach for setting up overseas. Those employees from home can begin to establish the important relationship in the UK and hire people in the UK who will help make the business a success.
Of course, if you are sending or bringing someone from outside the UK, it's very possible you will be required to apply for a visa. We've summarized the possible visas below. If you'd like to get more information on applying for visas in the UK, you'll find it as part of Globig's UK Expansion Plan, you can send us an email at hello@globig.co to learn more.
Innovator Founder visa
If you want to set up or run a business in the UK you might be able to apply for an Innovator Founder visa.You can apply for an Innovator Founder visa if:
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you want to set up and run an innovative business in the UK - it must be something that’s different from anything else on the market
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your business or business idea has been endorsed by an approved body, also known as an endorsing body
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you meet the other eligibility requirements
You can find specific information on the application and extension process here.
Skilled Worker Visa
If you want to send a new or curent employee to your UK branch, she will need a Skilled Worker Visa. This visa has replaced the Tier 2 (General) work visa
A Skilled Worker Visa is available to your employee if:
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work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
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have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
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do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
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be paid a minimum salary - how much depends on the type of work you do
You can find specific information on the application and extension process here.
Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
A Senior or Specialist Worker visa allows you to bring an employee to stay in the UK to do an eligible job at your business UK branch. This visa has replaced the Intra-company Transfer visa, previously the Tier 2 (Intra-company Transfer) Long-term Staff visa.
A Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility) is available to your employee if:
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they are an existing employee of an organisation that’s been approved by the Home Office as a sponsor
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they have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the work you will do in the UK
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they do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
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they are paid at least £45,800 per year
You can find specific information on the application and extension process here.
Other Visa's to consider that permit working in the UK for an overseas employer include:
Hiring Employees from the EU/EEA/ or Switzerland
Freedom of movement between the UK and EU has ended and the UK has introduced an immigration system that treats all applicants equally, regardless of where they come from. Anyone you want to recruit from outside the UK, excluding Irish citizens, needs to meet certain requirements and apply for permission first.The EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) was established to enable EU, EEA and Swiss citizens resident in the UK by 31 December 2020, and their family members, to get the immigration status they need to continue to live, work and study in the UK.
For most EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, you need to check their right to work online using:
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a share code
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their date of birth
An EU passport or national identity card alone is no longer valid proof of someone’s right to work in the UK. However, Irish citizens can continue to use their passport or passport card to prove their right to work.
Hiring Local Talent
In the UK, you have different options for hiring local talent, including: hiring your own employees (full-time, part-time, and fixed-term), hiring through an agency, and hiring freelancers, consultants, and contractors. Your responsibilities as an employee will vary depending on the type of contract you have with your employees. Some of your responsibilities may include:
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providing your employees with a written statement of employment;
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paying your employees at least the National Minimum Wage
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complying with weekly working hour requirements;
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complying with holiday and vacation requirements;
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providing your employees with rest breaks;
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Statutory Sick Pay (SSP);
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Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, and Shared Parental Leave and Pay;
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fair termination practices;
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fair redundancy practices and pay;
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protection of your employee’ health and safety; and
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protecting your employees from discrimination.
For more detail about your responsibilities and your employees’ employment rights and entitlements, see the Employment Law section.
Hiring your own employees
Hiring your own employees in a foreign country can be a daunting task. You will want to target the right candidates and not have too narrow a pool of applicants. Consider looking for employees in the following places:
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local schools or colleges;
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local newspapers; and
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online recruitment, such as job websites and social media.
Where do jobseekers look for jobs in the UK? To find employees in the UK, you may need to put yourself in the shoes of the jobseekers. Here are some places to find jobs in the UK.
Newspapers: The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times, and London Evening Standard.
Find a job: A government run job search site for jobs throughout the UK.
Websites: there are many UK-wide job websites on which to advertise your positions.
Recruitment agencies
You can use a recruitment agency to help you hire permanent or temporary employees in the UK. Many recruitment agencies specialize in a particular industry or sector, such as IT, finance, retail, etc. Recruitment agencies are generally well connected. If you use a recruitment agency, some of the responsibilities you have under UK law may be transferred to the agency.
Review the Agency Workers Regulation 2010 for more detailed information about the regulations surrounding the use of and Agency and agency workers. Agency Central is an online recruitment agency directory.
Freelancers, consultants, and contractors
In the UK you are permitted to hire freelancers, consultants, and contractors. In general, freelancers, consultants, and contractors are not entitled to the same rights as other employees and workers and are responsible for looking after their own taxes and National Insurance Contributions.
Representative of an Overseas Business Visa
Representatives of an Overseas Business Guide
Agency Workers Regulation 2010
Secondment Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
Service Supplier visa (Global Business Mobility)
UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)
KNOWLEDGE BASE UK Hiring And Visa Options