Employing individuals with international training can benefit your company’s growth in a variety of ways.
It may occasionally be challenging for any firm to discover the ideal individual with the necessary skill set for a certain job post. In that circumstance, it’s critical to increase bandwidth and hire personnel from abroad in order to match your company’s demands. Organizations want to take into account the skills, resources, and variety they may offer to the business.
There are several avenues for businesses to employ foreign labour in the UK. An expanding portion of the UK’s talent pool comes from internationally trained workers (ITWs), which include refugees, immigrants, and foreign students who studied or worked outside of the country.
Both the employer, who is able to hire the ideal person for his company, and the employee, who is given the chance to establish themselves permanently in the UK, benefit from this.
Why use foreign labour?
Employing Foreign workers from other nations offers several advantages for firms. You may develop more successful hiring and employment programmes for all employees by updating your company’s staffing strategy and practices to better hire and retain ITWs.
The following are a few of the most crucial explanations:
● Meet your labour requirements
The UK workforce is significantly impacted by ITWs. They assist in filling high-skilled job openings in several UK-based organisations. They may be specialists in fields requiring specialised talents (like technical or language ability) that are not accessible in the United Kingdom. They can also apply for temporary jobs that need a certain skill set.
● Access new markets
Workers with international training may be multilingual and have cultural knowledge that can help with the creation of new regional and international markets.
● Make yourself more competitive.
Many ITWs have the knowledge and skills necessary to help your business compete in the international market.
● Make your business more effective.
ITWs may provide fresh perspectives to your firm, fostering innovation and supporting more effective business procedures. They may prove useful in arranging secondments or transfers from an overseas division, for instance, for development initiatives that will provide the UK organisation with new ideas. This type of leave has three main possibilities, all of which come within the newly established Global Business Mobility category, which takes the place of the former Intra Company Transfer option.
● Build connections with other significant individuals and organizations.
ITWs could be able to introduce you to more possible employees as well as useful national and international organisations.
How can I hire staff from abroad?
For UK-based businesses to hire qualified foreign workers, either from inside or outside the nation, they need a sponsor licence in good standing. Once granted, the licence has a four-year expiration date and a renewal option.
What requirements must be met in order to receive a sponsor licence?
To be eligible to apply for a sponsor licence, your organisation must have a presence in the UK and be conducting business or functioning legally there. Depending on your requirements, you can submit a single application that covers all of your affiliated UK organisations or separate applications for each branch.
If you must register with or be inspected/monitored by a statutory authority in order to operate legally in the UK, you must show proof that you (and any branches covered by the licence) have done so. You can also be asked to provide documentation proving you have the relevant planning permission or approval from the local planning authority.
The Home Office must have faith in your ability to offer real work in a skilled profession and in your ability to pay the Home Office’s wage rate.
As part of your application for a sponsor licence, you declare that you accept all of the obligations that go along with holding one. There is an exception if the person is a sole proprietor who wants to sponsor someone to work for them. Private individuals are not often eligible to be recognised as sponsors.
Responsibilities of the employer to prevent unlawful employment
Regardless of their size or industry, many organisations are finding that finding skilled people who are a good match for the position is a critical concern. Organizations must refrain from hiring an unfit person right away in order to increase retention and decrease turnover. Organizations should do proper and proportionate pre-employment tests to evaluate the candidate’s suitability in order to hire the best employee possible. Organizations must make sure they adhere to pre-employment vetting policies that are both morally and legally acceptable as conventional recruiting techniques change, in part due to technological advancements.
There are the following pre-employment checks:
• Right-to-work checks
As a result of the global migration of job seekers, businesses are now required to make sure they are not hiring individuals for roles they are not authorised to fill in the UK.
• Criminal record checks
Organizations may be obligated to seek records to evaluate if ex-offenders are appropriate for a particular job in order to meet legal requirements and guarantee the protection of society’s most vulnerable members.
• Medical examinations
With an increased emphasis on the diversity and inclusion of hiring practices, organisations must be cautious when requesting information about a person’s health and medical history.
• Reference checks
Organisations are often not required by law to get an employment reference, and there is no entitlement to a reference from a current or former employer (except in certain sectors). However, it is typical to ask for at least one reference, and since employers have a responsibility to give recommendations that are truthful and not deceptive, it is crucial that they manage both giving and receiving references properly.
• Online and social media checks
As professional and personal information becomes more readily available online, organisations now have another source of information they can easily access when assessing an applicant’s overall suitability. However, caution must be exercised when handling and utilising this information.
If the employer is in violation of the employment law
It is illegal to deliberately hire someone to fill that position who needs immigration authorization but does not have it. For employers found in violation, the maximum penalty is a two-year jail term and an infinite fine. This actually targets firms that willfully break the law in order to take advantage of weaker workers and undercut legitimate rivals. Civil punishment is typically used to address simple carelessness or negligence.
For all new workers, employers are required to review and replicate specified original paperwork. The government’s advice to employers on how to stop unlawful working outlines when checks must be performed, and what employers must do, including advice on how to assess the validity of documents and what to photocopy and maintain. Before starting work, checks must be finished, however for personnel with temporary immigration status, further checks are needed.
Any checks should be conducted in accordance with government instructions on avoiding illegal discrimination while attempting to stop illegal working, which suggests that all job candidates should be handled equally.
Contact AY & J Solicitors
The UK Home Office is very strict about its employment guidelines. To avoid any unforeseen situation, it is always advisable to take help from an immigration attorney. At A Y & J Solicitors our expert immigration lawyers can offer you legal advice and support at every stage. Feel free to reach out to us for assistance.
Checkout here top 10 Immigration Lawyers in UK