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Global Employer of Record in UK

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  1. Overview: United Kingdom (UK)
  2. Global HR Compliance
  3. Global PEO and Payroll
  4. UK Work Visas, Work Permits, Immigration
  5. Contractor vs Employee: Which Is Better?
  6. Expand into the UK without a Company Set Up
  7. Global Payroll Calculator
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UK Business Immigration Support. Acumen International – Your Global Employer of Record

Acumen International is a Global Employer of Record that offers a comprehensive suite of business immigration services to help organizations navigate the complex world of immigration and global employment compliance. Our team of experienced professionals provides global expertise and local knowledge to businesses of all sizes. As a Global Employer of Record, we can facilitate global hiring for our clients and help them tap into any global talent pool.

Our team has a proven track record of success in providing customized and effective immigration solutions to clients worldwide, ensuring that your organization can attract and retain the best talent worldwide.

Our company has helped thousands of companies—including Fortune 500—across all sectors: financial services, technology, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. Acumen International works with multinational corporations, small businesses and start-ups looking to benefit from international talent.

Our full-service corporate and business immigration team assists you in various immigration matters. Our team has expertise in various areas, including visa applications, work permits, and skilled worker applications for businesses relocating globally, as well as those hiring foreign employees or starting up businesses locally.

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Why Choose Business Immigration Services by Express Global Employment?

1. Guided Support for Business Immigration in the UK

Navigating the complex and extensive documentation requirements of the immigration process can be daunting for employers. Acumen International understands this and provides expert guidance and support at every step of the process, helping clients avoid costly mistakes that could lead to delays or denials.

Our immigration experts handle every aspect of the employer of record’s role in a business immigration case, streamlining the process and minimizing the need for clients to spend hours doing the legwork themselves. We guide clients on what forms to provide and how to fill them out. We assist with gathering documents and completing paperwork, help them prepare for in-person visits or interviews, coordinate with in-country immigration authorities, and stay with clients’ cases until they’re approved.

2. Business Immigration Solution Tailored to Your Needs

One of the biggest challenges employers face is navigating the extensive documentation requirements of the immigration process. Our team of immigration experts can provide you with guidance and assistance at every step of the application process. We help you collect all the necessary documents from your employees, including proof of citizenship or legal residence, previous employment verification, birth certificates, and other supporting documents. We also make sure that all applications and supporting documentation are submitted on time and error-free.

Getting work permits for your ex-pat team is far easier when you have a single entity sponsoring the permits and officially employing them. Acumen Global Employer of Record can sponsor visas and work permits for any number of employees, regardless of location.

3. Minimizing Visa and Work Permit Rejection in the UK

By partnering with Global Employer of Record, employers can simplify the process of obtaining work permits for their foreign employees by using Acumen International’s Global EOR solution. We can sponsor visas and work permits for any number of employees, regardless of location, and lower the effort and cost of managing an international workforce.

Acumen Global Employer of Record is your ultimate solution for foreign talent immigration. We provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the immigration process, including advice on the necessary forms, their proper completion, and submission. Our team of experts assists you in collecting all the required documents and preparing for any in-person interviews or visits. We ensure smooth coordination with in-country immigration authorities and remain with your cases until their approval. With Acumen Global Employer of Record, you can be assured that your foreign talent immigration needs are in capable hands.

4. Comprehensive Business Immigration Support

Our Global Employer of Record solution with extensive business immigration support saves organizations time and money while keeping them on top of all legal requirements. We offer bespoke social business immigration packages for international talent to ensure they have no immigration, labour, or tax compliance issues when they move abroad.

5. Global Immigration Consultancy

We help you identify and manage immigration risks and opportunities in your business. Our team of experts will work with you to develop a customized immigration strategy that meets your business objectives while ensuring compliance with all relevant immigration regulations.

6. Ongoing Immigration Compliance Services

Our compliance services ensure that you meet all immigration regulations and requirements. We can conduct regular audits of your immigration processes across 190 countries, identifying potential risks and providing practical solutions to ensure your business remains compliant.

Note to Eliminate Misconceptions: Our Global Employer of Record solution is tailor-made for corporate clients who need to hire a foreign workforce for their overseas operations. Our services are not about connecting international workers to jobs but facilitating global employment needs for employers that have already selected candidates. Acumen International’s Global EOR solution differs significantly from conventional immigration services in function and purpose.

United Kingdom Work Visa Support

The work visa application process in the United Kingdom can be lengthy and complex. However, at Acumen International Global Employer of Record, we have the expertise and experience to help relocate your employees to overseas markets as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

One of the biggest challenges employers face is navigating the extensive documentation requirements of the immigration process. Our team of immigration experts can provide you with guidance and assistance at every step of the application process. We help you collect all the necessary documents from your employees, including proof of citizenship or legal residence, previous employment verification, birth certificates, and other supporting documents. We also make sure that all applications and supporting documentation are submitted on time and error-free.

Acument International is committed to making the UK work visa and work permit application process as straightforward as possible. Our expert team can take care of all the paperwork and the UK Visa application processes for you, from start to finish, without you even having to step foot in the UK.

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How to Apply for the UK Work Visa

Employees seeking a UK Work Visa must apply online.

There are different ways to apply for a UK visa, depending on your circumstances.

You must apply to update your visa if you want to change your job or employer.

  • Companies sending employees to the UK often apply for a Skilled Worker visa, which covers the broadest range of job positions. Companies sending employees to work for their established UK branch apply for an Intra-company visa.
  • Employees seeking visas in the UK must apply online.

UK Work Visa Eligibility Requirements

Individuals seeking a visa must be able to meet a series of requirements, including

  • Working for an employer approved by the UK’s immigration authorities
  • Providing a certificate of sponsorship, including details about the job, from the UK employer
  • Applying for a job that’s considered an eligible occupation
  • Meet minimum salary requirements, depending on the job
  • Proving your English language skills through a formal process

What Is a UK Work Permit?

A valid job offer from a viable employer in the UK is a requirement for a work permit. International workers must apply for a work permit before working in the UK. This permit must be sponsored by a licensed business entity based in the UK. In addition, the international worker will need to obtain a Certificate of Sponsorship from the UK government. Work permits are issued by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI). They have offices throughout the UK and can be contacted by phone or email.

Visas and Work Permits in the United Kingdom for Non-UK Citizens

Visas and work permits are essential for non-UK citizens who wish to work in the United Kingdom. In the past, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland citizens could travel and work in the UK with minimal restrictions. However, new rules have been introduced since the UK exited the European Union in 2020.

From July 1, 2021, new requirements for establishing right-to-work (RTW) were enforced for EEA/Swiss employees, putting the onus of proof on employers. Irish citizens with valid passports are the exception, as they are granted the continued right to work in the UK without additional documentation.

At Acumen International, we provide expert guidance and assistance with obtaining visas and work permits in the UK. We understand the complexities of the immigration process and keep up-to-date with changes in the rules and regulations. With our support, you can ensure your employees have the documentation to work legally in the UK.

Right to Work for EEA and Swiss Citizens

Beginning July 1, 2021, EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens will need more than just a passport or national identity card to prove their right to work in the UK. Employers must check their right to work online using a share code and the employee’s date of birth or by checking their original documents. Employees can obtain a share code from the UK government’s online immigration service.

When EEA, E, Swiss Workers Have the Right to Work in the UK

  • The worker can provide proof of settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
  • They have a Frontier Worker Permit.
  • They have a biometric residence permit or card.
  • They have applied under the EU Settlement Scheme.
  • They have been granted indefinite permission to enter or remain in the UK.
  • They have a visa to work or study in the UK.

Right to Work for Employees from Other Countries

To qualify for the right to work in the UK, non-EEA employees must be invited by an employer who is a licensed sponsor. They must provide an Immigration Employment Document (IED) confirming their right to work in the UK. Examples of IEDs include UK work permits and specific types of visas. The most common type of visa for ex-pat employees is a Skilled Worker visa.

To Qualify for a UK Skilled Worker Visa, Employees Must

  • Work for an approved UK employer.
  • Provide a certificate of sponsorship from the employer describing the role the worker will play within the company
  • Perform a job that is listed among eligible occupations
  • Earn a minimum salary based on the type of work position
  • Be able to speak, read and write English

A Skilled Worker visa is good for up to five years, after which it can be extended indefinitely.

Documents Required for the UK Skilled Worker Visa Application

  • Certificate of a sponsorship reference number
  • Proof of English language proficiency
  • Valid passport
  • Job title, occupation code, and annual salary
  • Employer name and sponsor license number

UK Work Visa Timeline Considerations

When applying for a UK work visa, it is important to be aware of the following timeline considerations: Keep the following in mind as you begin the application process.  Once you’ve submitted your application online, the waiting time starts when you either:

  • Attend your appointment and provide your fingerprints and a photograph (biometric information) at a visa application centre.
  • Verify your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app. This will depend on the visa you apply for, and you’ll be advised if you can use this.

The waiting time will end when you get an email containing the decision on your application. This will explain what you need to do next.

UK Business Visa Sponsorship for Employers

You must assign a certificate of sponsorship to each foreign worker you employ. This is an electronic record, not a physical document. Each certificate has its own number, which a worker can use to apply for a visa.

When you assign the certificate to a worker, they must use it to apply for their visa within three months. They must not apply for their visa more than three months before the job’s start date listed on the certificate.

You may need to check if your worker needs an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate before you assign a certificate of sponsorship.

UK Work Visas, Permits, and Immigration: Other Important Considerations

Skills Shortage in the United Kingdom

There are currently several shortages of occupations, including:

  • IT – cyber security analysts, digital and SEO marketers, software developers, and systems engineers
  • Business services – analysts, market researchers, HR officers
  • Construction – surveyors, planners, and project managers
  • Education – Primary and secondary school teachers (particularly maths teachers)
  • Engineering – electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineers, civil engineers, and product and process engineers
  • Healthcare – nurses, medical radi

    Immigration skills charge

    You might have to pay an additional charge when you assign a certificate of sponsorship to someone applying for a Skilled Worker or Senior or Specialist Worker visa. This is called the ‘immigration skills charge’.

    You must pay the immigration skills charge if you’re applying for a visa from:

    • outside the UK to work in the UK for 6 months or more
    • inside the UK for any length of time

    When You Do Not Need to Pay

    You will not have to pay the charge if you’re sponsoring someone with one of the following occupation codes:

    • chemical scientists (2111)
    • biological scientists and biochemists (2112)
    • physical scientists (2113)
    • social and humanities scientists (2114)
    • natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified (2119)
    • research and development managers (2150)
    • higher education teaching professionals (2311)
    • clergy (2444)
    • sports players (3441)
    • sports coaches, instructors or officials (3442)

    You also might not have to pay the charge if you’re sponsoring a worker who was assigned a certificate before 6 April 2017 – there’s more information in the immigration skills charge guidance for sponsors.

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