Europeans travelling to the UK

There have been media reports that European Union citizens upon arriving in the UK are being detained by UK Immigration Officers after trying to enter the UK for work related reasons but without being in possession of the appropriate visas. Currently, EU Nationals who are looking to enter the UK visa free in order to have a holiday here can stay for up to a period of 90 days. However, during this period, EU Nationals are not permitted to undertake work. If they are looking to enter the UK for the purposes of working here, then they are required to be in possession of Skilled Worker permits which in turn will require them to be sponsored by a UK employer who is in possession of a Home Office Sponsor Licence.

An application for a Home Office Sponsor Licence is document heavy and includes an application being filed online along with many supporting documents being sent to the Home Office for consideration. Following Brexit, the reality is that EU Nationals no longer enjoy rights of free movement to the UK if they wish to work here.

There have been reports, including in The Guardian newspaper that some EU Nationals have been held for up to 7 days in Removal Centres before being returned back to their country of origin. This can be an extremely stressful time for the person concerned including for their family members. Now more than ever, anyone seeking entry to the UK to work needs to ensure that they are in possession of the correct documentation enabling them to do so, otherwise they can face a potentially hostile reception from UK immigration.

For advice on this or any other immigration matter, please do not hesitate to contact Sohan Sidhu by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 01284 763333.