​​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. - Gov.UK

With the current pandemic crisis, it's been easy to push the effects of Brexit to one side, but employment for non-UK residents is one aspect that needs careful consideration.

Pre-pandemic there was a talent shortage across a range of skills including, content, analytics, tech, digital media, market research, intellectual property, sales, marketing, and many others. With a predicted V-shape recovery and the surge of new vacancies already in progress, it will not be long before we are back to a skills shortage.

Only this time you can't rely on the ease of reaching out to EU citizens to fill the gaps. EU citizens will need Settled Status, Pre-Settled status, or a Work Visa. The upside is that if you get a license to sponsor you can reach out to the world for those roles that meet the new points system. Basically, you need to have a sponsorship license, the salary must be in excess of £26,600, and the candidate needs to be able to speak English. Together you will need to reach a total of 70 points. 20 as a sponsor with the job offer, 20 for a job at an appropriate skill level, 10 for speaking English, and the final 20 for a salary over £26,600. The key will be ensuring 70 points will be whether the Job is at the appropriate skill level. But unless you are a sponsor, it won't matter.

You may want to start by auditing your staff to identify any EU nationals and check if they have applied for Settlement Status and then move onto applying for a license.

You can read the original article here - Gov.UK