All UK organisations are obliged to adopt measures to safeguard the UK’s immigration system as a whole and prevent illegal working.
Our position is to comply with the government’s immigration rules fully in order to protect the School and employees from risk. This is particularly important given that the School has a sponsor licence to sponsor overseas students and staff.
Everyone has an important role to play in ensuring immigration compliance so the School meets the rules.
The main risks are:
- Fines of up to £20,000 per illegal worker or imprisonment for knowingly employing an illegal worker and/or
- Withdrawal or downgrading of LSE’s sponsor licence, affecting our ability to sponsor staff and/or students
In addition, the LSE’s reputation as a trustworthy employer will be affected.
Individuals are at risk if they do not follow the rules. The main risks are:
- Visa cancellation - they may not be able to continue to study or work
- Unlimited fine and/or imprisonment
- Difficulties in applying for visas in the future - both for the UK and other countries
- Demonstrate robust recruitment and selection practices when hiring staff
- Ensure that all employees (including those who have worked at the School before) conduct a right to work check before they start work
- Ensure staff with visas renew promptly and repeat their right to work check before their visa expires
- Monitor the working hours of students to ensure they don't work more than 20 hours per week
- Ensure that changes to contracts and/or extensions are reported promptly to HR
- Conduct a right to work check before you start any work
- Repeat your right to work check with your new visa (if applicable) before your current visa expires
- Ensure that you only do work that is permitted by your visa conditions.
- If you are a student visa holder, provide evidence to HR that you are eligible to work full-time before you work more than 20 hours per week