Law firms face immigration pressure in November

Law firms could see a drop in the number of foreign employees they can have on board as new legislation is brought in this November.

Law firms could see a drop in the number of foreign employees they can have on board as new legislation is brought in this November.

The government has implemented legislation to tighter regulate the number of foreign workers in employment in Britain, and will include firms applying for a licence to employ workers from abroad.

The licence will need to be applied for even if the employer already has foreign workers, and would simply like to keep them on.

Following the application process a visit to the law firm from the Border Agency is required before a decision can be made.

The legislation, which applies to all businesses in the UK, could see a significant number of employees in the law sector turned away from their jobs, causing a gap in the market place, and opening up many positions for recent graduates and experienced solicitors alike.

Julia Onslow-Cole, global head of immigration at PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal told Legal Week that, "This really is an issue for firms - if they do not manage to get their licence by November they simply will not be able to bring any more people over on a work permit."