Tamana Aziz, an Immigration Director at Duncan Lewis Solicitors with over 10 years’ experience in immigration law, has seen the early effects Brexit is having on her clients and the wider implications of losing free movement.
What changes have you seen as we head for Brexit?
Legally not much has changed with the EEA regulations, however many EU nationals seeking advice are confused about what the future may hold.
Net migration had been increasing since 2012, but there has been a recent fall due to Brexit. Many EU nationals without families doing low skilled job have returned to their countries.
Will Tier-2 applicants find it harder to attain a visa to work in the UK after Brexit?
I don’t think there will be any impact on Tier-2 workers applying within the UK since these jobs are not low skilled. UK Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), thought to be the most significant for boosting productivity and economic growth, may be the most negatively affected.
Dr Ross Brown, who led a major research on the impact of Brexit on SMEs, said:
"The results of our analysis suggest that Brexit-related concerns could result in a range of negative consequences for UK SMEs, especially the impact on reduced capital investment, which critically weakens and undermines their ability to grow and prosper.”
What restrictions will employers/businesses face after Brexit?
There are no indications any restrictions will be imposed on employers and businesses however they may find it hard to gain unrestrictive certificates of sponsorships when applying to recruit migrants from overseas.
UK businesses will experience difficulty recruiting within the EU since free movement will cease. If they import their raw materials from EU their cost will increase since free trade between UK and EU will not be prevalent.
How should an EEA national, who wishes to stay in the UK after Brexit, protect their status?
As an EEA national, if you have been living in the UK exercising your treaty rights for 5 years or more, you should apply for a permanent residence card now before we exit in March 2019. Once you have held a permanent residence card for at least 12 months you will be eligible to naturalise as a British national.
Tamana Aziz represents individuals and businesses with expertise, assisting with immigration applications under EU law, business immigration under the Points Based System, complex appeals (including deportation appeals and country guidance cases) in Immigration Tribunals, the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
Contact Tamana on 020 3114 1130 and [email protected].
Duncan Lewis Immigration Solicitors
Our Immigration department is ranked as a top-tier practice in Immigration: human rights, appeals and overstay matters in Legal 500 2017. As leading immigration specialists we advise on business immigration, right to work in the UK, Tier-2 visa applications, student/graduate visas, spousal visas and visa overstays.
Contact our expert immigration solicitors on 0333 772 0409 or call our 24-Hour Emergency Helpline on 0333 772 0607.
