As part of a government crackdown on visa abuse and to prevent exploitation, employers who repeatedly flout visa rules or commit serious employment breaches will in future be banned from hiring overseas workers.

Currently, those who ignore visa rules can only be sanctioned for a maximum of 12 months. However, under the proposed changes, the period for repeat offences will be increased to at least two years, with final cooling off periods announced in due course.

Arguing that it is fair and reasonable for employers that do not recruit from the domestic workforce, the Government has said that employers who recruit internationally will now be required to pay associated costs themselves.

While the longer action plans are in place, the Home Office warned, employers will face restrictions on their ability to bring in overseas workers. Failure to comply or make the necessary improvements will see their visa sponsor licence revoked.

Where there are early signs of rule breaking, action plans will bind businesses who commit these minor visa breaches to a set of specific actions to help them improve and correct any issues. These are being strengthened further, with the maximum time they can be applied being quadrupled from three to 12 months, aiming to ensure long-term and sustained compliance with visa rules.

These changes will develop alongside the Government’s new Employments Rights Bill, currently going through Parliament.

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