Monday 11 December 2023

Forthcoming Home Office and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) digitalisation plans for the UK immigration system promise substantial advantages for business. Through streamlined processes and enhanced accessibility, they will benefit from expedited and more efficient procedures when hiring foreign talent, fostering an increasingly attractive business landscape in the UK.

Digitalisation of the systems

Existing digitalisation which has revolutionised the customer experience includes the UK Immigration: ID Check mobile phone app to complete the identification verification stage of eligible immigration applications and the rollout of all immigration permission being electronic in the form of eVisas by the end of 2024.

Digital transformation of UKVI is underway to streamline and enhance the systems by integrating diverse IT upgrades, improving customer service, modifying compliance procedures and engaging with stakeholders. The IT transformation includes a new and improved sponsorship management system for migrant workers.

The digitalised system aims to simplify visa applications and reduce bureaucratic hurdles. Increased efficiency and transparency in the immigration system will likely reduce operational costs and administrative burdens for businesses.

Improvements to processing times

The Home Office is undertaking several improvements to processing times and introducing value-added services for customers made possible by digital transformation efforts and operational automation.

Crucially, UKVI intends to remove the pre-licence priority cap by Spring 2024. This will allow more businesses to obtain sponsor licences in minimal time, preventing delays in the sponsorship of migrant workers. UKVI also aims to offer the 24-hour Super Priority service to applications submitted using the IDV mobile phone app in the next year – a welcome improvement upon the already rather quick current five-day priority processing. The UK remains at the forefront of expeditious visa processing when compared to other countries.

Simultaneously, efforts are underway to provide more straightforward guidance and revamp customer contact channels, ensuring a more accessible and transformed user experience with the system.

Simplification and security of employee right to work (RTW) checks

To strengthen security and remove the responsibility on employers to identify fraudulent Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and passports when completing manual RTW checks, the Home Office has implemented secure digital solutions.

The Home Office’s online RTW checking service which gives employers access to up to date, real-time information about migrants’ right to work has expanded to include most non-British and Irish nationals. The digitalisation of RTW checks has also benefitted British and Irish nationals through the introduction of Identity Service Providers (IDSPs) utilising Identification Document Validation Technology (IDVT). IDSPs enable employers to digitally confirm the RTW status for British and Irish nationals without manually verifying original passports and documents – this service is particularly beneficial for employers with geographically dispersed and remote working teams.

These improved systems accelerate the employee recruitment and onboarding cycle. Both employers and their representatives advocate for these changes, citing increased cost-effectiveness compared to manual checks where original identity documents need to be verified.

Looking ahead to 2024

Amidst national debate regarding high levels of immigration to the UK, the Government is committed to reducing net migration – recent figures from the Office for National Statistics for the year ending June 2023 estimate that net migration added 672,000 people to the UK population. Nevertheless, attracting skilled economic migrants to the UK workforce is a priority for the Government, and steps are underway to support this foreign talent.

The digitalisation of the UK immigration system presents opportunities for businesses to optimise HR processes for onboarding migrant employees and simplify sponsorship of migrant workers. The introduction of digital by default by the end of 2024 will mark a paradigm shift that should benefit employers and migrant employees alike.