UK immigration law firms that work with multinational companies, or growing UK-based companies, such as those within the fast-growing UK tech sector, have seen a steady increase in employment-based immigration and business travel since COVID. Thus, the desire to hire employees from around the world and the need to then send them around the world for projects, client meetings, and more, is bouncing back.
As such, these globally-minded employers must be able to secure business visas quickly so their employees can relocate or travel for work as needed. But this is often easier said than done, especially as documentary requirements and visa application processes continue to change relatively frequently.
So how can a UK immigration law firm ensure that it can procure global visas for their clients?
Wll, this article will touch on some additional services that UK immigration law firms can consider offering to their clients to help them secure travel documentation and work visas. Let’s dive in.
Three Ways UK immigration firms can support global clients with travel document and visa services
Immigration law firms that are based in the UK can provide global support to their international clients without needing an extensive network of offices or contractors worldwide. Indeed, by offering some simple add-on services to traditional immigration law support, immigration law firms can provide extra value and support to their global clients without expanding their business or team.
Here are three specific services that UK immigration law firms can provide to their clients to help them hire and move employees around the world.
Applying for business visitor visas
Business visitor visas are typically short-term visas that allow foreign nationals to travel for business meetings, conferences, short-term assignments or other work-related activities that don’t require a full-on work visa.
These visas don’t often require the help of an immigration lawyer, and so many companies handle the application process on their own. However, while applying for business visitor visas might not require deep legal expertise, it does require a working knowledge of local visa requirements, including what evidence or documents are needed, how to fill out specific firms, and how to present any underlying evidence. Providing a service that can offer business travel visa support can be a natural value-add to existing business immigration services.
Immigration and business travel document translation
Document translation is often required for business travel, whether into English from another language for a UK-bound employee or to another language for workers looking to travel to another part of the world. While immigration law firms don’t typically have official translators in-house, it’s something they can consider offering on an as-needed basis, through a partner, especially for particularly common languages. And while there are certainly translation companies around the world that focus on their home languages, working with one company that provides translation services for many languages is more efficient than working with multiple translation professionals in different countries and for different languages.
Coordinate document legalization or certification
If a UK-based company is trying to hire a foreign national, they will inevitably need some supporting documentation — this could be anything from their birth certificate, a diploma, or a marriage certificate if traveling with a spouse. These documents might need to be procured or, if they already have them, legalized (or apostilled) to validate their authenticity.
Here are a few examples of UK visas that need supporting documentation which might have to be legalized or certified:
- Scale-up visa: This visa is intended for experienced workers who are employed by a company that has been approved by the UK government as a growing «scale-up» business. Scale-up visa holders can live and work in the UK for up to five years and bring their families with them. Supporting documentation that may need to be legalized for this visa includes a passport, employment proof, and evidence of English language proficiency.
- Skilled worker visa: Designed for highly skilled workers who have been offered a job by a UK employer and have received a certificate of sponsorship. The Skilled Worker Visa can last up to five years before it needs to be extended or updated. Supporting documentation may need legalizing, including a passport, proof of employment, and evidence of English language knowledge.
This can be a complex process, so offering this as a value-add service is valuable to the client and can avoid time-consuming mistakes. These services can be immensely helpful to international clients and can easily be outsourced to a company that works with global document authentication, certification, and visas. If you choose this route and outsource to a professional document management company, make sure they have a global presence and specialize in this type of work.
UK-based immigration firms can now provide a full solution to their global clients, outsource the work to an expert, and pass the cost on to their clients to make it financially feasible.
Partner with a trusted global business documentation and visa company like Lex Documents
UK immigration law firms that want to continue to support (or scale their support) global clients can do this easily by partnering up with a trusted company with a global presence. That’s where Lex Documents comes in. Our team of experts can help you provide a complete international package to your clients.
At Lex Documents, we partner with UK immigration law firms to speed up and solve visa and international document procedures by providing business visitor visa application processing, document procurement and legalization, global document translation, consular visit support, and more. All of this is in a single contract, provided to your client.
Whatever your firm requires, we can offer a customized service with a single point of contact. Reach out to us to find out how Lex Documents can help you build a complete service package for your clients.
