From early 2024 fines are to be more than tripled for employers who allow illegal migrants to work for them, in the biggest shake up of civil penalties since 2014.

The civil penalty for employers will be raised from £15,000 to £45,000 per illegal worker for a first breach, and from a maximum of £20,000 to £60,000 per illegal worker for repeat breaches.

Later this year the Home Office will also consult on options to strengthen action against licensed businesses who are employing illegal workers.
Employers need to conduct a valid right to work (RTW) check before employment starts to gain a statutory excuse (defence) against illegal working penalties, and ensure they have a system to conduct follow up checks for workers whose immigration permission is time-limited. For employers that are also visa sponsors, completing compliant RTW checks is also an essential sponsor duty. The Home Office has ramped up its enforcement action against employers, and RTW check processes have changed in the last couple of years as the Home Office moves to a digitised system, so please do contact us if you need any advice on checks for new hires or refresher checks for your existing workforce.