Simmons & Simmons has charged one of its human resources (HR) team with overseeing visa requirements for overseas lawyers working in London, as firms move to prepare themselves for new documentation changes for foreign workers.
The top 10 City firm is training a member of its HR team to look after overseas visa requirements after changes to the immigration process in February mean firms must now take responsibility themselves for securing work permits for overseas workers.
The changes, which will be phased in over the next year, will have a significant impact on City firms, which have hired swathes of lawyers from jurisdictions such as Australia and New Zealand in recent years.
It means firms will have to determine for themselves whether workers from outside the European Union pass the criteria to be given a permit, with points determined by a number of factors including age and date of qualification.
Any mistakes could incur financial penalties that are potentially unlimited but start at a minimum of £10,000. In addition, mistakes can become a criminal offence as opposed to a civil matter.
City firms including Lovells, Herbert Smith and CMS Cameron McKenna are also training their HR staff in preparation for the changes.
Simmons HR director Anita Tovell said: “This is a serious issue and I would say many people are not aware of the full implications.”