Immigration Associate/Senior Associate

People&Reward, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh or Glasgow

Main information

• PQE: 2-4
• Term type: Permanent
• Team: People&Reward
• Location: Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh or Glasgow

The role

We are looking for a talented and motivated immigration Associate or Senior Associate to join our Employment & Immigration team, advising employer clients on a broad range of UK corporate immigration matters as well as personal immigration applications. Working as part of a national team, you will advise a diverse client base ranging from growing businesses to large multinational organisations.

Main responsibilities

• Advising employers on UK corporate immigration matters
• Supporting sponsor licence applications and sponsor compliance including reporting obligations
• Advising on sponsorship and Skilled Worker visas
• Assisting with ILR, British Citizenship/Naturalisation applications, Schengen visas, dependant visas and Global Talent applications
• Providing right to work and compliance advice
• Supporting audits and client training
• Building client relationships and contributing to business development

Skills and experience

• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales with at least 2 years’ of PQE in UK corporate immigration work
• Knowledge of sponsorship duties and reporting obligations, the application process for sponsor licences and Skilled Worker visas, use of SMS and compliance
• Knowledge of personal immigration applications including those listed above
• Right to work audits and advice
• Excellent drafting, communication and organisational skills
• Commercial awareness and client focus
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team

About the team

The firm's Employment & Immigration practice advises organisations on corporate and personal immigration matters and advises organisations on a variety of matters including sponsorship, sponsor duties and management, visa applications, immigration compliance and bringing individuals into the UK.

The wider People & Reward materials describe the practice as supporting organisations with sponsor licences, employees' visa applications and ongoing UKVI sponsor duties and compliance obligations, alongside employment law considerations.

The Firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and, above all, our ability to focus on what matters most. With offices across the UK and Brussels, we partner with some of the world's most exciting, innovative and ambitious organisations, helping clients make a meaningful impact in their industries and communities. Our people are empowered to bring their authentic selves to work, collaborate in high-performing teams and deliver exceptional results through a culture built on excellence, innovation and mutual support.

As the first Top 50 law firm to achieve the Investors in People Platinum Standard, our values are more than statements on a website. They are embedded in everything we do and form the foundation of our success. Alongside a competitive remuneration package we offer high quality work, a supportive environment and a comprehensive, flexible benefits programme designed to reward and support our people. We believe our success is driven by our employees and we are committed to recognising their contribution to the firm's continued growth and achievements.

Shoosmiths is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme designed to encourage employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term conditions. The Disability Confident scheme replaced the Two Ticks Positive about Disabled People scheme. We had been accredited as a two tick employer for many years - Disability Confident broadens and develops that original commitment, and demonstrates we have adopted a proactive approach to employing disabled people and developing their abilities.

As part of our accreditation, we commit to interviewing any applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria for each vacancy. In some circumstances we may only be able to interview those that best meet the essential criteria due to the volume of applications received. We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to and usable by everyone. If you have a disability or long-term condition and would like to receive information in a different way, or need us to make any adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on Experienced.Hire@shoosmiths.com. We can consider your needs and requirements, and how we can assist you to apply for our roles. For example we can provide a copy of our application via email so that you can complete it using your own accessibility software.

Equal opportunities

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.