On 31 January 2020, the UK exited the EU. By virtue of the transition period in the Withdrawal Agreement, EU law will continue to apply in and in relation to the UK only until 31 December 2020. That means that EU Treaties, EU free movement rights and the general principles of EU law will cease to apply from 31 December 2020 in relation to the UK, and prior EU regulations will only continue to apply in domestic law (by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). That is, as long as they are not modified or revoked by regulations under that 2018 Act.

     With that being said, there are going to be quite a few changes to the immigration system and employment law taking place from 31 December 2020 that UK business owners need to be aware of.

Direct Impacts On UK Businesses

     Because the UK will no longer be a part of the EU free trade agreement, there will be direct impacts on the import and export of goods, VAT payments, excise duties and customs. However, the employment status of UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK will need to be adjusted and business owners will lose access to the EU employee recruitment pool which they have relied on for cheap labour.

What your business should be doing and what Aman Solicitors Advocates can help you with:

·        Eligible EU nationals and their family members in the UK and UK nationals and their family members in Europe need to take appropriate actions to preserve their residence rights.

·        EU nationals and their family members in the UK must apply under the EU Settlement Scheme by the end of the Implementation Period.

·        UK nationals and their family members in a Member State must follow the requirements specific to that Member State.

·        EU nationals who are working in the UK and/or UK nationals who are working in EU Member States can apply for dual citizenship to preserve their work rights.

     Immigration policy will more than likely continue to be hotly debated during the trade negotiations, which means UK businesses must be prepared to respond to any new developments quickly to ensure their compliance with regulatory, immigration, and employment laws.

Contact Aman Solicitors Advocates

     To learn more about the changes to the immigration system and employment law taking place from 31 December 2020, contact Aman Solicitors Advocates today.

If you enjoyed this article, please feel free to share it on your favourite social media sites.