About this Event
We are delighted to invite you to ILPA’s annual Sponsorship Law Conference, our flagship annual event for immigration professionals navigating the evolving the UK's immigration sponsorship law and policy landscape.
Against a backdrop of increasing Home Office enforcement activity and ongoing changes to sponsorship policy and practice, this year's conference will bring together leading legal practitioners, migration experts and senior Home Office representatives to discuss the latest developments affecting sponsors and sponsored workers.
With record levels of sponsor licence suspensions and revocations, evolving right to work requirements, increasing scrutiny of sponsor compliance systems, eligible roles and trading activity, and continuing changes affecting sponsored work routes, this is an essential opportunity to hear what's happening and what to expect next from experts in this area.
This year’s conference Co-Chairs will be:
- Nichola Carter, Partner at Keystone Law
- Tanya Goldfarb, Head of Business Immigration at Bindmans LLP
We are also pleased to be joined once again by senior representatives from UKVI:
- Adam Lee, Work Services Operations Lead
- James Turner, Head of Work Services
Alongside them, a panel of leading immigration practitioners and other immigration experts will share observations, insights and practical guidance on navigating changing sponsorship law and policy.
Book now to secure your place—this promises to be one of our most timely and impactful conferences yet.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Opening Remarks
Host: Nichola Carter Thomas, Keystone Law
Info: • Welcome and housekeeping
• Overview of the day
• Participation guidelines for hybrid attendees
🕑: 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
Home Office Keynote
Host: Adam Lee and James Turner, UKVI
Info: • Recent and upcoming developments for sponsors and sponsored migrants SMS Transformation
• UKVI latest updates and priorities for the year ahead
• Latest statistics and trends including compliance trends
• Priority services and operational updates
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Live Q&A with the Home Office
Host: Adam Lee and James Turner, UKVI
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Deep Dive: Sponsor Licence Compliance and Right to Work checks
Host: Tom Brett- Young, VWV
Info: • Right to work checks – a new era
• General sponsor compliance triggers and risk areas
• Due diligence, audits, and sponsor support
• Enforcement strategies and case law insights
• Practical tips for navigating complex scenarios
🕑: 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM
Coffee Break
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:30 PM
Deep Dive: Individual Applications – Thinking Outside the Box
Host: Francesca Sciberras, Laura Devine
Info: • Interplay between immigration Rules, policy and practice
• Key developments for sponsored migrants
• Tips and tricks to secure sucessul outcomes in difficult or urgent situations
• How to approach the Home Office
🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PM
Lunch Break
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Bitesize: Earned Settlement
Host: Kathryn Denyer, Lewis Silkin
Info: • Overview of where things currently are
• Biggest hurdles
• Likely best outcome
• Current timeframe
🕑: 03:00 PM - 03:15 PM
Coffee Break
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Lights, Camera, Immigration: Keeping the Creative Industries Moving
Host: Nick Rollason, Kingsley Napley
Info: • What It Takes to Bring the World's Big and Small Stars to the UK
o A behind-the-scenes look at managing UK immigration matters for artists, actors, performers and creative productions
o An expert exploration of the routes and considerations
o Sponsorship versus endorsement
• How to balance commercial pressures, confidentiality and compliance.
o Not just a legal expert - what it takes to advise in the creative sector
🕑: 04:00 PM - 04:45 PM
Fireside Chat
Host: James Perrott, Mayer Brown
Info: Speakers: James Perrott (Mayer Brown) with guests including Professor Bernard Ryan (Professor of Migration Law at the University of Leicester) and Sophie Barrett-Brown (current ILPA Trustee and former Chair)
Session Highlights:
Wrapping up the day, join our leading legal-sector experts as they share their insights, thoughts and experiences.
🕑: 04:45 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Remarks
Info: • Audience questions
• Final reflections
• Wrap-up and next steps
Event venue & nearby stays
Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, United Kingdom
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