Immigration Senior/Principal Associate at Shoosmiths

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The role

Shoosmiths is seeking an experienced Immigration Senior/Principal Associate to join their Employment & Immigration team in Manchester, Birmingham, or Leeds. This role requires 6+ years of PQE and focuses on advising employer clients on UK corporate immigration law, including sponsor licences and visa applications, as well as personal immigration matters.

What you'll do

Advise employers on a broad range of UK corporate immigration matters
Advise on personal immigration matters including Global Talent, Schengen visas and ILR
Advise on sponsor licence applications and ongoing sponsor licence management and compliance
Advise employers on the sponsorship of workers, including Certificates of Sponsorship and relevant work visa applications
Provide practical advice on right-to-work requirements and immigration compliance
Conduct immigration compliance audits and help clients identify and address areas of risk
Deliver immigration training to HR, recruitment, legal and management teams
Advise clients on immigration considerations arising from recruitment, workforce planning and international movement of employees
Work collaboratively with employment lawyers and other specialist teams where immigration issues interact with wider employment or commercial considerations
Manage matters effectively from initial instruction through to completion, ensuring clients receive responsive, clear and commercially focused advice
Develop strong relationships with existing clients and identify opportunities to broaden those relationships
Support business development initiatives, including training, seminars, briefings, articles and other thought-leadership activity
Keep clients and colleagues informed of significant developments in immigration law, policy and practice
Support and supervise junior lawyers and other members of the team, sharing knowledge and contributing to their development
Contribute to the continued development and profile of the immigration practice nationally

What we're looking for

Strong experience advising employers on UK corporate immigration matters

Experience of personal immigration matters including ILR, Global Talent, Schengen visas

Detailed knowledge of the sponsor licence regime, sponsored work routes and employer compliance requirements

Experience advising on right-to-work issues and immigration risk

Ability to manage complex matters with appropriate autonomy

Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into clear, practical advice for clients

Strong client relationship and stakeholder management skills

Sound commercial judgement and understanding of the wider business context in which clients operate

Comfortable building relationships and contributing to business development

Ability to supervise, support and develop junior colleagues

Works collaboratively across teams and disciplines

Significant experience acting for employer clients and acting on personal immigration matters· nice to have

Experience handling complex sponsor licence and compliance matters· nice to have

Experience delivering client training and immigration audits· nice to have

Ability to develop trusted relationships with HR, People and senior business stakeholders· nice to have

Interest in growing client relationships and contributing to the wider development of the immigration practice· nice to have

Experience of matters where immigration and employment law overlap· nice to have

Benefits

Competitive remuneration system

Outstanding benefits package

Great working environment

High-quality work

Hiring contacts

Experienced hire team

experienced.hire@shoosmiths.com

View all hiring contacts at Shoosmiths

Immigration Senior/Principal Associate