Government announces post-Brexit UK internal market rules and simplifies migrant employment processes for employers

As the country moves closer to full separation from the EU at the end of this year, the UK Government has published details of how the UK single market will operate when regulatory powers on a wide range of areas transfer back to us from the EU. Its proposals, which are now subject to a consultation process, are designed to make sure there is no divergence between rules and regulations across the UK nations and no barriers to trade between different parts of the country. The Government wants two key principles to be enshrined in law. Mutual Recognition would see rules in one part of the UK recognised everywhere else, and Non-Discrimination would mean that rules could not be introduced in one part of the country that discriminate against goods or services from another part of the country.

Separately, the Home Office has published further details on the points-based immigration system that will come into force on 1st January 2021. It has announced changes that it says will simplify and streamline the process by which employers sponsor migrants to bring them into their workforce, cutting the length of the process by up to eight weeks. It has suspended the current cap on Tier 2 visas, so there will be no limit on the number of skilled workers who can come to the UK, and it is abolishing the Resident Labour Market Test.

Click here for UK Single Market proposals

Click here for latest points-based immigration statement