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Background 

Our client, the UK subsidiary of a Northern European industrial gas systems company, had a critical contract worth approximately €600,000 with a leading UK shipbuilding and maintenance firm. The project involved the installation of highly specialised equipment on a vessel at one of the UK ports. The successful completion of this high-value contract depended on bringing specialists from Romania to the UK. 

Legal challenge 

To perform the work, our client needed to comply with the UK immigration law, identifying the correct visa route for these specialist workers. The key challenges included: 

1. Determining the most suitable immigration route that would allow the Romanian workers to legally carry out the installation work. 

• Ensuring all contractual arrangements complied with UK immigration requirements. 

• Advising on border requirements, including Electronic Travel Authorisations and preparing necessary documentation to avoid potentially costly delays. 

Our approach 

After reviewing the available options, we advised that the Permitted Activity 7 route was the most appropriate and viable in the circumstances. Our work included: 

1. Reviewing contracts and stakeholder agreements to ensure compliance with PA7 requirements. 
2. Drafting letters of invitation and providing detailed instructions for the use of the Romanian workers. 
3. Advising the client on ETA requirements and border procedures to ensure a seamless entry process. 
4. Coordinating all documentation to meet legal standards while supporting the timely mobilisation of personnel. 

Outcome 

Thanks to the careful planning and guidance provided, the Romanian specialists successfully entered the UK without any issues, enabling our client to complete the vessel installation work efficiently. The documents we drafted and advised on were put to the test at the border, where the workers were asked about the nature of their visit, and they stood up to scrutiny without any problems. Our involvement ensured the high-value contract could proceed on schedule, mitigating the risk of delays or legal complications. 

Key takeaways 

• Early legal advice, particularly before entering into any contracts, is essential to ensure that arrangements comply with immigration law when bringing specialised workers to the UK. 

• Reviewing contractual and operational arrangements is key to maintaining compliance with UK immigration law especially in multijurisdictional projects where alignment between contractual obligations and immigration requirements is essential. 

• Accurate documentation combined with comprehensive preparation of all parties, helps and clear border guidance, which anticipate potential issues or questions, help preventing delays and safeguard protecting high-value contracts. 

Contact us 

If your business needs advice on bringing specialist workers to the UK for time-sensitive projects, our business immigration team can provide tailored solutions to ensure compliance and smooth operations. 

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.

To find out more about our services, visit Business immigration section of our website.

Call us now to discuss your case 0330 107 0106 or email us at business@imd.co.uk.