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Clarity for job shortage sponsorship with new Immigration Rules changes

Sponsoring overseas employees is currently being considered by some employers with numerous job vacancies. While there are rules and regulations surrounding sponsorship, a new statement of changes published by the government does provide some clarity for those considering this option. The proposed changes to the Immigration Rules shows some of the concessions introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic will now be incorporated. Julie Moktadir, Head of Immigration at Stone King, highlighted the key changes and said they will be welcomed by immigration lawyers and employers. She said: “The change to the settlement rules is for those who applied in-country to the Skilled Worker route from 24 January 2020 – 30 June 2021. “This means that, for those who were able to start work whilst awaiting a decision on their application, the rules will allow those with successful applications to count the time period that they were waiting for a decision towards their continuous residence.” The concessions were previously just guidance however they have now been incorporated into the Immigration Rules through these statement of changes. “This development will also be well received by so many migrants who have been restricted from travel or progressing with their lives due to the pandemic,” added Julie. “Calculating periods of continuous residence is often stressful and sometimes challenging for migrants. For example, an individual may have come to the UK as a student and completed their course of study. They may have been unable to leave the UK and subsequently have been living and working in the UK. They would thereafter have made an application to remain in the UK as a skilled worker. “Previously this period of residence would not have counted towards their continuous residence (five years is required) for the purposes of settling in the UK. These changes now do allow this period of residence to be counted which is a welcome change.”

Ransomware – how to avoid it and protect yourself

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We often hear about ransomware from colleagues and in the media, but what is it? Ransomware is a type of harmful software Cyber Criminals use to stop you accessing your own data. Cyber Criminals will threaten to publish your personal data (in many cases publicly) and to gain access again, you will need to pay their ransom. The most common ransomware attack is through a download via an email attachment. Once the software enters your network, the download launches the ransomware program which attacks your system. Then it will replicate itself, search through your documents and encrypt the contents so that you cannot access them. There are many steps you can take to protect your data; here are just three of them. Firstly, ensure you have good anti-virus software on your device and that it is up to date. Secondly, keep good backups of your data in three different places. Thirdly, do not open any email attachments that look suspicious. These are just a few precautions you can take to protect your company’s data. If you are in need of IT support, please email ask@cambridgesupport.com call 01223 901 900 or visit www.cambridgesupport.com