Business immigration

Lewis advises UK and international businesses on business immigration, workforce mobility and compliance with the UK sponsorship regime. He works with employers across a broad range of sectors, including medium-sized businesses, large corporates and multinational organisations, as well as founders, HR directors, global mobility teams, general counsel and senior executives. 

He has particular experience advising on sponsor licence applications and sponsor licence compliance, including applications under the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility routes. Lewis helps employers establish and maintain effective sponsorship arrangements, understand their sponsor duties, manage Home Office reporting obligations and reduce immigration and right to work compliance risk. 

Lewis has successfully guided organisations through initial sponsor licence applications and applications arising from corporate restructures, mergers, acquisitions and other business changes requiring a new licence or Home Office approval. He takes a proactive and commercial approach, working closely with clients to develop robust immigration processes that support recruitment and business continuity. 

He also advises overseas businesses establishing or expanding operations in the UK. His work includes immigration planning for UK market entry, obtaining the appropriate sponsor licence, transferring or recruiting key personnel and developing practical strategies for repeat UK immigration needs. 

Lewis regularly manages Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility matters for multinational businesses, supporting senior executives, key personnel and their families as they relocate to and establish themselves in the UK. This includes strategically important and time-sensitive moves where immigration planning must align with leadership changes, corporate transactions or wider commercial objectives. 

As part of Russell-Cooke’s wider immigration team, Lewis supports employers with complex sponsorship and compliance issues, including the immigration consequences of corporate change, right to work compliance, Home Office scrutiny and the management of sensitive or high-value workforce mobility matters. The team provides long-term, strategic UK immigration support to substantial UK and international businesses and works closely with employment, corporate and other professional advisers where immigration issues form part of a wider transaction or risk-management exercise. 

Private client immigration

Alongside his business immigration practice, Lewis advises individuals and families on personal immigration matters. His broader experience helps him address the individual and family issues that can arise alongside senior executive and employee relocations. 

His experience includes family-based immigration applications, settlement and British citizenship, including applications involving spouses, partners, parents and children. He provides clear advice tailored to each client’s circumstances and long-term objectives. 

• Assisting a multinational gaming company to obtain a new sponsor licence following a change in corporate structure. 

• Advising a multinational technology company on the relocation of three vice-presidents and their families to the UK. 

• Advising employers on sponsor licence applications and compliance under the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility routes. 

• Supporting businesses with the immigration implications of restructures, mergers, acquisitions and other corporate changes. 

• Helping overseas businesses plan the immigration aspects of establishing or expanding operations in the UK. 

• Acting for the employee of a multinational technology company on her relocation to the UK with her dependent son under the sole responsibility provisions. 

• LLB Law, Newcastle University. 

• Legal Practice Course, London Metropolitan University. 

• Member of the Immigration Legal Practice Association (ILPA). 

• Member of the Society for Computers in Law (SCL).