Supporting Irish companies with employee travel to the UK
Since Brexit, sending employees to the UK has become significantly more complex.
Future Direct helps HR and global mobility teams navigate UK immigration requirements before travel takes place.
Our Services
UK Corporate Immigration
Where HR teams run into difficulty?
Many companies only discover UK immigration requirements when an employee is about to travel.
Non-Irish employees requiring a visa or ETA for routine UK meetings
Technical staff whose site activities may exceed business visitor rules
Employees questioned at the UK border due to unclear documentation
Expanding into the UK without a sponsor licence in place
Immigration application procedures can be challenging and time-consuming. Future Direct is here to take stress out for you and deliver results in a professional and timely manner.
Which permission does your employee need?
Depending on nationality and the purpose of travel, employees may require one of the following.
Immigration application procedures can be challenging and time-consuming. Future Direct is here to take stress out for you and deliver results in a professional and timely manner.
Business visitor visa
For short stays including meetings, conferences, and training.
UK ETA
Digital travel permission for certain nationalities — obtained before travel.
UK work visa
Required if the planned activity falls outside permitted visitor rules.
Irish citizenship allows individuals to live and work in Ireland without immigration restrictions and to apply for an Irish passport. Applications are assessed by the Department of Justice under Irish nationality law and may be available through different pathways depending on individual circumstances.
Learn more about Irish citizenship and how the application system works:
How Future Direct helps?
We work with HR teams to identify the correct immigration route and coordinate the process before employees travel.
Visa and ETA Assessment
We assess whether employees may require a UK visa or ETA before travelling and identify whether planned activities fall within UK business visitor rules.
Documentation Coordination
We coordinate the preparation of documentation required for visa or ETA applications and help avoid travel under the wrong immigration category.
Sponsor Licence Support
For Irish companies expanding to the UK, we coordinate the sponsor licence process and support skilled worker visa sponsorship applications.
Specialist Legal Advice
Where specialist advice is required, we facilitate access through our approved UK immigration law partner — an award-recognised, SRA-regulated firm.
Immigration application procedures can be challenging and time-consuming. Future Direct is here to take stress out for you and deliver results in a professional and timely manner.
Sectors with UK mobility needs
We regularly support Irish companies across industries that require employees to travel to the UK.
Immigration application procedures can be challenging and time-consuming. Future Direct is here to take stress out for you and deliver results in a professional and timely manner.
Engineering & manufacturing
Construction and Infrastructure
Technology
Professional services
Start-ups and scale-ups
Construction and Infrastructure
Technology
Engineering and Manufacturing
Technology
Professional Services
Start-ups and Scale-ups
Construction and Infrastructure
Engineering and Manufacturing
Professional Services
Energy equipment and services
Technology
Start-ups and Scale-ups
Engineering and Manufacturing
Professional Services
Start-ups and Scale-ups
Construction and Infrastructure
Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Irish HR and global mobility teams about sending employees to the UK.
Possibly. While Irish and British citizens can travel freely, many foreign employees working in Ireland may require immigration permission to enter the UK. Depending on nationality, employees may require either a UK business visitor visa or a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation before travelling.
The UK ETA is a digital travel permission required for certain nationalities travelling to the UK without a visa. It must normally be obtained before travel and is electronically linked to the traveller's passport. It allows short visits for permitted activities such as tourism or business meetings, but does not allow visitors to undertake work in the UK.
If an employee will be undertaking work in the UK, delivering services for a UK company, or spending extended periods working in the UK, a work visa may be required. In many cases this will also require the UK business to hold a sponsor licence. Specialist immigration advice is often needed to determine the correct route.
Yes. In most cases a UK business must hold a sponsor licence if it wishes to employ non-UK nationals in the UK. This includes sponsoring skilled worker visas or transferring employees from overseas offices.
UK legal advice provided by ILEX Law Group
An SRA regulated law firm (SRA No: 8010500). Where specialist UK immigration advice is required, Future Direct coordinates directly with ILEX Law Group on your behalf.
Ready to discuss your UK mobility requirements?
Call us at +353 (01) 513 4085 or fill out this form, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.