The UK government will from 31 January 2024 ease current visitor visa legislation to allow remote working. According to global immigration law firm Fragomen, this regulation recognises changing working patterns and will open the door to ‘work-cations’.
UK legislation has not previously made any reference to remote working, however guidance notes that those visiting the UK can, sensibly, respond to work emails, participate in remote meetings and calls. Guidance to immigration officials has been to “check that the applicant’s main purpose for coming to the UK is to undertake a permitted activity, rather than specifically to work remotely from the UK.”
From 31 January 2024, updated legislation will specifically allow visitors to “undertake activities relating to their employment overseas remotely from within the UK, providing this is not the primary purpose of their visit.”
“This is a significant relaxation of the visitor visa rules and will allow an individual to, for example, tag on to a holiday a one- or two-week work window without having to obtain a work visa,” says Charlotte Wills, a Partner at Fragomen. “It recognises that since the Covid pandemic working patterns have changed with many overseas visitors to the UK wishing to combine vacation with work. It is also perhaps recognition that working from home patterns are here to stay.
“The rules will be welcomed by the many thousands of visitors to the UK each year including those from the EU, opening the door to remote working, albeit in a limited way. It will be interesting to see if other European countries follow suit with their own immigration frameworks.”
