Associate – Immigration (NQ – 2PQE)

Stevens-; Guildford; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension Scheme (5% employer contrib)

Discretionary profit share

Private medical insurance

Permanent health insurance

Life assurance

Cycle to work scheme

Discounted gym memberships

Job summary

Stevens & Bolton is seeking a technically capable junior Associate to join our immigration team in Guildford. Working with experienced lawyers, you will advise businesses and individuals on UK immigration matters, with a focus on business immigration, sponsorship and right to work compliance, while developing client relationships under supervision.

You will assist with sponsor licences, compliance audits and personal applications, gain exposure to a range of national and international work, and

Qualifications

• Qualified, or due to qualify shortly, as a solicitor in England and Wales.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly with business and individual clients.
• Attention to detail and readiness to learn in a rapidly changing immigration law landscape.

Responsibilities

• Assisting with and progressively managing business immigration applications, including Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility routes.
• Advising on sponsor licence applications and sponsor compliance.
• Advising on right to work checks and prevention of illegal working requirements.
• Assisting with sponsor compliance audits and preparing audit reports and recommendations.
• Assisting with a range of other applications including for partners, dependants, students, graduates, visitors, UK Ancestry and settlement or citizenship.
• Liaising with clients, HR teams and Home Office.
• Conducting legal research and monitoring immigration law and policy developments.
• Updating precedents and knowledge management.
• Helping to prepare client training, briefings and webinars.
• Supporting business development, including responding to enquiries and attending events.

Skills

Strong interpersonal skills

Clear communication

Attention to detail

Team player

Willingness to learn

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales

Job description

We are seeking a technically capable and enthusiastic junior Associate to join our highly regarded immigration team. Working closely with experienced lawyers, you will advise businesses and individuals on a broad range of UK immigration matters, with a particular focus on business immigration, sponsorship and right to work compliance.

The role will include supporting corporate immigration applications, sponsor licence and compliance work, right to work advice and audits, as well as personal immigration applications. You will receive close supervision and regular feedback, with opportunities to develop direct client relationships and take on increasing responsibility as your experience grows.

The team does not advise on asylum, refugee or human rights claims.

The Team

Our top-ranked immigration team offers quality and strength in depth unusual outside the City. Immigration forms part of our wider, growing Employment, Pensions and Immigration team. We are committed to an active and intelligent growth strategy, for the team and the whole firm.

The immigration team currently consists of a partner, two other senior lawyers and a trainee. The work of the team is high-quality and diverse.

The team is supported by the full range of specialists, including tax, private client, employment, pensions, real estate, commercial and corporate. A large proportion of our clients are multinational, based overseas or have international business interests, and we frequently work with overseas law firms, including the major jurisdictions in Europe and the US.

The firm’s clients include household name FTSE 100 PLCs and other major national and international groups, mid-tier businesses (quoted, private equity and privately owned), management teams in private equity backed businesses, and start-up companies, as well as individuals. Examples of clients that you may experience working with include Rock Rail, Asahi, RBB Economics, Accord, Papa Johns, and ScaleAI.

Key Responsibilities

• Assisting with and progressively managing business immigration applications, including under the Skilled Worker and Global Business Mobility: Senior/Specialist Worker routes
• Advising on sponsor licence applications and sponsor compliance
• Advising on right to work checks and prevention of illegal working requirements
• Assisting with sponsor compliance audits and preparing audit reports and recommendationsAssisting with a range of other applications, including for partners, dependants, students, graduates, visitors, UK Ancestry and settlement or citizenship
• Preparing advice notes, reviewing application forms, drafting representations
• Liaising with clients, including HR teams and individuals
• Liaising with the Home Office
• Conducting legal research and monitoring immigration law and policy developments
• Updating precedents and collating know how
• Helping to prepare and deliver client training, briefings and webinars
• Supporting business development, including in relation to responding to enquiries, drafting articles and updates, delivering training, taking part in pitches and attending events

Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications and Experience Required

• Qualified, or due to qualify shortly, as a solicitor in England and Wales
• Previous relevant immigration experience, ideally with a focus on business immigration and sponsorship
• A genuine interest in immigration law
• Strong technical ability, and attention to detail (appropriate to your level of experience)
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate clearly, confidently and sensitively to both business and individual clients
• Enthusiastic to learn and keep on top of a rapidly changing area of law and to embrace the use of AI
• Willingness to assist with updating precedents and knowledge management
• Highly motivated, responsive and reliable
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Able to manage a varied workload with a number of ongoing matters at any time and to prioritise work as needed
• Dedicated to delivering client service to the highest standards and the skill to effectively manage and nurture client relationships
• An interest in, and keenness to develop skills in, business development
• Strong academics

The Opportunity

• Pension Scheme (5% employer contribution)
• Discretionary profit share and performance related bonus scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Permanent health insurance
• Life assurance
• Contribution to travel costs or reimbursement of car parking costs, and option to apply for an interest free loan for a season ticket
• Enhanced maternity/paternity pay (after sufficient service)
• Cash plan benefit enabling you to claim for everyday medical costs up to a maximum limit
• Critical illness insurance
• Cycle to work schemes
• Give as you earn
• Discounted gym memberships and shopping

The Firm

Stevens & Bolton – making a positive difference to your career

You’ll work with people who listen, and who actively and willingly support one another within a collaborative and engaging environment. We genuinely care about our people and strive to build and maintain a diverse, inclusive and happy workforce.

We are recognised as a top firm in The Times Best Law Firms 2025, shortlisted for “Law Firm of the Year: The Independents” at The Lawyer Awards 2025 and shortlisted for “Regional/Offshore Team of the Year” at the Legal Business Awards 2025. The Firm was recently named “Law firm of the year” at the 2025 Legal Cheek Awards, was shortlisted for “ESG Initiative of the Year” at the Women, Influence & Power in Law UK 2024 Awards and shortlisted for “UK Law Firm of the Year - Small/Mid-Sized Firm” at the British Legal Awards 2023. Our refurbished office has been awarded a RICS SKA silver certificate and a 2-star Fitwel accreditation.

We’ve made excellence the hallmark of our firm: in the clear advice we give, in the enduring client relationships we build and in our proactive and highly responsive service. We seek to recruit people who will help us maintain and build on this, and in return we offer excellent long-term career and development opportunities.

Diversity & Inclusion

We have a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I). This drives a strategy which focuses on constant promotion of an inclusive culture that encourages everyone to realise their full potential and be themselves at work. In 2020 we were shortlisted for “Best D&I Initiative” at The HR Awards and for “Best Talent and Inclusion Initiative” at The Lawyer Awards.