New portal to replace ‘Universal Jobmatch’ site

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? The U.K. Department for Work and Pensions has announced that the ‘Universal Jobmatch’ recruitment site will soon be replaced by a new ‘Find a Job’ site.

What does the change mean? The Find a Job site will be launched on May 14 and the Jobmatch site will come offline June 17. Employers should be sure that they download and save any records that are currently saved on the Jobmatch site before the cutoff date.

• Implementation time frame: Between now and June 17.
• Visas/permits affected: Tier 2 (General).
• Who is affected: U.K. employers and job applicants who use the Universal Jobmatch site.
• Business impact: The change will require employers to take administrative steps to ensure their records are backed up, but authorities say that once the new site is up it will offer “a simpler and more streamlined way to log in and access” employer information.
• Next steps: Site users will be contacted in the coming weeks with additional information.

BAL Analysis: Employers are advised to save all material currently retained on the Universal Jobmatch site, including material related to job advertisements. These records form compliance evidence of having completed the Resident Labour Market Test, and archived advertisements will not be available beyond June 17. Retaining the documents is part of a sponsor’s record keeping obligations and their failure to accurately record and retain them can negatively affect the sponsor license.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in the United Kingdom. For additional information, please contact uk@bal.com.

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