In an industry built on reliability and timing, a dependable workforce remains one of the most critical assets.
For many logistics and warehousing businesses, labour shortages have become a persistent challenge. From transport and fulfilment to warehouse coordination, the ability to recruit and retain people continues to shape performance and long-term planning.
Post-Brexit, the shift in available labour has disrupted traditional recruitment routes. In response, many businesses are exploring alternative approaches – including how immigration can help ease pressure and support growth.
Handled strategically, immigration can address skill shortages, provide workforce resilience, and offer a route to bring in capability not available locally. At Howes Percival, we regularly advise logistics and warehousing businesses on how immigration can support workforce planning.
A sector under strain
The logistics and warehousing sector has long experienced recruitment difficulties. While automation has helped in some areas, much of the industry remains reliant on an on-site, adaptable workforce. Businesses operating large fulfilment centres, last-mile delivery hubs or transport networks typically need a mix of permanent and temporary staff – many of whom are difficult to recruit or retain locally.
With growing demand across e-commerce, manufacturing and retail supply chains, workforce shortages increasingly affect performance. For many operators, the challenge isn’t just recruitment – it’s maintaining service levels under pressure.
Where sponsorship can add value
For businesses unable to recruit locally, the skilled worker route remains the primary visa option. While not all roles in the sector qualify, several key positions do, including warehouse managers, supply chain managers, transport managers, logistics planners and transport and distribution clerks.
To be eligible, roles must meet minimum skill and salary thresholds under current Home Office rules. Following changes in April 2024, most roles now require a salary of £38,700 or the ‘going rate’ – whichever is higher. Exceptions apply in limited cases (e.g. new entrants or transitional provisions), but salaries must generally reflect the increased thresholds.
This has raised the bar for businesses considering sponsorship, particularly for mid-level or supervisory roles. However, for clearly defined, skilled vacancies, sponsorship remains a viable and valuable tool.
We’ve worked with logistics providers who, after months of struggling to fill mid-level planning roles locally, turned to overseas recruitment and saw improved retention and reduced delays.
One of the most common issues businesses face is timing. Sponsor licence applications take several weeks, and visa processing adds time. For businesses with seasonal peaks, contract start dates, or project-driven recruitment, delays can disrupt onboarding.
Building sponsor licence readiness into workforce planning allows businesses to move quickly when the right candidate appears. Even where sponsorship is used occasionally, being prepared offers agility.
Sponsoring overseas workers involves fees – from visa and licence applications to the Immigration Skills Charge – and recent rule changes mean some of these can no longer be passed to the employee. Still, when used strategically, sponsorship offers more than a short-term fix. It enables employers to reduce churn, maintain continuity and secure skills hard to find locally.
For employers choosing to cover costs beyond what’s required (such as visa or Immigration Health Surcharge fees), it’s not uncommon to implement repayment provisions. Structured in line with sponsorship rules, this can help manage early departure risk.
Compliance in a high-volume environment
Even for businesses not sponsoring, immigration compliance remains essential. Right to work checks must be completed for every employee, and penalties for non-compliance have increased – with fines now reaching up to £60,000 per breach.
Logistics businesses often manage high volumes of temporary or agency staff, sometimes across multiple sites. In such environments, inconsistent onboarding or poor record-keeping can expose the business to risk.
For sponsors, fulfilling ongoing duties is critical – particularly where multiple departments are involved in recruitment. Regular internal audits and clear accountability can help mitigate risk.
While the skilled worker route remains central, it is not the only option. Depending on needs, there may be opportunities to hire through other routes:
- The graduate visa allows UK university leavers to work for two years (three for PhD graduates) without sponsorship – useful for entry-level hiring, especially from logistics or supply chain programmes.
- The global business mobility route may assist international firms looking to second employees to a UK branch or launch a new operation.
- The scale-up visa may suit rapidly growing logistics or tech-enabled fulfilment businesses needing skilled hires with fewer long-term obligations.
These routes carry their own criteria, but businesses planning ahead may benefit from understanding the wider landscape.
Joined-up thinking
Immigration is rarely the only legal consideration. Workforce strategy often intersects with employment law, agency relationships, and regulatory obligations – particularly in logistics and warehousing, where operations are fast-paced, and people are central to delivery.
Taking a joined-up approach helps ensure immigration aligns with other areas of legal risk and strategy – especially where multiple routes to hiring exist in parallel.
Labour market pressures are likely to persist. While immigration won’t resolve every challenge, it remains a valuable tool when aligned with broader planning.
For organisations that engage early (whether to sponsor overseas talent or strengthen compliance) immigration can offer agility and access to skills not available locally.
It may not be the first lever a business pulls, but having it ready and knowing when to use it, can create meaningful advantage in the race for talent.
If you’d like to explore any of the themes raised in this article, feel free to get in touch with the team.
Contact Bilal Ehsan at bilal.ehsan@howespercival.com or Immigration Adviser Bineeta Joshi at bineeta.joshi@howespercival.com
Find out more about Howes Percival via their website.
Immigration Soliciter
Howes Percival
