Liability
We check whether the business is legally liable for the alleged breach and whether the Home Office has made a factual or procedural error.
This page is deliberately narrow. It is about the Home Office objection stage after a civil penalty notice has been issued. For the broader overview of the illegal working civil penalty scheme, see our civil penalty notice guide for employers. If your objection has already been refused, see our County Court appeal and judicial review page.
You have received a civil penalty notice from the Home Office for employing a person who it says did not have the right to work in the UK. The financial exposure can be severe. Since 13 February 2024, the maximum civil penalty has been up to £45,000 per worker for a first breach and up to £60,000 per worker for a repeat breach.
An objection is not a general complaint. It is a formal legal response that needs to address liability, statutory excuse, mitigation and evidence in a way the Home Office can apply under the current illegal working civil penalty framework.
When this service is the right fit
This page is for employers who are still within the objection stage. It may be right for you if:
- you have received a civil penalty notice and the 28 day objection deadline is running
- you believe the Home Office has identified the wrong employer or misunderstood the facts
- you carried out right to work checks and need to argue statutory excuse
- you accept there may be a problem but the penalty amount is too high
- your sponsor licence, recruitment systems or commercial reputation may be affected by the finding
What the objection needs to deal with
Statutory excuse
We review right to work checks, records, dates and follow up checks to assess whether a complete defence is available.
Penalty amount
Where cancellation is not realistic, we focus on mitigation, cooperation, reporting and compliance evidence to reduce the penalty.
How NA Law Solicitors prepares the objection
We review the penalty notice, referral history, employment records, right to work documents, Home Office correspondence and any sponsor licence implications. We then prepare a structured written objection supported by the evidence that matters most.
The submission is drafted to preserve the strongest available arguments. Where there is a realistic risk that the Home Office may maintain the penalty, we also consider how to protect the later appeal route to the County Court.
Fees
Stage 1 Home Office objection, including any second compliance visit: £8,500 plus VAT.
This covers the full objection process from initial assessment through to submission, evidence gathering, strategic drafting and handling further engagement with the Home Office under the same matter.
Send us your enquiry
Tell us what has happened and NA Law Solicitors will come back to you with the next step.
If you have a Home Office notice, DVSA letter or other document, mention it in the summary. We can request the document securely if needed.
By submitting the form, you agree that we may use your information to respond to your enquiry. See our privacy policy.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to object to a civil penalty?
You normally have 28 days from the date of the civil penalty notice to submit a written objection to the Home Office. The deadline should be treated as urgent.
Can the penalty be cancelled completely?
Yes. A penalty can be cancelled where the employer is not liable, where a statutory excuse is established, or where the Home Office accepts that the notice should not have been issued on the facts.
Is this page the same as the general civil penalty page?
No. This page is specifically for employers who have received a notice and need the Home Office objection prepared. The general civil penalty page explains the wider scheme and the available routes.
Need advice on this issue?
Send the short enquiry form on this page and we will come back to you with the next step.
Act before the objection deadline expires
If you have received a civil penalty notice, contact NA Law Solicitors urgently. We will review the notice, identify the available grounds and tell you whether an objection is commercially sensible.
NA Law Solicitors is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA No. 645049. This page is general information and is not legal advice.