Key Takeaways
- Lapsed renewals are the most common compliance finding in workforce audits.
- Role drift creates a mismatch between what's authorized and what's actually happening.
- Dependant status is often overlooked relative to the primary permit holder.
- A single consolidated register prevents records from scattering across HR files and inboxes.
- Compliance owned by "HR in theory" is often owned by no one in practice — name an owner.
Across the corporate compliance reviews and audits we conduct, a small number of gaps show up again and again. None of them are exotic — which is exactly why they're worth naming plainly.
Lapsed Renewals
The single most common finding. A permit that was compliant on issuance quietly becomes non-compliant because no one tracked the expiry date.
Role Drift
An employee's actual responsibilities change after the permit is issued, but the permit was never updated to reflect it — creating a mismatch between what's authorized and what's actually happening.
Incomplete Dependant Status
The primary permit holder is fully compliant, but a spouse or child's status was never formalized, or lapsed separately.
No Single Source of Truth
Permit records live scattered across HR files, individual employee folders and email threads, with no consolidated register anyone can check quickly.
No Named Owner
Compliance sits "with HR" in theory, but no specific person is accountable for tracking it in practice.
Each of these is straightforward to fix once identified — the risk comes from not looking until an external party looks first.
Take the Next Step
Not Sure Where Your Program Stands?
A structured compliance review gives you an accurate, independent picture of your workforce's status — before an external party finds the gaps first.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we run an internal compliance review?
We typically recommend at least an annual review, with an additional check whenever your foreign workforce changes significantly.
What's the first step if we suspect we have compliance gaps?
Start with a consolidated register of every foreign employee's current status — most gaps become visible as soon as records are brought together in one place.
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Speak with a senior advisor and get clarity on your next step.