A civil penalty for illegal working can cost your business up to £45,000 per worker.

A correctly conducted check establishes a statutory excuse against the penalty. If that excuse does not hold, liability can follow despite your good faith. ZH Law helps you challenge, reduce, or defend a civil penalty.

How much is a civil penalty for illegal working?

The Home Office can impose a penalty of up to £45,000 per worker for a first breach, and up to £60,000 per worker for a repeat breach. These are the starting maximums, and they can be reduced depending on your circumstances. The amounts are set per worker, so a single enforcement visit can produce a penalty running into six figures. From 1 October 2026, these rules extend beyond employees to agency, gig-economy and supply-chain workers.

Why this happens even to careful employers

The frustrating truth is that good intentions don’t create a defence. The right paperwork, done the right way, does.

How We Help

Consultation | £500 + VAT

Choose this service
Fill out a quick questionnaire
Pay fees
Send us your penalty notice and your right to work records
We review everything
Book your consultation (included in the fee)
We advise you on your grounds to challenge and the likely cost of taking it further
Best for: employers who've received a referral or penalty notice and need to know quickly where they stand

Civil Penalty Objection

Send us your penalty notice and right to work records
We assess your liability and give you a fixed quote before any fee is paid
We prepare and submit your objection, arguing for the penalty to be reduced or cancelled
We keep you updated through to the decision
From £1,500 onwards

County Court Appeal

Where your objection has been unsuccessful, send us the outcome and your file
We assess the case and give you a fixed quote
We prepare and represent your appeal to the County Court
We keep you updated through to the hearing and decision
From £4,000 onwards

We also handle right to work audits and statutory excuse reviews, illegal renting penalties, and mitigation representations. These are quoted after a short review.

Why ZH Law

Direct access to a barrister, regulated by the Bar Standards Board
27+ years of experience, 5,000+ clients supported, £1M+ in damages won
We handle both the immediate challenge and the compliance fixes that stop it happening again
Offices in Leicester and London

Client testimonials

We are committed to delivering clear, practical advice and robust representation, with a focus on achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients.

    
 
 
       Posted on Google  
   
   Ibrahim Yussif 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I am incredibly grateful to Mary Rizk and Mr Jafferji for their outstanding work on my unlawful detention claim.

From the very beginning, Mary provided unwavering support and guided me through an incredibly difficult time. Her legal expertise, dedication, and genuine compassion made all the difference.

Mr Jafferji fought tirelessly for my rights, handled every detail of my case with great care, and successfully secured the compensation I deserved. Together, Mary and Mr Jafferji worked tirelessly to ensure that my case was handled with professionalism, care, and the attention it deserved.

If you need legal professionals who genuinely care about their clients and will fight for you, I highly recommend Mr Jafferji and Mary. They are truly amazing at what they do!
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Harun Patel 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I am extremely grateful for the help and support I received from Mufadhar throughout my case . He is extremely professional, knowledgeable and supportive .He explained everything clearly, kept me informed and made me feel reassured and confident. I really appreciate their dedication, patience and attention to detail. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a professional, reliable and supportive barrister . Thank you for all your hard work and help.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Shakil Ahmad 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I would like to sincerely thank Mariya, Muhammad, Mufaddal and Mr Jafferji for their professional support and assistance with Abdul Ahad’s visit visa, Pre-Action Protocol and Judicial Review matters.

They were all very helpful, professional and responsive throughout the process. I particularly appreciated the time they took to explain the matters clearly and guide me through each stage.

I am very grateful for their hard work, dedication and support. I would highly recommend Mariya, Muhammad, Mufaddal and Mr Jafferji to anyone looking for professional and reliable immigration legal assistance.

Thank you once again for all your help and support.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Hema Tandel 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am very very thankful to Team CPC for all the hardwork they have done for my case. After very long and difficult time finally my EUSS appeal is allowed and me and my family are very happy with this result.

Special thank you to Mufaddal, Mariya and Zainul Jafferji for helping me so much in my appeal. They worked very hard on my case and checked all my documents and evidence properly. My case was not easy and there was many problems before regarding my marriage and evidence but they never give up and always helped me.

Mufaddal and Mariya was always helping me for documents and whatever was needed for my case. They worked very hard and always supported me when I was worried about my appeal. Mr Zainul Jafferji has very good knowledge and experience and he guided my case very well and presented everything properly for my appeal.

There was lot of work needed to prove my marriage is genuine and Team CPC did everything possible for my case. They was always patient with me and explained me whenever I did not understand something.

Finally my appeal is allowed and this means alot for me and my family. After waiting for so long now we can finally have hope to stay together and continue our married life.

I will definitely recommend Team CPC to anyone who need help in immigration matter. They work very hard for their clients and dont give up easily.

Thank you so much Mufaddal, Mariya, Mr Zainul Jafferji and whole Team CPC for all your hardwork and helping us get this result. Me and my family will always be thankful to you all.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Dharmesh Chhipka 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I am very happy my wife Hemaxiben EUSS appeal finally allowed. We wait for very long time for this and we was separate also for long time. It was very difficult time for us but now finally we got good news.

Thank you so much Team CPC and specially Mufaddal, Mariya and Mr Zainul Jafferji. They help us alot in our case and work very hard. Whenever they need documents they tell us and help us for everything. Our case had many problems but they did not give up.

Mufaddal and Mariya help us alot from starting and always support us. Mr Zainul Jafferji also work very hard for our appeal and because of his good knowledge and experience our case was presented very well.

Finally my wife appeal is allowed and we are very very happy. This is very big thing for me and my family after waiting so many years.

I recommend Team CPC for anyone having immigration problem. They are very helpful and work hard for there client.

Thank you Mufaddal, Mariya and Mr Zainul Jafferji for everything you did for us. We will always thankful to you.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Shailesh Rana 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great service - Simran was very helpful at answering queries.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Salim K 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We Used Mr. Jaffaji recently for some legal work and I'd recommend him to anyone. From the first conversation he was straight with me about what could and couldn't be done, Every time I got in touch I had a response back quickly, and he took the time to explain things properly.

His assistant Mufaddal deserves a mention too. He kept me updated at every stage, made the whole process a lot easier than I expected it to be.

The work was done exactly as I asked and delivered on time. Honestly couldn't have wished for a better firm to deal with, and I won't hesitate to go back to them next time I need something.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Jamila Johnson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I just want to say a big THANK YOU to Mr Zainul Jaffeji and his team for doing an exceptional job on fighting my husband's deportation, even going to the court of appeal on a very short notice. The fought against the first decision to deny my husband's stay to continue to pursue his case. Stay up late hours until a decision was made to inform me of the good news that his flight was cancelled. I want to say a special thank you to Nina, Mufaddal, Zain and Sheraaz for preparing paperwork and always keeping in touch to guide us and inform us of what is going on. These guys are extremely good at what they do. I will recommend them any day.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   amatullah jamaluddin 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I recently had my spouse visa renewal application, which was successful.
Simran went above and beyond in helping me with my visa extension application.
She was very helpful every step of the way and extremely prompt with her response. She was patient and thorough in attending to every minute detail. She was available to help even after my extension was granted.
  
 
      Posted on Google  
   
   Saifudeen moiz 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. ZH Law provided a highly professional and supportive immigration service, making what could have been a stressful process feel smooth and straightforward.

Special thanks to Mary Rizk for her excellent guidance, care, and reassurance throughout the entire process. She was also extremely helpful with the documentation, making the overall experience smooth and stress-free. Her support and guidance were greatly appreciated.

Highly recommended!

Ready to Talk?

Your situation matters.

Planning to hire from overseas, or worried your current licence isn’t compliant? Book a consultation and we’ll map out what your business needs.