Legislation – Immigration Act 2016
Changes to legislation:
Immigration Act 2016, Section 18 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 23 December 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to Section 18:
- s. 51(4A)(4B) inserted by 2025 c. 31 s. 44(16)
- s. 69(9)(d) and word inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 21(2)(b)
- Sch. 10 para. 3(2)(eza) inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(3)(a)
- Sch. 10 para. 3(3A)–(3C) inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(3)(b)
- Sch. 10 para. 3A and cross-heading inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(4)
- Sch. 10 para. 2(1)(ea)–(ec) inserted by 2025 c. 31 s. 46(4)
- specified provision(s) amendment to earlier commencing S.I. 2017/1241, Sch. by S.I. 2018/31 reg. 2
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 51(4A)(4B) inserted by 2025 c. 31 s. 44(16)
- s. 69(9)(d) and word inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 21(2)(b)
- Sch. 10 para. 3(2)(eza) inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(3)(a)
- Sch. 10 para. 3(3A)–(3C) inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(3)(b)
- Sch. 10 para. 3A and cross-heading inserted by 2023 c. 37 s. 13(4)
- Sch. 10 para. 2(1)(ea)–(ec) inserted by 2025 c. 31 s. 46(4)
PART 1Labour market and illegal working
CHAPTER 1Labour market
Labour market enforcement orders
18Power to make LME order on application
(1)
The appropriate court may, on an application by an enforcing authority under section 19, make a labour market enforcement order against a person if the court—
(a)
is satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has committed, or is committing, a trigger offence, and
(b)
considers that it is just and reasonable to make the order.
(2)
A labour market enforcement order (an “LME order”) is an order which—
(a)
prohibits or restricts the person against whom it is made (“the respondent”) from doing anything set out in the order;
(b)
requires the respondent to do anything set out in the order.
See section 21.
(3)
In this section “the appropriate court”—
(a)
where the conduct constituting the trigger offence took or is taking place primarily in England and Wales, means a magistrates’ court;
(b)
where that conduct took or is taking place primarily in Scotland, means the sheriff;
(c)
where that conduct took or is taking place primarily in Northern Ireland, means a court of summary jurisdiction.
(4)
An application for an LME order under this section is—
(a)
in England and Wales, to be made by complaint;
(b)
in Northern Ireland, to be made by complaint under Part 8 of the Magistrates’ Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/1675 (N.I. 26)).