A study by the international firm examines how UK firms are - or are not - planning to deal with the immigration consequences of Brexit.

Immigration and access to talent is a major issue confronting businesses as they prepare for the UK's departure from the European Union, according to a survey of firms by Fragomen Worldwide, the law firm specialising in areas such as immigration advice. It found that only 26 firms have an immigration plan in place to deal with Britain's exit from the bloc.

Fragomen's Immigration Benchmarking Report, drawing on 140 responses from firms in 20 sectors, found that 55 per cent of respondents said immigration/talent access was a "major consideration"; 39 per cent said it was a consideration but less pressing than other aspects of Brexit, and 6 per cent said they were not concerned.

Almost 48 per cent of the firms said recruitment of EU nationals was very important for their UK businesses, the report continued.

Perhaps startlingly, 83 per cent of firms said they had not planned for Brexit's immigration consequences before the actual vote and 74 per cent said they do not have an immigration plan in place.

The report also went into details about companies' awareness of different residence and immigration issues for EU nationals, how best to source EU-based staff, and the other challenges of working in an environment changed by Brexit.

Fragomen has in the past spoken at events organised by the publisher of this news service on issues affecting high net worth migrants, such as citizenship-by-investment programmes.