News
05.06.2023 - Foreigners might have to wait longer to become British citizens
Foreigners might have to wait longer to become British citizens under plans to make the UK seem less of a 'soft touch' on immigration.
Home Office officials are currently considering bringing the UK closer into line with other countries by extending the criterion of 'continuous residence' from five years to eight years before they grant an indefinite leave to remain – the first step towards citizenship.
Other changes being considered include requiring applicants to have worked or been at school in the UK for two years; a strict threshold for criminality – such as demanding that an applicant mu...
25.05.2023 - Immigration up but not as much as expected
The latest quarterly immigration statistics of the United Kingdom were published today. Most of the media focus is on net migration and the Office of National Statistics ONS report. Net migration turned out to be around 600,000 rather than the 700,000 or more that some had predicted.
Here, though, we’re going to focus on just one part of the picture: the Home Office statistics on grants of visas and citizenship. These figures form only one part of the net migration equation (immigration minus emigration equals net migration). Even then, the visa figures are not synonymous with the immigration ...
23.05.2023 - Rule changes for international students and dependents to reduce net migration
In a written statement to parliament today, Suella Braverman announced that the government intends to tighten the rules for international students in an attempt to bring down net migration figures, which are due to be published this Thursday, 25 May. However, the changes will come into force in January 2024.
The government have also published a news story to confirm the plans announced in the written statement.
The government plans include:
- Removing the right for international students to bring dependants unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes....
The Home Office has announced recently that if a person was granted permission or UK visa after 16 May 2023, they will still be able to apply for a visa under the Ukraine Extension Scheme once the new rules are in force in August 2023.
The Home Office advises to wait until more information is available and it yet remains unclear what the new rules in this regard shall be.
Apart from the above, and subject to the British Parliament approval process, the Immigration Rules are also expected to change in July 2023 to extend the eligibility for the Ukraine Extension Scheme to include those who were...
16.05.2023 - The quota for the Seasonal Worker visa category announced for the next year
On 16 May 2023 the British Prime Minister announced a quota of 45,000 seasonal worker visas for 2024, “to give certainty to the horticulture sector next year, enabling them to plan ahead for the picking season”.
It is labelled as part of a larger package of support for British farmers. But as reported publicly, many of these migrant workers are accommodated in appalling conditions and exploited. A session of the House of Lords Horticulture Committee just last week heard extensive evidence of exploitation on the seasonal worker scheme.
In 2022 there were 38,000 visas available and a further 2,0...
15.05.2023 - Home Office U-turns on reporting hybrid working
The Home Office recently announced a new requirement for employers sponsoring overseas workers to report their usual working locations. They have now U-turned on that policy.
During the pandemic the Home Office advised that there was no obligation for sponsors to notify them if a sponsored worker was working from home. That exception was removed and the newly amended Part 3 of the Sponsor Guidance requires sponsors to make a report where a worker has moved, or will be moving to a hybrid working pattern as a more permanent working arrangements.
The update includes a definition of hybrid working...
11.05.2023 - Interest rates raised for 12th time in a row in the UK
The Bank of England has raised rates to their highest levels in almost 15 years.
The base rate has risen from 4.25% to 4.5% - the 12th successive raise in a row.
The Bank has been raising rates in an attempt to lower inflation - the rate at which prices are rising.
Rising interest rates mean monthly payments on some mortgages, loans and credit cards will go up - though some people will earn more money on their savings.
High inflation, largely driven by the soaring cost of energy, has pushed prices up leaving many people struggling with the cost of living.
05.05.2023 - New guidance for people unable to travel to enrol biometrics
The Home Office has now published caseworker guidance on requests from applicants not to attend Visa Application Centres overseas to submit their biometrics data, or alternatively to delay attending a centre, where it is not safe to do so.
Usually, an application for a UK visa will not begin to be processed until biometrics data is submitted, as this data is used to verify the claimed identity of the applicant and help conduct background checks on them. This is still predominantly done by attending a local Visa Application Centre, though for European nationals, it is now possible to complete t...
05.05.2023 - New Hong Kong British Nationals (overseas) visa concessions
As of last month, the Hong Kong British Nationals (overseas) (BN(O)) route includes two new visa concessions. Details can be found in the relevant Home Office guidance.
Please disregard the rules in respect to cases where financial or residency requirements cannot be met
The legacy concession enables the Home Office to grant 12 months leave outside the rules to applicants who apply from within the UK for the BN(O) visa, but who fail to meet a) the financial requirements and/or b) the ’ordinary residence’ requirement, at the time of the application. The current amendment grants an extension to ...
28.04.2023 - Court of Appeal re-affirms restrictive parameters of domestic violence provisions in immigration rules
The Court of Appeal has re-affirmed that the domestic violence provisions in the immigration rules are restricted to certain categories of partners and is not open to partners of Points Based System dependants, even if they have in fact suffered domestic abuse. The case is R (SWP) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 2067 (Admin).
This sad case concerned an Indian national who came to the UK as a dependant of her Tier 2 migrant husband. SWP had fled the family home with her son and sought refuge at an emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse. She had various qualific...
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