News
Feb 19, 2024 - The statement of changes in immigration rules presented to parliament on 19 February 2024 (HC 556)
The changes being made primarily concern changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, Ukraine Extension Scheme and to provisions for care workers and senior care workers on the Skilled Worker visa route.
The changes will be implemented on various dates from 19 February 2024.
Changes to the Ukraine visa schemes
- Closing the Ukraine Family Scheme
The Government has decided to close the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) to new applications with immediate effect to rationalise the offers for Ukrainians coming to the UK and improve the sustainability of the schemes pro...
Feb 18, 2024 - Ukraine visa schemes to be extended by 18 months
Ukrainians who came to the UK following the Russian invasion will be able to apply for 18-month extensions to their visas, the government has announced.
Since the invasion, the second anniversary of which is next week, some 200,200 Ukrainians and family members have come to the UK.
New arrivals were granted three years to remain, meaning the first visas were due to expire in March 2025.
It means those on the earliest visas can stay until at least September 2026.
The government said it would provide people with "certainty and stability".
The extension will apply to all three visa schemes set up...
Feb 15, 2024 - Home Secretary confirms “pause” on processing asylum claims
Having presumably learned from their much criticised mishandling of certain trafficking cases, the government published a statement yesterday stating that they have paused consideration of asylum claims from a certain group. Those affected are people who arrived on or after 1 January 2022 and who received a notice of intent before 29 June 2023 which said that they may be removed to Rwanda. The government statement says:
On 15 November 2023, the Supreme Court found that removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda was, based on the evidence reviewed at that time, unlawful. However, the Court recognised ...
Feb 08, 2024 - UK extends tariff-free trade with Ukraine until 2029
UK to support Ukrainian businesses by extending tariff-free trade until 2029.
- UK and Ukraine extend tariff-free trade on majority of goods for an additional five years.
- Move designed to help Ukrainian businesses impacted by the war and is the most generous tariff break offered by any country.
- UK Trade Minister Greg Hands and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to sign extension in a virtual ceremony today.
Most UK-Ukraine trade will remain tariff-free until at least 2029, thanks to an extension agreed today to support Ukraine’s long-term economic recovery from...
Feb 01, 2024 - Court of Appeal rejects Home Office attempt to exclude person on “public policy grounds”
The Court of Appeal has rejected the Home Office’s appeal in a case involving denial of entry to the UK to the family member of an EEA national on “public policy grounds”, where the person had a low risk of re-offending. The case is Secretary of State for the Home Department v Okafor [2024] EWCA Civ 23.
Background
Mr Okafor married a Swedish national in October 2019. She held indefinite leave to remain. On 30 July 2020 Mr Okafor was granted entry clearance under the EU Settlement Scheme and he arrived in the UK with an EUSS family permit in September 2020.
He was refused admission on public po...
Jan 31, 2024 - New international arrangements expand opportunities for the Youth Mobility Visa Scheme
The UK’s Youth Mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea have been expanded, while new schemes with Uruguay and Andorra come into effect.
Young Brits will have more opportunities to live, work and study abroad, as changes to the UK’s international arrangements with 6 countries come into effect today (31 January).
Enhancements to the UK government’s successful existing Youth Mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea have come into force, including expanding the age range so more young people can qualify and gain vital life experience overseas.
New sche...
Jan 31, 2024 - Important change to the company sponsor licence renewal process from 6 April 2024
From the 6th of April 2024, sponsors will no longer be required to renew their sponsor licences.
Currently, licences must be renewed (and fees paid) every 4 years. If a licence was not renewed, the sponsor will not be able to employ any sponsored employees, and existing sponsored employees would have their visas cut short to 60 days.
The renewal process is not particularly onerous, and it involves a Level 1 user logging into the system, making the renewal application and paying the renewal fee. This is currently £536 for small or charitable organisations, and £1,476 for medium or large ...
Jan 30, 2024 - Dates confirmed for changes to income thresholds for family and skilled worker visas
A ministerial statement made today has confirmed that there are two statements of changes coming in the next couple of months. The first will remove the ability of care workers to bring dependants, and the second will include the increase to the minimum income requirement for families, among other changes.
19 February statement of changes
The 19 February statement of changes will remove the rights of care workers and senior care workers to bring dependants. This will come into force on 11 March 2024. The other change made at this stage is that care providers in England will only be able to spo...
Jan 29, 2024 - An application for permission to appeal to the Supreme Court is not a barrier to deportation from the UK
In Geddes v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 66 (Admin) the High Court has said that a pending application to the Supreme Court does not act as an barrier to deportation on the basis that the appeal has not yet been finally determined.
Background
In 2007, at the age of 17, the applicant was convicted of wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm and sentenced to six years in a young offenders institution. In 2014 the Home Secretary made a decision that his deportation was conducive to the public good under section 3(5)(a) of the Immigration Act 1971. He appealed...
Jan 25, 2024 - Changes to treatment of some late applications to the EU Settlement Scheme in new guidance
The Home Office has introduced some flexibility for some categories of people who are applying late to the EU Settlement Scheme, after the rules were severely tightened in August last year.
The new version 22 of the guidance for caseworkers on the EU Settlement Scheme applies to decisions made from 16 January 2024 and also makes some other changes.
Changes for those who hold permanent residence and are applying late
In the section “Examples of reasonable grounds” for making a late application, further explanation and two new examples have been given under “Circumstances which will not generall...
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