On 4 December 2023, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, announced a series of measures aimed at reducing migration, including a significant increase to the minimum income level which a couple need to have available to them. Under current rules, applicants for a visa as the partner of a British citizen need to show that the couple have a minimum income of £18,600 (more if there will be children applying for visas at the same time). That "minimum income requirement" was introduced in 2012 and set at a level at which it was calculated that the couple would not have any recourse to public funds ..read more

Updates to Sponsor Management System required by all sponsors A recent message posted by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) to the Sponsorship Management System (SMS) message board - which all holders of Student and Worker sponsor licences will see each time they login to the SMS - requires all sponsors to make two updates to the system. The first is to ensure that the National Insurance numbers of the Authorising Officer and Key Contact named on their licence are added to the system. Where those details are not already on the SMS then the sponsor is required to add them. If an Authoring Offic ..read more

On 13 July 2023, the Government announced plans to significantly increase the fees associated with UK immigration applications. Billed as being implemented to support public sector pay rises, the fees will significantly increase the costs for migrant workers, their families and sponsoring employers by increasing the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) payable by all visa applicants, as well as the application fees for work, visit and study visas. Specifically, the Government plans to: Increase the IHS from its current annual cost of £624 to £1,035 for adults while increasing the fee for child ..read more

The digital technology sector is thriving in the UK, but businesses are struggling to recruit talent from within the UK and so frequently have to look further afield. The Global Talent visa route can play an important role in securing key talent from overseas.  The visa was initially introduced in February 2020. It is designed to attract talented and promising skilled workers to the UK in the fields of academia or research, arts and culture, and digital technology. The visa has proven popular in particular with digital technology workers and businesses, with over 4,000 visa applications ..read more

The Home Office's temporary concession allowing employers to conduct right to work checks using scanned or copy documents came to an end on 30 September 2022. University HR teams will no doubt be aware of the 'temporary adjustments' to the rules on conducting right to work checks that were introduced in March 2020 as part of the Home Office's response to Coronavirus (Covid-19). The concession was due to end on 6 April 2022, but this was postponed to 30 September 2022 following the Government’s announcement that employers could use identification document validation technology (IDVT) to conduc ..read more

The Home Office's temporary concession allowing employers to conduct right to work checks using scanned or copy documents came to an end on 30 September 2022. Temporary adjustments for employers conducting right to work checks were introduced in March 2020, as part of the Home Office's plans to address changes to working patterns as a result of Coronavirus (Covid-19). The concession was due to end on 6 April 2022, but this was postponed to 30 September 2022 following the government’s announcement that employers could use identification document validation technology (IDVT) to conduct right to ..read more

Whilst there has been no official announcement on the Immigration Rules being amended, police forces around the country have been telling migrants that they are no longer required to register or update them when their circumstances change. What Is (or Was) the 'Police Registration' Requirement? The Immigration Rules include provisions which allow the Home Office to make certain foreign nationals subject to a condition requiring them to register with the police following their arrival in the UK. Registration is to be completed within seven days of the individual's arrival in the UK (if the indi ..read more

Further guidance on conducting Right to Work checks has been published which employers will need to familiarise themselves with if they are to remain compliant. Following the publication of the Home Office's draft Code of Practice on Preventing Illegal Working earlier this month, setting out the documents employers can accept when conducting Right to Work checks after 30 June 2021, the Home Office have now published further updates. These affect the position of EEA national employees after that date, and clarify the date on which employers are required to resume in-person checks. COVID-19 Rig ..read more

On 30 March 2020, the Government introduced temporary changes to the way in which employers can carry out right to work checks. However, it has now been announced that those temporary arrangements will end on 16 May 2021. Update (18 June 2021) - On 18 June 2021, the Government announced that these changes have now been pushed back to 1 September 2021. Under the temporary measures - which were put in place to assist employers unable to meet with employees and prospective employees in person due to the pandemic - employers are permitted to: carry out right to work checks over video calls accep ..read more

The Government has published new 'right to work' checks which sets out changes to the way in which employers must check the immigration status of biometric card holders from 6 April 2022. Currently, foreign nationals who hold biometric cards can choose to demonstrate their right to work in the UK either by showing an employer their physical card, or sharing their status via the Home Office's online service. This flexibility means that employers and workers can choose between the relative simplicity of producing and checking a physical document in each other's presence, and sharing immigration ..read more