Immigration Legal Services
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Read articles from Immigration Legal Services including legislation updates, opinion pieces, application guides and more.
We specialise exclusively in immigration, asylum, human rights and nationality law.
Immigration Legal Services
1M ago
Lost Biometric Residence Permit
You’ve gone on holiday, had a great time and now it’s time to return to the UK. But you can’t find your residence permit – the biometric one – otherwise known as a BRP. You need this to get back into the UK because it shows you have permission to stay or Indefinite Leave to Remain. You go to the airport hoping that someone will take pity on you but that fails of course. So you panic - then report it as lost to the Home Office on their website here.
Replacement Biometric Residence Permit Visa
Next step is to apply for a ‘Replacement BRP ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
1M ago
Government Cuts Back On Routes To The UK For Ukrainians As The Ukraine Family Scheme Ceases
The Ukraine Family Scheme allows people already in the UK to bring Ukrainian family members here. We recently helped a Romanian national living in the UK to bring his Ukrainian wife and son to safety here.
On 18th February 2024, the Government made an announcement that this scheme would cease immediately. It claimed it was shutting the scheme down quickly to “prevent a rush of applications to pre-empt the changes to the rules which have, in part, been made to mitigate risks of misuse of ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
1M ago
New Scheme For 'Non-Visa Nationals'
The UK Government has introduced a new scheme for nationals of certain middle eastern countries. The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is broadly for visitors who do not need a visa for short stays to the UK, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling.
The scheme is open for nationals of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, who will now need an ETA to travel to the UK.
In general terms, a foreign national visiting the UK will have to obtain a visa beforehand. However some ‘non ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
1M ago
Following an update to UK Visitor Visa laws, we are often asked ‘Can I work while I am visiting the UK?’
Generally speaking overseas visitors cannot work in the UK whilst visiting.
Visitors cannot:
take up employment in the UK;
work for an organisation or business in the UK;
establish or run a business as a self-employed person;
undertake a work placement or internship;
directly sell to the public; or
provide goods and services
What Work Can Visitors Do?
There are some exceptions. These are called ‘Permitted Activities’. Visitors can:
attend interviews, meetings, conferenc ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
2M ago
Sponsor Licences Extended For Ten Years
From 6 April 2024, employers holding sponsor licences to employ migrant workers will no longer need to renew their licence every four years. Any sponsor licences dues to expire on or after 6 April 2024 will not need renewing. The licence will be automatically extended by ten years.
This is good news for employers. Sponsors currently have to renew their licence every four years and pay a renewal fee. It is easy to forget to do this and lose the licence, resulting in migrant workers losing their permission to work in the UK.
Remember Home Office ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
2M ago
An Extra Hurdle For EU Citizens Applying For EU Settled Status In The UK After Brexit
Brexit happened three years ago in December 2020. EU citizens and their family members living in the UK before Brexit had to apply to confirm their status in the UK by 30 June 2021. At first the Home Office were fairly laid-back about late applicants but no more. Since last August, those who apply late for EU Settled Status must show they have ‘reasonable grounds’ for missing the 2021 deadline.
One of the reasons for this clampdown is that, when someone applies for status under EU scheme, they ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
5M ago
The Global Mobility Business Expansion Worker Route
The Business Expansion visa allows established overseas businesses to send senior managers and specialist employees to the UK to set up a branch or subsidiary company there. The visa only lasts one year but can be extended for up to two years. After that, the UK company should have established a trading presence and can further employ the manager or specialist on the Skilled Worker route. The Expansion Worker visa itself is not a route to permanent residence in the UK.
Global Mobility Sponsorship Licence
First of all the UK company ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
5M ago
Care Workers From Overseas Are a Target for Abusers and Exploiters
When Brexit happened, many care workers from the EU left the UK. The care sector was already short of workers, and Brexit made this worse. In 2021/2022, there were 164,000 social care vacancies in England. Low pay and a high staff turnover are key characteristics of this sector. In response to the worsening shortages, in February 2022, the UK government placed care work on the shortage occupation list. This move allowed employers to bring workers from overseas to fill vacancies.
Since then, 70,000 people have entered the UK to ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
6M ago
For Those Who Cannot Afford Immigration Fees
The Home Office charges application fees, increasing these fees from time to time. The Immigration Health Surcharge will increase by 66% in November. It is clear that more people will find it difficult to fund their immigration applications. If you are applying for permission to stay in the UK, you can apply for a ‘fee waiver’. If you are successful, you will not have to pay the application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.
You must get a decision on your fee waiver before you apply to extend your current leave – or permission to be in ..read more
Immigration Legal Services
7M ago
The 'No Recourse to Public Funds' Rules
If you have ‘limited leave to enter' or 'limited leave to remain in the UK', you may see this on your residence card: ‘no public funds’. This means you cannot claim welfare benefits or access certain public services. If you do, you are committing a criminal offence, which will not help you in any future immigration applications.
The ‘no public funds’ applies whether you are here on human rights grounds or a route specified in the UK’s Immigration Rules. You cannot access public funds until you are granted Indefinite Leave to ..read more