What is the Biometric Residence Permit?

The Biometric Residence Permit is a form of proof of the holder’s right to stay, work or study within the UK and helps identify the immigration status and entitlements of card holders. Biometrics are a set of physical characteristics which can only identify you. It does not need to be carried at all times but is required alongside the passport when entering and leaving the UK. It is valid for the same duration as the visa, with a maximum of 10 years and is available upon collection within 30 days of being issued from within the UK. Continue Reading →

Section 65 of the new Immigration Act 2014 concerns children of British Citizen fathers, born before 1 July 2006, whose parents were or are not married. As of the 6^th April 2015 onwards, a child born before the 1^st of July 2006 to an unmarried father who was a British citizen at the time of the child’s birth will be able to apply for British citizenship.

Historical Background

Human Rights Solicitors observed the previous treatment towards illegitimate children born to British fathers before the 1^st of July 2006 as contravening the Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human Rights. Immigration Lawyers UK regarded this as a human rights issue affecting both the rights of children born out of wedlock before the 1^st July 2006 and unmarried British fathers (gender discrimination). Continue Reading →

UK residents will be going to the polls tomorrow (7th of May 2015) for the General Election and of course one of the hot topics as in many EU countries at the moment is immigration. Immigration policy is of course one of the hot topics in the upcoming General Election being held on 7 May 2015. Many voters worry about immigration in the UK, which has led the political parties to include detailed immigration policies within their respective manifestos.

As a UK Immigration and Human Rights lawyer, I thought it would be a good opportunity to look at an overview of the immigration policies of the Lib Dems, Labour, SNP, Green Party, Conservatives and Ukip – and hopefully dividing them into ‘the good’, ‘the bad’ and ‘the ugly’ to summaries the main policies, it may help you to make up your mind if immigration is a pivotal concern for you. Continue Reading →

Immigration Health Surcharge

The Immigration Health Surcharge is one of the key reforms within the Immigration Act 2014 which both Human Rights Solicitors and migrants must get to grips with. In addition to a new higher fee that has just kicked in, an additional NHS Immigration Health Surcharge is payable as of the 6^th April 2015 by all non-EEA migrants coming to the UK for more than six months.

The UK Government has stated that the purpose of this surcharge is to ensure that non-EEA migrants contribute to the cost of the NHS. However, given the timing it could perhaps appear as an election stunt as some of the best immigration lawyers in the UK observe – the policy began a week after Parliament is expected to dissolve and during a national election campaign… Continue Reading →