Light At the End of the Tunnel : A Story of Hope and Inspiration

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I would like to share an inspirational story that has further compounded my belief, that indeed, where there is a will there is a way, no matter how impossible things may look.  It was with great honour that I was given permission by my client to share this story as I thought it would be encouraging to many of us.

Initial contact
I first came to know of Om’s story when her husband’s cousin, who was tirelessly seeking for a way to assist Om in returning to England, contacted me for legal advice.

The following is the inspirational story of Om, an amazing lady, who faced immigration challenges as a result of many personal misfortunes beyond her control.

Origins

Om is a Thai national who married a British National, with whom she lived in the UK for 4 years. During this time Om and her husband were blessed with a son, also a British National, and Om was granted Indefinite Leave to stay in the UK. Continue Reading →

MM & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department(2013) decision?- the Waiting Continues!

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So, most of you would have heard about the Court of Appeal hearing (MM & Ors v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2013)) which is challenging the Income Threshold requirements for the family visas. For those who haven’t, please see my previous posts here and here .

Lots of people celebrated the high court’s recommendations that, among other things, the Income Threshold should be reduced to around £13,000, that third party sponsorship should be allowed, and that special consideration should be taken for certain groups who could not relocate and exercise right to family in another country; e.g.. refugees. Continue Reading →

UK Visa Ban -General Grounds for Refusal: False Documents and Non-Disclosure of Material Information

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I have had several enquiries with regard to  the issue of what is called the “General Grounds for Refusal” or “ban” under part 9 of the Immigration Rules, particularly regarding the submission of incorrect documentation and non-disclosure of relevant information in visa applications. 

Needless to say, when making any visa application, your aim should always be to answer the relevant questions in both an accurate and truthful manner. However, given the ever growing complexities of visa applications and the constant changes they undergo, the number of applicants having their applications refused are ever increasing. Messing things up could result in devastating consequences indeed. Continue Reading →

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10 Common Mistakes You Should Avoid When Applying For Your UK Visa

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For many, a key step in deciding to visit or move to the UK is to obtain a visa. Unfortunately however, people frequently fail in this quest. Being a knowledgeable and experienced UK immigration solicitor, I have good knowledge of the most common errors that many people make when filing their visa application with the UK immigration authority (UKBA), especially when they decide not to choose reliable assistance (which includes suitability qualified Immigration Lawyers in the UK, or a specialist Human Rights Solicitors). Continue Reading →

EU Family Surinder Singh Route: The Government Narrowing the Options?

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Most of you will have seen my previous post-EU Family Route: what is the Surinder Singh Route (see post here...). Some time has lapsed since then and I apologise for the delay in writing the second part of the post, which I hope to tackle here. For obvious reasons, this route has grown in popularity and as one can imagine, the Government does not like it.

The Current Position:

In a nutshell, this route currently allows UK citizens to LEGALLY circumvent the UK Immigration rules on spouse and family members from non-EU countries. The UK citizen may purposefully travel to another EU country, work for a few weeks and then return to the UK with his or her non-EU spouse. This route has become increasingly popular as one can avoid the stringent requirements of the spouse visa including the income threshold, which is out of the reach of many ordinary citizens. It also avoids the cost of the application, as this route is free, and the time granted under the EU laws on entry is normally longer; a 5-year residence card as opposed to the 2 and a half years on a spouse visa.

Continue Reading →