The New UK eVisa System: What Migrants Need to Know

The UK is transitioning to a fully digital immigration system, with the aim of phasing out physical documents by the end of 2024. This new system, known as the eVisa, will provide online evidence of immigration status, making the process simpler, safer, and more convenient for migrants. Here’s what you need to know about the new eVisa system.


What is an eVisa?

An eVisa is a digital document that contains your biometric and biographical information, immigration status, and any conditions of your stay in the UK. Unlike the traditional Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), which is a physical card, an eVisa is accessed online through the UK government’s website. This means you can view and prove your immigration status digitally from the moment your eVisa is issued, with the possibility of generating a share code to send to the employer or landlord required to check your visa status.

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2024 Election Manifestos On UK Family and General Migration

As the 4th of July 2024 UK General Election approaches, people are keen to know what changes to UK Immigration the parties will bring, especially to spouse/partner visa requirements, which impact families where one partner is from outside the UK. The minimum income requirement (MIR) for British citizens or residents to bring their non-British partner to the UK has recently been increased to £29,000, with the Conservative Party planning to raise it further to £38,700 by Spring 2025. This has implications for a significant number of British workers. Additionally, visa fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) have substantially increased.

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Savings and Income Calculator to Meet the New UK Spouse Visa Income Threshold

The UK government’s recent changes to the UK spouse visa financial requirements (effective April 11, 2024) have increased the minimum income threshold. This may now pose a significant hurdle for couples seeking to reunite in the UK by applying for a UK Spouse/Unmarried Partner Visa. However, combining income and savings might be a successful strategy for some whose income now falls short of the new minimum threshold. This article explores this option and gives you a simple free calculator from a UK immigration lawyer specialising in spouse visas. Please note that we recommend that you consult an immigration solicitor to check if you meet the requirements if you have any questions.

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New Financial Requirements and Transition Rules for UK Spouse and Partner Visas

The UK government has embarked on a significant policy shift by increasing the Minimum Income Requirement (MIR) for spouse visas under Appendix FM. The original threshold of £18,600 has been raised to £29,000, marking a substantial change to the immigration landscape. This adjustment is part of a broader strategy unveiled by the Prime Minister and the Home Secretary on the 4th of December 2023, aimed at reducing net migration and addressing immigration abuse.

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New Transnational Marriage Abandonment Law – UK Visa for Victims of Domestic Abuse Abroad

New Transnational Marriage Abandonment law January 2024

For some people, marriage also brings a new life in a new country. But tragically, not all marriages work out as expected. Transnational marriage abandonment (TMA), when a spouse is deliberately abandoned overseas by their British or settled partner, leaves victims stranded abroad. However, there is finally good news for survivors of TMA. Since the 31st of January 2024, victims of transnational marriage abandonment can apply for a visa to return to the UK. This follows the landmark case of R on the application of AM v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2022] EWHC 2591 (Admin).

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Dates for Rule Changes for Family and Work Visas Announced for March and April 2024

Following on from our recent article on the Immigration Health Surcharge Increase and the Change of Minimum Income for Family Visas, the government has recently set a timeline for further changes to the Immigration rules.

This is part of their 5-point plan to reduce immigration, which, unfortunately, is being touted as a benefit to win votes for the upcoming election. We wrote an article detailing the five changes when they were announced, but here is a quick recap:

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Government Revise and Clarify Change of Minimum Income Thresholds for Family Visas from £38,700 to £29,000 in Incremental Raise.

The UK government recently announced changes to the minimum income threshold required to sponsor a spouse/partner for a family migration visa. The government has now provided much-needed clarification on how the new rules will be implemented and announced that the rise will happen in stages, perhaps in response to an outcry in the media.

Minimum income threshold rise for spouse visas to be incremental.

According to the House of Commons Library, the minimum income currently required to sponsor someone for a spouse/partner visa will rise in stages from £18,600 to £29,000 in spring 2024 to around £34,500 at an unspecified time (likely later in 2024), and finally to around £38,700 in early 2025.

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Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2024

As yet another year is coming to a close, which once again seems to have happened ridiculously quickly, we at Cross Border Legal Solicitors would like to send our best wishes for the festive season to you and your families. We hope 2024 brings success and good fortune in all endeavours you pursue. It has been a pleasure getting to know and assisting all our clients and their families this year. 

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Salary Threshold to increase to £38,700 for Spouse and Work Visas

It hasn’t been long since the visa fees increased in many categories, and the IHS is also set to rise in January, but on the 4th of December 2023, the government announced a further raft of changes to the Immigration Laws. This is due to them not meeting their targets for bringing migration down and net migration reaching a record high of 745,000 last year.

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UK Visa Fees Increases October 2023

When are Visa Application Fees increasing?

Following our previous article, which noted the upcoming Visa Application fee and Immigration Health Surcharge increases, we can now report that the government has broken with the tradition of annual increases and has announced a mid-financial year increase, with the new UK visa application fees coming into effect on the 4th of October, 2023.

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Introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations

What is an Electronic Travel Authorisation?

The government announced in March 2023 that they would be bringing in a new entry permit system for visitors travelling to the UK. This will mean that certain people, who in the past wouldn’t have applied for a visa to come to the UK, will now need to apply for permission before they arrive in the form of an Electronic Travel Authorisation, which will then be linked to that person’s passport.

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Huge Increase in UK Immigration and IHS Fees Coming

Background

In line with the government’s aims to reduce immigration and to balance its books, the government has once again resorted to charging immigrants an increasing amount. In a speech on the 13th of July 2023, the Prime Minister announced that the government is looking to increase both the Immigration application fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Visa Fee Increases

Work and visa fees will increase by 15%, whereas other visa fees, e.g., family visas, will increase by 20%. For example, a partner or spouse currently applying for a Spouse Visa to join a British national would currently pay £1,538. Under the new rules, this will increase by £308 to £1,845. This is only the application fee, and the applicant will also need to pay for the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is also increasing.

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Restrictions to Student and Dependant Visas and Expansion of Work Visa Shortage List to Include Construction Workers

As recent net immigration has reached an record high, which has flown in the face of the current government’s repeated promise to reduce net immigration, the government has been looking at how to reduce the number and has noted the considerable increase in Students’ families and Care Work visas.

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Visa Requirements for non-EU Spouses wishing to join an EU citizen in the UK

As a non-EU citizen married to an EU national living in the UK, you might be eligible to join your EU spouse in the UK through a EUSS Family Permit, Spouse Visa, or Dependant Visa, depending on your spouse’s immigration status in the UK and your relationship. The options available to a spouse depend mostly on when the relationship started i.e., before or after the 1st of January 2021. To understand the two different routes, it is helpful to have some understanding of the different rules that applied before and after the UK left the EU.

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Expiring BRP cards and Proving the Right to Work in the UK

Biometric residence permits (BRPs) cards have been relied on for the past 15 years as a quick and easy way to prove a Migrant’s Indetitity, and right to live and work in the UK, and replaced the previous paper status documents, which could be more easily forged and difficult to verify the authenticity of.

Since 2008 the government has moved towards using these biometrics systems, for passports, visas and driving licences. This is owing to the added security that the holder’s fingerprints and biodata information are stored in a scannable chip, which makes it easier to verify if it matches the user.

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Appealing Against UK Visa Refusal – First-tier Tribunal Appeals

Making an application for a UK visa is a comparatively expensive process, and Immigration rules can be complex, therefore, any mistakes the applicant makes can have severe implications in terms of time, stress and finances. It is for this reason that one is best advised to use a qualified UK immigration lawyer when applying for a visa, which can potentially save the hassle and cost of things going wrong.

Although using a UK immigration solicitor reduces the chance of an application being refused, it is by no means 100% guaranteed to be successful (anyone disputing that is not being honest). Things can go wrong… and sometimes the Home Office make mistakes.

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UK Employer Sponsor Licence – Hiring Foreign Skilled workers

Now that the UK has left the EU, businesses here no longer have easy access to EU nationals when looking to recruit staff. This has led to a number of sectors struggling to fill vacancies and considering the option of hiring skilled workers from abroad. This is often possible, depending on the vacancy that exists, but the business needs to first hold a Sponsor Licence and there are certain steps that need to be followed; this article will outline the advantages, main steps required and possible pitfalls.

Advantages of a sponsor licence:

There are several advantages to having a UK employer sponsor licence from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to hire foreign workers, including:

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Seasonal Greetings – Merry Xmas and Happy New Years

As yet another year is coming to a close, which seems to have happened alarmingly quickly, we at Cross Border Legal Solicitors would like to once again send our best wishes for the festive season to you and your families. We hope that 2023 brings success and good fortune in all endeavours that you pursue. It has been a pleasure getting to know and assisting all of our clients and their families this year. 

Matters Immigration…

2022 started with the Covid restrictions still rumbling on, but as the vaccines have proven successful things in immigration have gradually returned to normal. Backlogs have gradually reduced, although the war in Ukraine increased delays for certain types of visas as the Home Office struggled to process the resulting increase in applications.

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UK Spouse and Dependant Visa Financial Requirement – Income Threshold Calculator

This article seeks to clarify the level of financial support required to bring a family to the UK permanently.

Spouse and Dependants Visa

For a British citizen or a person settled in the UK (e.g. with Indefinite Leave to Remain, Settled Status or EU nationals with Pre-Settled Status) who has a foreign national Spouse or Children looking to relocate or stay in the UK permanently, the correct visa to look at is a Spouse Visa / Dependant Visa.

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Calculating Adequate Maintenance Requirement for Settlement Visa – Receiving Disability (PIP)/ Carer Allowance

If you are applying to come to the UK on a Spouse Visa there are certain requirements that the government needs to be fulfilled. One of these is being able to adequately maintain yourself without relying on ‘public funds’ (this means benefits or the NHS etc.). So, if you are applying for a Spouse Visa you or your partner must meet the income threshold; this is currently £18,600 a year. If you are coming to the UK through EU law then this requirement does not apply to you.   Continue Reading →

Parent Route UK Visa – 5 and 10 Years Route Parent

One of the underlying principles in UK law is that children’s safeguards and wellbeing must be at the forefront of any government decision. This is clearly protected under section 55 of the Borders and Citizenship Immigration Act 2009 and is known by the term ‘Best Interests of the Child‘ principle.

Best Interests of the Child Principle

Under immigration law and the implementation of the Best Interests of the Child’ principle, children’s interests must be the primary consideration (although not the sole consideration) for the Home Office when considering any actions that may affect children. This approach is enshrined in law by a case called ZH (Tanzania).

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Ukrainian Family Scheme – extended support for those fleeing Ukraine

The government has now announced the introduction of The Ukrainian Family Scheme; this is in addition to the concessions under the Family Migration Visa, which were announced on the 27th of February 2022 and allowed certain Ukrainians to come and stay in the UK. We covered these concessions in our previous blog post. The number of people covered under the initial concessions was quite limited and the government has faced pressure to do more, especially as other European nations are allowing many more Ukraine nationals to enter.

Following this pressure, on the 1st of March, the government announced that they would be expanding the Ukrainian Humanitarian Route. There are two parts to this, the Ukrainian Family Scheme, which allows British nationals and settled people in the UK to invite their family members, and a local sponsorship scheme, which allows UK residents to sponsor families or individuals to come to the UK.

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Temporary Visa Concession for Ukrainian Family Members of British Nationals or Ukrainians in the UK

As the humanitarian situation in Ukraine worsens, the UK government has recently (on the 27th of February 2022) published guidance in response to the call for humanitarian help, by allowing certain Ukrainians to come and stay in the UK.

The Ukrinane Abroad Concession

Unfortunately, this concession only covers a very limited group of people and does not create any new visas that didn’t exist prior to this crisis. It allows Ukranian family members of British nationals to apply for a family migration visa, free of charge, if the British national usually lives in Ukraine.

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New Concession for Young Adults who have lived half their lives in the UK to be granted ILR after 5 years

The government has recently published a very welcome Home Office concession, which will allow certain young people who were born or brought up in the UK without immigration status to be eligible to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK after five years of lawful residence, rather than the normal ten years route.

Traditional 10 Year Family and Private Life Route to ILR

Under the current Immigration Rules, an undocumented migrant can apply for leave to remain in the UK on the basis that it would otherwise disproportionately interfere with their Private Life, as protected under Article 8 of the European Conventions on Human Rights. This is provided for under Immigration Rules part 7, with one of the sections (Paragraph 276ADE(1)(v)) specifically catering for people aged 18-24 inclusive, who have spent half of their life living continuously in the UK, to apply for permission to stay, which is normally granted for 30 months. The applicant is required to continually extend this leave until they complete 10 years of lawful residence to qualify for ILR/Settlement – this is what is called the ten-year route to settlement.

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UK Skilled Worker Visa – How to apply for a UK Work Visa

The Skilled Worker Visa, which has replaced the Tier 2 General Visa, provides a visa route for non-UK workers, enabling employers who are looking to fill gaps in their workforce to hire skilled workers from overseas, provided that they meet the necessary requirements. This article seeks to give a brief overview as to what this route is and how to use it.

What is the Skilled Worker Visa?

At the end of 2020, the UK Government introduced the Skilled Worker Visa, by making changes to the Tier 2 (General Worker) route. It allows employers to recruit non-UK resident workers for certain eligible skilled roles, with the requirement that an individual should attain 70 points by meeting specific requirements, such as English language ability, skills, salary level, and having a qualified job offer from a UK sponsor.

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UK Seasonal Worker Visa – temporarily expanded to include poultry workers and HGV drivers

We have recently written a few articles regarding the government’s response to the shortage of workers, including the creation of visas (Tier 5 Visa) for seasonal workers in the edible horticultural sector. More recently this has included the introduction of the HGV (fuel) driver visa, which was restricted to EU nationals.

The “New” visa

The government has now announced that the Temporary Seasonal Worker Visa will now replace the Seasonal Worker Visa (Tier 5). The new visa will include two more categories of workers, as well as the traditional horticultural workers. These are poultry workers and HGV food transport drivers, although these visas are only available on a temporary basis, presumably to cover the shortage that is anticipated as we approach the holiday season.

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Temporary UK Visas for HGV (fuel) Drivers

We have had a fair number of enquiries recently about the visas for HGV Fuel Drivers, so thought it may be useful to address some of the questions in the following article.

As you may be aware, the UK has recently suffered some difficulties with the supply of fuel, which has led to shortages and the closure of some petrol stations, with long queues at others. Part of the problem has been that, although the fuel is in the country, there is a shortage of HGV drivers to move the fuel from the relevant depot to the petrol stations. This has been greatly exacerbated by Brexit, as the industry has in the past used EU drivers to fill in any gaps.

Temporary Visas

The government’s response has been to bring in the military to help temporarily and to commit to training new drivers, as well as to offer a temporary visa that makes it easier for foreign lorry drivers to work in the UK. This visa allows successful applicants to work on a temporary basis.

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Real and Hidden Cost of UK Visas – Tips on how to minimise the cost

Moving from one’s country of birth can be both exciting and scary, be it for temporary periods such as a student or more permanently, for example as the spouse of a British national applying for settlement. However, it can also be very expensive. This article seeks to highlight the costs and some potential savings of UK immigration, which should be one of the considerations for anyone looking to move or stay here legally.

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UK Fiancée, Fiancé, or Proposed Civil Partner Visa

Intro

So, life has been really good and cupid has found you a match, you have popped the question and she/he has said yes! Or you have been asked and you said yes! Congratulations!

Now you need to not only plan the wedding but also decide where you will hold the wedding; this article is hopefully going to aid you in making that choice if you are a Non-EU citizen living outside of the UK and are engaged to marry a Brit in the UK.

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Temporary Worker – Seasonal Worker Visa (Tier 5)

A little known visa, which the government have been trialing since March 2019 to run until December 2020, is the Tier 5 Seasonal Worker visa. This allows migrants from any part of the world to come to the UK as seasonal workers, if they are working for farmers in the edible horticulture sector who have a special licence from the government, allowing them to sponsor such temporary workers.

Origins

The backdrop of this visa is the government’s recognition of the fact that a lot of UK farms have for many years relied on eastern Europeans (mainly Polish and Romanian workers) who come to the UK during harvest season and help with the harvesting of farms. Given that the UK has now left the EU and the freedom of movement from the EU zone has ended, farmers have lobbied the government to ensure that such farms do not go under due to the lack of workers for roles that Brits mostly do not wish to do.

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Exceptional Assurance – COVID 19 Visa Concession

Covid-19 has changed many people’s plans in the last year, and it has made things more complicated for some of those who are in the UK with a visa. The government has made several attempts to allow a little leeway for those affected by disrupted flights, and the most recent amendments come in the form of ‘Exceptional Assurance.’

What is Exceptional Assurance?

‘Exceptional Assurance’ is a form of permission to stay that is being granted to those whose visas have or will expire, but who have been unable to leave the UK due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Immigration Health Surcharge Refund for Health and Care Workers

The Government has recently announced that they will refund the Immigration Health Surcharge to eligible individuals who work in Health and Care.

What is the Immigration Health Surcharge?

Most migrants need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge when they make an application for a UK visa. It is currently £624 per year for most adults, so it is quite a hefty sum when you are paying for a visa that lasts a few years. The government introduced it in 2015 to ‘ensure temporary migrants make a fair contribution to the comprehensive range of NHS services available to them during their stay’.

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New British National (Overseas) visa for Hong Kong nationals

In a recently published detailed guide, the Home Office officially opened The Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa on the 31st of January 2021, which is a new visa exclusively for Hong Kong nationals with a BNO Passport. This article aims to summarise the main points, but if you have further queries, you may want to contact a qualified UK Immigration Lawyer for details on how it will affect you.

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Festive wishes and Happy 2021

As this unprecedented year is coming to a close, we at Cross Border Legal Solicitors want to reach out and send our best wishes to you and your family. We hope that 2021 holds success and good fortune in all endeavours that you pursue. Despite the difficult circumstances this year, it continues to be a pleasure getting to know you and your families. 

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“New” Post-Brexit UK Immigration Point Based System

As the UK is coming to the end of the transition phase on the 31st of December 2020 and will then have left the EU, the government have designed a new points based immigration system.

The new system will come into effect from the 31st of December 2020, at 11:00 PM, when freedom of movement between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) will officially end.

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IHS Fee Increase Delayed… for a short while!*Update Until 27th October 2020

As noted in our previous article in April 2020, the Immigration Health Surcharge was set to increase from £400 to £624 on the 1st of October 2020. However, there is a bit of good news, as the Home Office has not been able to get the new IHS fee increase to go ahead on the 1st of October 2020 as planned, as the legislative process has yet to finalise.

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Has the Government scrapped the IHS fee for Healthcare Workers?

It seemed to come as a surprise to Boris Johnson that NHS workers and their families were also subject to paying the NHS surcharges, which are due to increase from £400 per year to £624 in October of this year. A spokesperson in May said that the Prime Minister had asked the Home Office to remove the IHS surcharge requirements for Health and Care workers and their families, but has any progress been made on this promise?

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Bereaved Partner Visa – What to do if a Spouse Dies

Life has its ups and downs and sometimes we are faced with how fragile it can be. The recent epidemic has particularly brought this to the forefront, as there are many who have lost their loved ones.

Least of your worries…

At such a trying and emotional time, it is not desirable to be worried about what will happen with your visa, so this article seeks to answer the question: what happens to a migrant’s immigration status if their spouse dies?

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New (Tier 2) Health and Care Visa

The recent highlighting of the country’s reliance on NHS workers and the health care system by the Covid-19 outbreak, which has led to an outpouring of public gratitude, has left the government keen to capitalise politically on the public mood. They have therefore created a “new” category of visa called the Health and Care Visa, which has been available since the 4th of August 2020.

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Spouse Income Threshold -Coronavirus (COVID-19) Concession

Following our previous article, which detailed the impact of Covid-19 on UK immigration and the governments’ temporary changes to the rules, to assist those who were here on temporary visas (please see the article here), the Government has now published a guide for those who are applying for settlement visas or extensions and are struggling with meeting the income threshold.

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) UK Immigration Update: Government Extend visas and Relax switching rules for those affected

The Covona Virus situation continues to develop, and there has now been a further update from the government with regards to those migrants affected by the almost universal shutdown of normal business and services, in a bid to curb the spread of Covid-19. If you have been affected you may find the below information useful.

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Help for UK Migrants affected by Covid-19 – Getting Furlough Or Public Funds

As the governments around the world continue to battle the outbreak of the Corona Virus (Covid-19), people’s lives have been turned upside down, with many livelihoods affected, especially as most businesses and work is at a standstill due to the lockdown.

The UK government has tried to assist the general public in dealing with the effects of this lockdown, and we wish to highlight those measures that may be helpful, specifically for migrants on various visas (i.e. those not already holding ILR or British Nationality). There may be several options for those already settled and British Nationals, including making an application for Universal Credit; the two main avenues of help available can be classed under two areas:

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Immigration Health Surcharge Increase -Again!

Unfortunately, the short relief from the government not increasing the visa application fees for 2020/2021 is due to give way to crushing disappointment later this year, after Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget was presented to Parliament on the 11th of March 2020. He has announced a new increase to the Immingration Health Surcharge (IHS) later this year, which will see the overall price of immigration to the UK increase significantly. The government has now drafted legislation – The Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2020 – to pave way for the coming changes.

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Meeting the income threshold using an investment account

Background

There are different routes to meet the income threshold, and each have their own rules that need to be followed in order to be successful with a visa application. It is common knowledge that we can use cash savings to meet the income threshold, which typically involves cash savings held either in the form of a current account or a savings account e.g. an ISA account.

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Using Self-Employment to meet the Settlement UK Spouse Visa Income Threshold

General Background

The financial requirement of £18,600 generally must be met by anyone applying for entry clearance, leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain in the UK as the non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) national partner or dependent child of a person, who is either a British citizen or has Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK. Please note that sometimes the financial requirement might be a bit higher if sponsoring a non-EU partner and child/children.

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Using Cash Savings to Meet Income Threshold for UK Spouse Visa – Updated

Since July 2012, when the current rules regarding UK spouse visas came in to effect, the number one issues that many face when sponsoring their family for a UK settlement visa have been relating to the Income Threshold. This issue has been hotly contested in court but calumniated with the UK Supreme court confirming that the new rules were legal, although it did suggest certain exceptional circumstances where alternative incomes source should be considered by the UK Home Office ( see here).

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10 and 20 years Private life and Long Residence – Long Residence ILR or FLR

Generally under UK Immigration rules, if you have been living in the UK for 10 years continuously and lawfully, youcan apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain on the basis of your private life andlong residence in the UK.

As a UK immigration lawyer, I wish to highlight several key points that someone making an application for this visa should note; including that the key words for this visa are “lawful” and “continuous residence.

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Top 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Applying for a UK Visa

After many years of practising UK Immigration Law and Human Rights there are some simple mistakes that I often see people making during the application process for a UK visa. I would like to highlight some very simple mistakes and hopefully may be able forewarn someone who is about to do the same. Below are five common mistakes, in no particular order, that applicants are repeatedly making: 

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Settled Status or Pre-Settled Status – EU Settlement Scheme fully opened

Further to our previous article Brexit Update – Permanent Residence or Settled Status for EU nationals in UK, and as the new scheme has now been fully implemented, we wish to provide you with some general information on the application process under the EU settlement scheme.

Deadline

If you are an EU or EEA national or their family member, and wish to remain in the UK after Brexit, you need to apply for Settled or Pre-Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

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Tier 1 Entrepreneur and Tier 1 (Graduate Entrepreneur) visa to be replaced by “Start-Up” and “Innovator” routes

Entrepreneur visa replaced by Innovator visa

Since the 29th of March 2019 the Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa application process has been closed for all applicants. You can no longer apply for this visa unless you are applying for an extension, which will be possible until the 5th of April 2023, or settlement, which will be possible until the 5th of April 2025.

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Turkish Workers UK Visa

Under the European Community Association Agreement with Turkey, the “Ankara Agreement”, a Turkish national might extend his leave whilst already legally living and working in the UK.

Who is this visa for?

If you are a Turkish national living and working in the UK it might be good news for you, as there is the possibility to apply to extend your stay in the UK as a Turkish worker.

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UK Visa & Immigration -First-tier Tribunal Appeals

UK visa and Immigration rules can sometimes be complex and it is  comparatively a very expensive process, therefore any mistake made by the applicant can have serious implications in terms of time, stress and finances. It is for this reason that one is best advised to use a qualified UK immigration lawyer when applying for a visa, which could potentially save them the hassle and cost of when things go wrong. This article is to highlight the process of trying to remedy things if a visa application is rejected.

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Update !Immigration Surcharge to Double, 200 to £400, from 8th January 2019

Unfortunately, the pause button on the NHS fee increase will not hold for long; the new publicised legal amendment tabled in parliament (The Immigration (Health Charge) (Amendment) Order 2018) confirms that the Immigration Health Surcharge is to double in December 2018.

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Fake News and Fake Immigration Lawyers – Don’t Get Scammed – Get the right UK Immigration Lawyer

Lately, I have heard quite a few accounts of people who have been ‘advised’ by someone who is claiming that they are an Immigration lawyer/advisor, but have given migrants shockingly bad advice, which lands them in more trouble than they bargained for. Are these people really lawyers? And how can you find out for sure? There have also been many cases of ‘fake news,’ but how can you find out if it’s fake news and avoid being taken in?

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UK Ancestry Visa

To be eligible to apply for an ancestry visa you need to meet the following requirements:

Eligibility requirements:

1. Country and Age:

  • Be a Commonwealth citizen and aged 17 or over

To apply for an ancestry visa, you must be a Commonwealth citizen at the date of application, not necessarily at the date of birth. Additionally, you must be 17 or over. It is quite easy to prove the above mentioned, as you need to provide a current passport or other valid travel identification and your full birth certificate

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5 Year Route and 10 Year Route as a Partner UK Visa

When to choose a 5-year route as a partner and when the 10-year route should be considered.

There are two routes to settlement on the basis of family life as a partner, provided by Appendix FM viz 5-year route and a 10-year route. The 5-year route as a partner will be appropriate for those who meet all the suitability and eligibility requirements of the Immigration Rules at every stage. The 10-year route as a partner applies in respect of applications for leave to remain as a partner who meets all the suitability requirements, but only certain eligibility requirements.

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Brexit Update- Permanent Residence or Settled Status for EU nationals in UK

What does Brexit mean for EU nationals?

The UK government has yet to reach a final agreement with the European Union on citizen’s rights, but according to the information on the government’s website and the recently published White Paper on Brexit, containing the Government’s proposal on how they intend to deal with the EU moving forward,  we know that EU citizen’s status will not change until the 1st of January 2021. Therefore, EU citizens will still have the same rights to live and work in the UK, as well as the same access to public funds and services as they do at the moment.

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Tier 1 – Business and Investment Visa

For those looking to come to the UK to start a business, there are various options which may be available:

Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa:

Who can apply for a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) Visa?

You can apply for this type of visa if you wish to set up, join or take over an existing business in the UK.

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New UK Immigration Visa Fees for 2018 Announced

From the 6th of April 2018, major immigration fee increases are due to be introduced for those looking to visit or settle in the UK.The government has finally announced the fee increases on the Gov.UK website ahead of the change the home office fees 2018/19.

THE INCREASES

Although there are small increases across the board, at first glance, it doesn’t seem that there are many significant increases. Continue Reading →

MM (lebanon) & Others 2017 – New Rules Extending 10 years Route to cover a Spouse Abroad

Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules: HC290, 20 July 2017

After a long winded court battle that finally ended in the high court of Britain (see the article …here and here...), the outcry and sacrifices of thousands of families have finally yielded some results. Yesterday, through a new  ‘Statement of Change in Immigration Rules,’ published on the GOV.UK website on the 20th of July 2017, the government laid bare the new changes which have been made in order to comply with the Supreme Court judgment in MM (Lebanon) & Others, which was handed down on the 22nd of February 2017 (see Article Here). Continue Reading →

Using Cash Savings to Meet Income Threshold for UK Spouse Visa

I have been getting a lot of enquirers lately about relying on cash savings for spouse/child or family dependent visas.

Basic UK Spouse Visa Income Threshold:

Under the current Immigration Rules, in order to qualify for any family settlement visa (spouse, fiance, family dependent etc.) you must meet the financial requirements – by earning above what is referred to as the Income Threshold. Normally, you can do this in two ways: Continue Reading →

New Immigration Rules Changes – November 2016

For those who have not noticed, on the 3rd of November the UK Government introduced changes to the UK Immigration rules . These changes come into effect from the 24th of November. This is due to affect those who are going to be making a UK Immigration visa application on or after the 24th of November; these rules may affect you application. For those who have pending applications worry not, as these rules do not affect your application. Continue Reading →

Serious and irreversible harm: Deport First Appeal Later

Serious and irreversible harm

This Article follow my previous Article on the New Immigration Act 2016 removal of ‘in country right of appeal’ for most cases, save for a few exceptions where there would be ‘Serious and Irreversible harm’.  The phrase ‘serious and irreversible harm’ comes from the test used by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to determine whether to issue a Rule 39 injunction. Nunez v Norway (App no. 55597/09)[2011] ECHR 1047. Continue Reading →

Whats New with the Immigration Act 2016?

For those who may have missed it (I would not blame you as this kicked in just a few weeks before the EU referendum in the UK), the government has passed yet another legislative Act of Parliament on Immigration in a bid to reduce immigration and especially come down hard on those in the UK without legal status. The Immigration Minister’s statement when the Immigration 2016 bill was introduced last year sets the tone of what the government hopes to achieve with the new immigration legislation. Immigration Minister James Brokenshire said:

“The message is clear — if you are here illegally, you shouldn’t be entitled to receive the everyday benefits and services available to hard-working UK families and people who have come to this country legitimately to contribute.

Whether it is working, renting a flat, having a bank account or driving a car, the new Immigration Bill will help us to take tougher action than ever before on those who flout the law.

This Bill will build on the government’s work since 2010 to crack down on abuse and build an immigration system that truly benefits Britain – by deterring illegal migrants from coming and making it harder for those already here to live and work in the UK.”

Continue Reading →

Brexit: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Further to my previous Article about Brexit and the Possible Effect on UK immigration and European Migrants, I have complied a list of questions that I have been frequently asked and hope to answer them here for the sake of those who might be wondering the same

i.Are we part of the EU?

The UK is still part of the EU, and no formal legal process of leaving the EU will start until the UK decides to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which can only be done by either David Cameron or his successor. This means that the UK is still bound by EU Treaties and Laws, and will continue to be so up to two years from the formal notice to the EU. Continue Reading →

Brexit: What happens to EU Nationals after the EU Referendum?

I know a lot of people are worried about the EU referendum result and I am overwhelmed with calls from people asking what happens now that we have left the EU – please stay calm!

UK Still Part Of European Union

We are still in the EU and all the laws remain the same for now; the earliest that we will be out of the EU is two years from the time that the government gives formal notice to the EU of our intention to divorce.

I will be writing an article shortly on the options available for EU nationals, but please note that most of the legal implications remain unknown and subject to the UK negotiations with the EU. It is highly unlikely that EU nationals or their families will be ‘kicked-out’ as a result of the referendum result. Continue Reading →

EU Referendum – Possible UK Immigration Impact

The upcoming referendum may be causing concern for some, especially if the outcome leaves them unsure of their visa status.

I have received a fair number of emails recently regarding the changes in UK Immigration Law that might take place and I thought it would be useful to address them with an article.

What happens after the referendum?

Continue Reading →

Applying British Nationality : Good Character Requirement

According to Part I, Chapter 18 of the British Nationality Act 1981, a person is entitled to naturalisation as British citizen if at the time of the consideration meets some requirements, such as being of good character. However, the Act itself does not provide with a definition of good character.

In absence of a statutory definition as to how this requirement should be interpreted or applied, it is the Secretary of State who should be satisfied that an applicant is of good character. In order for the Secretary of State to make an assessment on good character, Annex D of Chapter 18 of BNA contains a guidance with information on how to assess if the applicant is of good character. This guidance also applies to minors above the age of ten. Continue Reading →

Tier 2 Migrant Worker Must Earn £35,000 to Settle in the UK

Latest Immigration Rules changes:

Anyone who has been keeping an eye on UK immigration law will have now become accustomed to the regular Immigration Rules changes, which seem to always bear bad news for migrants.

The Immigration Rules are published by the Home Office. The last statement of change is from the New Immigration Rules Change, and is no exception to the general tradition. It brings some changes which mainly affect Tier 2 work permit holders. Continue Reading →

New Immigration Bill – 2015

New Immigration Bill

As some of you will be aware, the latest Immigration Act 2014, which has just been fully implemented in April 2015, brought with it numerous changes, including the right of appeals for Point Based applications, as well as an attempt to define the application of human rights by the Court. The Government seems to be very impressed by the outcome of the changes in the last bill, so much so that they have decided to go even further with the new Immigration Bill, which is currently in the House of Commons. As a UK Immigration Solicitor specialized in Human Rights many of my clients are affected by this, therefore I wish to highlight some of the changes that should expected if the new Bill becomes an Act. Continue Reading →

Immigration Health Surcharge

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 6th 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 →

Curtailment Of UK Immigration Appeal Rights – Immigration Act 2014

Changes on Appeal Right – Government gives with one hand takes with the other

Some of you may have missed it but from this week, as of the 2nd March 2015, the government further rolled out the curtailment of immigration appeal rights.

One of the major features in the new Immigration Act 2014, in the latest bid of the government to crack down on immigration, is the way that Immigration Appeals will be dealt with. Through the Act, the parliament not only tries to dictate how Immigration Tribunal Judges Should deal with Appeals, especially under Human Rights Grounds (Paragraph 117B), but also reduces the grounds on which a challenge can be brought. Continue Reading →

Article 8 ECHR and Outside the Rules Applications

Your Protected Right to Family Life

As many of you will know, everyone has the Right to Family, and these rights are protected under the EU Convention on Human Rights. However, and to the great discomfort of many couples,  as any UK Immigration Lawyer will tell you, Right to family is right is a qualified right, and does not necessarily give the couple the right to choose where they would exercise their right to family.

Ordinarily, a British citizen is allowed by law to sponsor their foreign spouse to come to the UK on a Spouse Visa. This type of application, as many of you have seen on  previous blog post here  has recently been severely restricted, with strict income requirements for the sponsoring spouse. In effect, this has resulted in thousands of couples being separated, as they do not meet the government requirements. Continue Reading →

UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement – Savings Calculator

 UK Spouse Visa Financial Requirement and Supplement Savings Calculator 

As most of you may know by now, the government has introduced a new income requirement for British and settled people wishing to sponsor their non-EU spouse/partner since 2012. This brought the requirement for the British national (sponsor) up to an earning of at least £18,600 per annum, with no third-party sponsorship allowed (you can’t get your rich uncle to stand in for you like old times).

These rules have had a disastrous effect on Brits who are not earning a high income but never less play very important roles contributing to this nation; people such as teaching assistants, care workers, etc., who would not be able to meet this threshold, in fact it is reported that up to 40% of the UK population do not earn this level of money. Continue Reading →

EEA Self-Employed Mother Who Gives Up Work Temporary to Give Birth Is Still Worker -EU Court Rules

Definition Of “Worker” under EU Law – Self Employed and Agency worker Mothers on maternity

Following a lengthy court battle the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom requested a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU by a decision dated the 31st October 2012;

see case Saint Prix v Secretary of Sate for Work and Pension 2013 UKSC and the YouTube video below.

Continue Reading →

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

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 →

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

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 →

EU Family Route: What is Surinder Singh route?

Those of you that have kept up-to-date with the recent immigration news or are  in the process of trying to bring their foreign Non-EU Spouse into the UK , would have possibly heard of the so called EU Family Route or ‘Surinder Singh’ route. This is a route that is becoming an increasingly popular (or necessary) option for Britons who seek to reunite with their spouse having fallen foul of the current immigration rules.

Why EU Route?

In case you haven’t been in the loop on what is happening; say you are a British national and have just gotten engaged to a non-EEA national. Well… congratulations first of all, and second,  I hope you have a very good job, as you will need one. Continue Reading →