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.

Following last year’s below-inflation fee increases in some areas, this year, the UK government has kept most of the fees for visa applications the same, which is welcome news for those planning to apply for visas in the near future.

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.

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:

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.