Blog

Ten-year continuous lawful residence route to settlement – potential problems Readers may be aware of the ten-year long residence route to settlement. Briefly and basically,...Read More

New rules for student dependants  Last month we informed you (“Forthcoming drastic changes to the immigration rules”, 14th December) that from January 2024 there would...Read More

In our blog in November last year we gave you the good news for some that nationals of Columbia, Guyana and Peru had acquired non-visa...Read More

The Home Office has announced a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visitors to the UK, which will start to come into effect later...Read More

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 has introduced a few changes in the law and rules about acquisition of British citizenship.  Some of the changes...Read More

In 2019 the Start-Up and Innovator visa schemes were created for those who wanted to set up new businesses in the UK. These two routes...Read More

In an interesting and significant judgement in the case of “Independent Monitoring Authority v Home Secretary” the High Court has ruled that one of the...Read More

It is often truly said that Britain’s imperial history has produced a highly complex scheme of British nationality. It comes in different “grades”, of which...Read More

There is good news for South America from the Home Office: from 9 November 2022 nationals of Columbia, Guyana and Peru will be non-visa nationals....Read More

Because of the war in Ukraine, and the consequent high demand for visas from Ukrainians, expedited visa and settlement application schemes have been temporarily limited...Read More

Until very recently there was a slightly complicated scheme whereby certain nationalities on certain types of visa had to register with the police when they...Read More

We recently reported about changes in asylum claims and procedure (“Asylum and Humanitarian Protection – big changes”, 11 August). And, on this subject, you may...Read More

We have very recently experienced significant and important changes in the law as it relates to asylum and Humanitarian Protection.  The Nationality and Borders Act...Read More

At GSN Immigration we sometimes find it necessary to deal with the intricacies of developing case law in the Upper Immigration Tribunal. The recent judicial...Read More

Immigration practitioners often talk about CSI but this is nothing to do with Crime Scene Investigation and Las Vegas (well, not in most cases anyway);...Read More

A lot of people spend time money and effort in acquiring British citizenship but some people in some circumstances want to renounce their British citizenship....Read More

We would like to announce the sad news that the Tier 1 (Investor) route is now closed to new entrants. Those who already hold visas...Read More

In some cases a migrant who holds immigration leave to remain in the UK can “switch” their visa to a different kind of visa without...Read More

Until a while ago there was a visa called Representative of an Overseas Newspaper, News Agency or Broadcasting Organisation, but this visa category has now...Read More

If the question were posed “What work visas can EEA nationals now apply for?”, the initial answer is simple: the same visas as everybody else...Read More

This subject got into the news recently because of some proposed provisions in the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament which would make...Read More

The Youth Mobility Scheme is a scheme that enables young people (aged 18 to 30) from certain countries or territories or of certain British nationalities...Read More

Migrants in the UK in various situations can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as settlement. ILR confers the right to live...Read More

Under the immigration rules a foreign migrant can apply for leave to come to the UK or to remain in the UK on the basis...Read More

As we have previously said in this blog, if you are in the UK with immigration leave and you want to extend or switch your...Read More

A visa for a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner may be granted either from outside the UK or within the UK, and it is...Read More

Asylum/Humanitarian Protection/right to work We often read articles in the media about “asylum-seekers”, migrants “claiming asylum” and “refugees”. A lot of the cases that dominate...Read More

“Indefinite leave to remain” sounds as though it is, well, indefinite, but it is not necessarily. A person who holds indefinite leave to remain or...Read More

In our previous article “Skilled Worker and Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence” (23 August) we provided a brief overview of the subject. In this article we...Read More

Many years ago, back in the mists of time, there was the “Work Permit” visa. Then a few years ago came the “Tier 2 Skilled...Read More

It quite frequently happens these days that the Home Office comes up with yet another visa route for entrepreneurs and highly-skilled/highly-qualified people. Now another one...Read More

Maybe you know the story. There is a family with young children who were born in the UK. They are all overstayers. But then the...Read More

The Covid-19 pandemic has, for obvious reasons, disrupted UK immigration very considerably. When the pandemic started migrants who were in the UK were in many...Read More

30 June 2021 was supposedly the deadline for Pre-Settled/Settled status applications for EEA nationals and their family members.  But, like everything else to do with...Read More

Finally it has arrived – the new “Graduate” visa, which looks something like the old Tier 1 Post-Study Work visa but with a few improvements....Read More

It is often said (and indeed with great force of truth) that UK immigration law is complicated. But sometimes connected or associated legal issues can...Read More

Brexit is done, more or less, and the UK is no longer part of the EU. In the immigration field there are various transitional arrangements...Read More

Many readers will know about the financial requirement for partner visas, and especially those who have read our blog “Financial requirements for Family Visas”, 12...Read More

There have been in the last few months no less than three decisions from the courts/tribunals about the ten-year continuous lawful residence route to settlement...Read More

If the relationship between a qualifying person settled in the UK and a migrant breaks down then, legally speaking, the visa that the migrant holds...Read More

“Unmarried partner relationship” has a specific meaning in UK immigration law: a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership where the parties have not actually...Read More

Visa application for partner and sponsor’s stepchild A partner (spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner) can apply for a visa to join their sponsor in...Read More

In every case an applicant applying for a family visa – in most instances a partner or child – will have to satisfy a financial...Read More

In recent times there has been some confusing case law about the ten-year continuous lawful residence route to settlement and short periods of overstaying (see...Read More

As we explained in our previous article (“Immigration Fee Waiver”, 24 December 2020), in-country visa applicants are able to apply for a fee waiver if...Read More

The Ankara Agreement (more formally known as the European Community Association Agreement), an agreement made between the EU and Turkey, provided UK visa routes for...Read More

Two cases heard in recent times – the case of “Pathan” in the Supreme Court and the case of “Taj” in the Court of Appeal...Read More

The IHS (Immigration Health Surcharge) is an extra fee that many migrants have to pay as part of their visa application fees. Whereas the application...Read More

How long is a partner visa valid for?  There is a simple answer to this question: a visa issued to a spouse, civil partner, or...Read More

In our recent post “New grounds for visa refusal” we explained how the “grounds for refusal” section of the UK Immigration Rules can prevent a...Read More

The Tier 1 Investor visa is not for everybody: the starting point is that you have at least £2 million or equivalent in foreign currency...Read More

The UK Immigration Rules had a significant shake-up in December 2020. A lot of the changes were just to do with structure and nomenclature but...Read More

Some immigration applications, if refused, attract the right to Administrative Review. Administrative review is a process whereby a UKVI officer – either in the UK...Read More

For many UK visas there is an English language requirement but for some there is none.  As you might expect, there is no such requirement...Read More

It hardly needs to be said that visa applications are expensive, and rising. There is the visa application fee itself (in many cases over £1,000)...Read More

Tier 1 Entrepreneur and points-based system – evidential problems The Tier 1 Entrepreneur visa scheme is not yet dead but it is not very well:...Read More

Surinder Singh route It is generally the case that European free movement law does not always benefit EEA nationals in their own country. For example,...Read More

Confusion and relief for ten-year long residence applicants There is a provision in the immigration rules that enables a migrant who has been in the...Read More

UK immigration – life getting easier for some It hardly needs to be said that in recent times life has become more difficult for EEA...Read More

Some people might think that applying for a UK visitor visa is easy or straightforward, but this may not be good advice. The requirements are...Read More

Tier 2/Skilled Worker ICT: switching rules and cooling off period  When the “new” points-based system comes into effect on 1 January 2021 the current Tier...Read More

On 1 January 2021 a new points-based system will come into place, and the Tier 2 scheme will be rebranded the “Skilled Workers” scheme. The...Read More

We have a sad announcement to make: the Tier 4 student visa scheme is dead. It was replaced on 5 October 2020 by the new...Read More

A partner visa can be held on the basis of being a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner – the latter relies on a two-year...Read More

A partner visa application could be an application made by a spouse, civil partner, unmarried partner, fiancé(e) or prospective civil partner to join or remain...Read More

Do you need a lawyer to help you with your spouse/civil partner/unmarried partner visa application? It’s a fair question. This application is already very expensive...Read More

The new Health and Care visa, which is for health professionals, opened on 4 August 2020. It is part of the Tier 2 General scheme...Read More

The Home Secretary some time ago announced a new points-based system visa category, which will open on 1 January 2021. As she reminds us, on...Read More

As we reported last month, the British Government has promised to provide a dedicated visa route to the UK for British Nationals (Overseas) from Hong...Read More

The Representative of an Overseas Business visa scheme is very useful for businesses situated outside the EEA which have no business presence in the UK...Read More

Should I engage the services of a Lawyer for my Immigration matter? This is a very good question, and of course most lawyers will advise...Read More

British National (Overseas) Status and Hong Kong As we learn from the media, the British Government is going to offer a route to settlement and...Read More

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) & Settlement for spouses and partners in the UK The non-EEA spouse or partner of a person who has sufficiently...Read More

It seems a long time ago, but on 31 January 2020 the UK left the EU. We believe this to be definitely true, not least...Read More

You can sponsor your parents or adult relatives to come and live with you in the UK permanently. In 2012 the family immigration rules had...Read More