Returning residents rule
The Home Office has finally consolidated the immigration rules about “returning residents”, ie migrants who previously held settlement but who have lost...Read More
Overstaying rules changed – rejected applications
The Home Office has made a subtle change to the rules about overstaying which is advantageous for some migrants. This change relates...Read More
UK Visa Fees Going Up & Fee Waiver Application
UK visa applications in most cases require payment of a visa application fee and also payment of an immigration health surcharge (which...Read More
Pre Settled Status – New Home Office update
Pre-Settled Status – latest developments In our blog published on 6 March 2023 (“No longer necessary to renew Pre-Settled Status?”) We explained...Read More
Some countries lose non-visa national status
In our blog in November last year we gave you the good news for some that nationals of Columbia, Guyana and Peru...Read More
The new Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme
The Home Office has announced a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme for visitors to the UK, which will start to come...Read More
Changes in British citizenship application rules
The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 has introduced a few changes in the law and rules about acquisition of British citizenship. Some...Read More
Ten years’ continuous lawful residence settlement – stricter rules
Many readers will be aware of the ten years’ continuous lawful residence route to settlement. Unlike other settlement schemes, this route allows...Read More
New Innovator Founder route
In 2019 the Start-Up and Innovator visa schemes were created for those who wanted to set up new businesses in the UK....Read More
No longer necessary to renew Pre-Settled Status?
In an interesting and significant judgement in the case of “Independent Monitoring Authority v Home Secretary” the High Court has ruled that...Read More
British nationality and right of abode – complexity
It is often truly said that Britain’s imperial history has produced a highly complex scheme of British nationality. It comes in different...Read More
Private Life Immigration Rules Change
There is a part of the Home Office’s Immigration Rules called the “Private Life” rules. This admittedly sounds rather obscure, and what...Read More
Spouse visa – third-party financial support
As we all know, spouse or partner visa applications normally have a financial requirement. So if, for example, an applicant with no...Read More
Columbia, Guyana and Peru get non-visa national status
There is good news for South America from the Home Office: from 9 November 2022 nationals of Columbia, Guyana and Peru will...Read More
When will the Home Office/UK Visas & Immigration expedite your visa application?
Because of the war in Ukraine, and the consequent high demand for visas from Ukrainians, expedited visa and settlement application schemes have...Read More
Police Registration Scheme Abolished
Until very recently there was a slightly complicated scheme whereby certain nationalities on certain types of visa had to register with the...Read More
Asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda
We recently reported about changes in asylum claims and procedure (“Asylum and Humanitarian Protection – big changes”, 11 August). And, on this...Read More
Asylum and Humanitarian Protection – big changes
We have very recently experienced significant and important changes in the law as it relates to asylum and Humanitarian Protection. The Nationality...Read More
Deception – precedent fact
At GSN Immigration we sometimes find it necessary to deal with the intricacies of developing case law in the Upper Immigration Tribunal....Read More
High Potential Individual Visa
As the Home Office announced some while ago, yet another new visa is coming: the “High Potential Individual” visa. This has some...Read More
Ukraine visas – knock-on effect
The UKVI (UK Visas & Immigration) have announced that they are prioritising visa applications under the Ukraine Visa Scheme (which we discussed...Read More
Comprehensive Sickness Insurance not necessary
Immigration practitioners often talk about CSI but this is nothing to do with Crime Scene Investigation and Las Vegas (well, not in...Read More
New working visas for the UK
The Home Office has in recent times been re-naming, creating and abolishing visa routes with some enthusiasm. Earlier this month the Tier...Read More
Good character requirement and British Citizenship
Good character is, we suppose, an admirable feature in life generally but in the immigration law context it acquires a particular meaning....Read More
UK visa for Ukrainian nationals Blog
Because of the recent events in Ukraine the Home Office has created a special visa scheme called the “Ukraine Family Scheme”, which...Read More
Renunciation of British citizenship
A lot of people spend time money and effort in acquiring British citizenship but some people in some circumstances want to renounce...Read More
Tier 1 Investor route is dead
We would like to announce the sad news that the Tier 1 (Investor) route is now closed to new entrants. Those who...Read More
Visa switching rules
In some cases a migrant who holds immigration leave to remain in the UK can “switch” their visa to a different kind...Read More
REPRESENTATIVE OF OVERSEAS NEWSPAPER, NEWS AGENCY OR BROADCASTING ORGANISATION VISA
Until a while ago there was a visa called Representative of an Overseas Newspaper, News Agency or Broadcasting Organisation, but this visa...Read More
Global Talent Visa requirements
This visa is aptly named. It is open to applicants from the four corners of the globe, and applicants must demonstrate that...Read More
Working visas for EEA nationals
If the question were posed “What work visas can EEA nationals now apply for?”, the initial answer is simple: the same visas...Read More
Deprivation of British citizenship
This subject got into the news recently because of some proposed provisions in the Nationality and Borders Bill currently going through Parliament...Read More
Indian nationals now eligible for Youth Mobility Scheme Visa
The Youth Mobility Scheme is a scheme that enables young people (aged 18 to 30) from certain countries or territories or of...Read More
Applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain using form SET(O)
Migrants in the UK in various situations can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as settlement. ILR confers the...Read More
Partner Fiancé(e) Visa / Prospective Civil Partner visas
Under the immigration rules a foreign migrant can apply for leave to come to the UK or to remain in the UK...Read More
Asylum claims in the UK
A person claims asylum in the UK on the basis that they would be in danger if they had to return to...Read More
Overstaying – rules and penalties
As we have previously said in this blog, if you are in the UK with immigration leave and you want to extend...Read More
Spouse visa extension
A visa for a spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner may be granted either from outside the UK or within the UK,...Read More
Asylum seeker and right to work
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...Read More
Can I lose my ILR or Settled Status?
“Indefinite leave to remain” sounds as though it is, well, indefinite, but it is not necessarily. A person who holds indefinite leave...Read More
Settlement Visa based on Domestic abuse / violence
If you hold a partner visa and if you are experiencing significant abuse and/or violence from your settled partner you may be...Read More
Removal and Deportation
We often read in the media about people being “deported” from the UK. But in fact such people have in many cases...Read More
Skilled Worker / Intra-Company Transfer Sponsor Licence
In our previous article “Skilled Worker and Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence” (23 August) we provided a brief overview of the subject. In...Read More
Skilled Worker and Skilled Worker Sponsor Licence
Many years ago, back in the mists of time, there was the “Work Permit” visa. Then a few years ago came the...Read More
High Potential Individual Visa
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....Read More
Seven Year route to Settlement
Maybe you know the story. There is a family with young children who were born in the UK. They are all overstayers....Read More
Exceptional Assurance
The Covid-19 pandemic has, for obvious reasons, disrupted UK immigration very considerably. When the pandemic started migrants who were in the UK...Read More
How to bring family to the UK since BREXIT
30 June 2021 was supposedly the deadline for Pre-Settled/Settled status applications for EEA nationals and their family members. But, like everything else...Read More
Graduate Visa – Post Study Work Visa
Finally it has arrived – the new “Graduate” visa, which looks something like the old Tier 1 Post-Study Work visa but with...Read More
Adequate Accommodation Requirement
It is often said (and indeed with great force of truth) that UK immigration law is complicated. But sometimes connected or associated...Read More