Care worker detained and removed for illegal working
We have been reading a lot recently about how the Labour Government is being tough on migrants who are or who are...Read More
Illegal entry and asylum-seekers
The previous Conservative Government introduced some very draconian laws in its Illegal Migration Act 2023, which imposed severe penalties on asylum-seekers who...Read More
Revocation of British Citizenship
In our blog of 14 January, we discussed cancellation/revocation of visas or settlement status. This time we are discussing the revocation of...Read More
The OISC has changed its name
The Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) is – or more accurately was – the organisation that regulates immigration services firms...Read More
Can your visa be revoked, curtailed, cancelled?
Well, it can, but the Home Office would have to give a good reason, or at least what they think is a...Read More
eVisas – urgent update
As we have informed you more than once, hard-copy immigration documents like BRPs and vignettes are supposed to be dead and buried...Read More
Columbians lose non-visa national status
Back in November 2022 we informed you that Columbian nationals had been given non-visa national status. In other words, they were now...Read More
eVisas are coming soon
Many migrants will have noticed over the last few years that their biometric residence permits (BRPs) have been issued with an expiry...Read More
The Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme – New Update Oct 2024
The Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme – update Sometime last year we warned you that the electronic travel authorisation scheme (ETA) – under...Read More
Removal and deportation from the UK
You may sometimes read in the media about somebody being “deported” from the UK – ie being expelled from the country. The...Read More
New Government, new immigration policies?
Official figures from the Office of National Statistics show that net migration into the UK has fallen significantly in the past few...Read More
Can Immigration Judges ask too many questions?
If your visa application is refused (for example a family or long residence visa) you may have the right to appeal before...Read More
Changes to Pre-Settled Status
Home Offices statistics tell us that 5.7 million people have taken advantage of the EU Settlement Scheme and hold either Settled Status...Read More
£29,000 Partner rule comes into effect
Earlier this month the £29,000 income requirement for sponsors under Appendix FM (family members) came into effect. The basic rule is now...Read More
Forthcoming immigration rules changes in April 2024
We have already warned readers about significant forthcoming changes in the immigration rules in April 2024, specifically a large increase in the...Read More
Unmarried partners – new definition
Some will no doubt be pleased to learn that the Home Office has changed its definition of an unmarried partner. Previously an...Read More
Immigration financial increases and other changes – update
As we have already informed readers, the Immigration Health Surcharge is going to increase substantially on 6 February 2024. We can now...Read More
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, if a migrant has ten years’ continuous...Read More
Immigration Health Surcharge to rise on 6 February
As we informed you a while ago in our blog, the Government has made the decision to substantially increase the Immigration Health...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 be new,...Read More
Drastic changes to the immigration rules – stop press news
Last month we reported on forthcoming drastic changes to the immigration rules, including a particularly drastic increase in the minimum salary requirements...Read More
Forthcoming drastic changes to the immigration rules
One of the arguments in the long-running Brexit debate was that by being in the EU the UK had lost control of...Read More
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
In our blog published on 6 March 2023 (“No longer necessary to renew Pre-Settled Status?”) We explained that the High Court had...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