Get in touch via WhatsApp: 0330 043 1334 or email: info@1sa.uk
Get in touch via WhatsApp: 0330 043 1334 or email: info@1sa.uk
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The 18th of April 2024 signified 1 Step Ahead Immigration Services first year anniversary! Over the past year, several milestones have been achieved, here are three of the main ones:
Note that there are 4 main types of appointment you can book:
The Home Office has announced and implemented several important updates:
To keep updated with UKVI fees please follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table
For further details or to discuss how these changes might affect you, please contact us via WhatsApp or book an appointment.
On July 13, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak revealed that visa application fees are set to rise "significantly" alongside the immigration health surcharge (IHS), which gives migrants access to the NHS.
The rises are expected to come into effect at short notice. The last time the IHS fee rose was 1st October 2020 from £400 per year to £624 per year. Therefore it is likely that the fee rises will come into effect 1st October this year.
Some of the proposed increases are as follows:
All people travelling to the UK who did not need a visa to visit will soon be required to apply for an ETA.
For more information, follow this link:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta
Overview
The Immigration Act 1971 (as amended) is the framework of current UK immigration law. It does not itself contain any details because it permits the details to be written within the immigration rules to be laid down and amended by the Secretary of State for the Home Department (SSHD) at their discretion.
The procedure for any changes made to the immigration rules is known as negative resolution procedure, which means, unlike primary legislation, that at the discretion of the SSHD the rules can be changed without needing approval of the changes for it to become law. But either the House of Commons or the House of Lords can pass a motion within a specified period (usually 40 days) to annul the changes, which stops it having legal effect.
This is why immigration laws can change very regularly and quickly, at times coming into effect with no notice whatsoever, as happened in July 2023 for student migrants who wished to switch from their student visa to a skilled worker one before having completed their university degree.
Therefore, it is essential to keep an eye on current affairs and specifically the Statement of Changes, which are published usually before an immigration law change comes into effect.
Below are a few most recent changes:
7th September 2023
Removal of right to administrative review for refused EUSS and EUSS Family permit applications. Instead appeal rights remain as per the duties of the Government to comply with the Immigration (Citizens’ Rights Appeals) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.
Some minor technical amendments are also being made to the Immigration Rules for the EUSS in Appendix EU to clarify the existing policy position that where a dependent parent or child has already been granted limited leave under Appendix EU, they will not need to evidence dependency for any further applications under Appendix EU.
Changes are also being made to the definition of ‘required date’ in Annex 1 of Appendix EU to clarify that the required date specified in sub-paragraphs (a)(viii) and (ix) of that definition does not apply to applicants relying on being either a person with a Zambrano right to reside or a family member of a qualifying British citizen.
Additions to restrictions upon migrants with the condition attached on their visas are set to be increased to include the Social Security Scotland benefits and clarify existing benefits.
The Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) route implements the international commitments that the UK has made to provide cultural exchange programmes for young people. The current existing reciprocal, bilateral arrangements with Australia and Canada have been enhanced by the age range being expanded from 18-30 to 18-35 and the length of stay increased from 2 to 3 years.
A minor technical edit is also being made to clarify the limitations on self-employment on this route.
The UK has negotiated a YMS arrangement with Andorra. Therefore it will be added to the list of countries and territories participating in this route and the Rules will be amended to reflect the requirements for Andorran citizens coming to the UK.
In April 2023 the definition of ‘lawful residence’ for the purposes of long residence was changed to exclude time spent on immigration bail, as a visitor, short-term student, or seasonal worker. The rules are being changed to clarify that this exclusion extends to time spent on previous versions of immigration bail (temporary admission and temporary release) and previous visitor, short-term student visa, or seasonal worker routes.
A new section of the Immigration Rules, Appendix Children is soon to be introduced and will include common requirements for both children applying as dependants of a lead applicant, and children applying in their own right.
Common requirements for dependent children related to age, independent life, care, and relationship requirements will still exist and a common parental consent requirement will apply where a child is applying for entry clearance or leave to remain in their own right. No policy changes have been made to these requirements, but the aim of this approach is to provide clarity and consistency. Currently, Appendix FM is not included within the list of routes that the new Appendix Children will apply to.
As mentioned above, the UK is launching an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to strengthen border security. The ETA scheme will be launched in October 2023 in a phased manner
on a nationality basis and will ultimately apply to all those passengers visiting the UK or transiting through the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays and do not have any other immigration status before travelling.
At present, non-visa nationals (including EEA citizens) coming to the UK for up to six months as visitors (and in limited other categories) can travel to the UK solely on the basis of their nationality, evidenced by their passport or other travel document.
The policy will also remove NHS debt as a ground for refusal of an ETA application, however, any travellers seeking permission to enter the UK who have outstanding NHS debts, and who do not take the necessary steps to settle their debts in advance of travel, may be refused entry at the UK border on arrival.
At present, Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisations stipulates that an applicant who is lawfully resident in Ireland and is travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area (CTA) does not need to obtain an ETA. This policy change will clarify that the ETA exemption for applicants lawfully
resident in Ireland, who are travelling within the CTA, will require a person aged 16 or over to demonstrate residency in Ireland, if required by a UK official, in order to benefit from this exemption.
These changes are to provide clarity and consistency on the requirements for entry clearance as a Returning Resident.
This is being updated to allow an applicant in an additional 6 routes to demonstrate they meet the English Language requirement if they have a GCSE, A level, Scottish National Qualification at level 4 or 5 or Scottish Higher or Advanced Higher in English.
The 6 additional routes are Appendix Representative of an Overseas Business, Appendix T2 Minister of Religion, Appendix UK Ancestry, Appendix Global Talent, Appendix Domestic Workers in a Private Household and Appendix Hong Kong British National (Overseas).
Aims to provide greater clarity and consistency on the TB requirement, and are making associated consequential changes to individual routes where the new Appendix Tuberculosis will apply in place of the current rules.
The 2009 concession for pre-1997 Gurkhas are being brought into effect within the Immigration Rules and extending it to cover a new route for members of Hong Kong military units, and their families, to settle in the UK.
The 2009 concession enabling settlement applications from pre-1997 Gurkhas will be brought into the Rules and at the same time extended to cover pre-1997 members of Hong Kong military units as announced in March 2023.
In March 2023, the Government announced that it intended to enable former members of Hong Kong military units discharged before 1 July 1997 to settle in the UK. This will be done by extending the provisions of the settlement concession that already exists for former Gurkhas and their families to Hong Kong military unit veterans and their families.
Summary
As evident from the examples of changes provided above, immigration law can be quite in-depth and complex.
If you have any questions about the aforementioned changes or any prior changes and how they might impact you, please book a consultation with
1 Step Ahead Immigration Services
The Dryden Enterprise Centre, Nottingham Trent University, Dryden Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ
t: 0330 043 1334 e: info@1sa.uk
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