News
19.07.2023 - Visa regime imposed on Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu
Dominica, Honduras, Namibia, Timor-Leste and Vanuatu to the list of countries whose nationals require a visa to travel to the UK as a visitor.
The change has been introduced with immediate effect, from 3pm 19 July 2023.
18.07.2023 - First British passports issued with King's name
The first British passports issued in King Charles's name are being released this week, the Home Office has said.
Passports will now use the wording "His Majesty", with the era finally ending for passports using "Her Majesty", for the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The last time "His Majesty" appeared on a passport was in the reign of King George VI, which ended in 1952.
Five million passports have been issued already this year under the name of the late Queen.
The one person who will not need a passport is the King himself. By convention the monarch does not have to carry a passport to travel, beca...
17.07.2023 - Enhancements to the EU Settlement Scheme confirmed
New immigration rules, laid in Parliament 17 July, confirm that from September 2023 people with pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) will automatically have their status extended by 2 years before it expires if they have not obtained settled status.
The process will be automated by the Home Office and reflected in the person’s digital status. They will be notified of the extension directly. This will ensure that nobody loses their immigration status if they do not apply to switch from pre-settled to settled status.
The Home Office also intends to take steps to automatically...
17.07.2023 - Visa rules eased for building and fishing industry
Visa rules are being eased for overseas builders, carpenters and people working in the fishing industry, the Home Office has confirmed.
Roofers and plasterers have also been added to the Shortage Occupation List, which temporarily eases visa restrictions in areas where employers are struggling to fill vacancies.
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) advised adding builders to the list.
Advisors on MAC recommended five jobs for inclusion on the shortage occupations list:
- Bricklayers and masons
- Roofers, roof tilers and slaters
- Carpenters and joiners
- Plasterers
The Home Office ...
17.07.2023 - Statement of changes of the immigration rules HC 1496
On 17 July 2023, a new statement of changes to the Immigration Rules was published. As usual, it is accompanied by an Explanatory Memorandum. Also as usual, it is largely concerned with cracking down on those perceived as abusing immigration law. There are, though, one or two positive changes.
EU Settlement Scheme
There are two significant changes to the validity requirements of the EU Settlement Scheme. Firstly, the obligation to demonstrate reasonable grounds for applying after the deadline (30 June 2021). This means that where the Secretary of State considers there are no reasonable grounds...
14.07.2023 - Airport detainee wrongly denied a solicitor in immigration interview
A would-be student stopped on arrival in the UK was wrongly denied a solicitor in interview, the High Court has found in R (on the application of Kumar) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWHC 1741 (Admin).
The facts
Mr Kumar arrived at Manchester Airport with a student visa. The immigration officer who initially questioned him at the desk wasn’t satisfied from his answers that he was a genuine student. He was therefore detained for further investigation. He instructed a solicitor who asked to be present by phone when Mr Kumar was subsequently interviewed. The immigration offi...
13.07.2023 - Massive increases to immigration fees announced
The government has announced massive increases in immigration fees and the immigration health surcharge.
The normal rate for the immigration health surcharge will increase from £624 to £1,035 per year. This will be paid by workers entering for a period of six months or more and the family members of migrants and British citizens alike. The discounted rate for students, children and youth mobility visa holders will be increased from £470 to £776. The minister announcing the measure explicitly stated that this increase “would fund the pay rise for doctors” that was announced earlier.
Immigration...
07.07.2023 - High Court rejects challenge to EU Settlement Scheme dependency rules for children
The child of an EU national is only entitled to stay in the UK after Brexit if they are under 21 or dependent on their parent, the High Court has held. In reaching this conclusion, the court in R (on the application of Ali) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] EWHC 1615 (Admin) confirmed that the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme accurately reflects the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the European Union.
The facts
The claimant, Ms Ali, is a Bangladeshi citizen with an EU national mother. She arrived in the UK in 2014 with an EEA family permit issued under the Immigration (Europe...
03.07.2023 - Updates about the operation of Tech Nation for visas purposes
After a decade as a government-backed organisation serving the UK scaleup tech ecosystem, it was announced that Tech Nation has been acquired by Founders Forum Group (FF Group), a global community and group of businesses supporting entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys.
The transfer will see FF Group continue to execute against Tech Nation’s mission to empower tech entrepreneurs, scale innovative startups, and provide a united platform for UK tech founders.
FF Group will relaunch a number of Tech Nation programmes and reports on the UK tech sector as part of its existing portfolio of...
26.06.2023 - Supreme Court finds “golden” investor visa scheme unlawful
Last week the Supreme Court found that a financing scheme to help individuals qualify for an Investor visa did not comply with the requirements of the immigration rules. The case is R (on the application of Wang) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2023] UKSC 21 and the judgment reverses the decision of the Court of Appeal, restoring the original decision by the Upper Tribunal.
The decision means that Ms Wang and over 100 others reported to have participated in the same financing scheme will not qualify for visas. The decision has little wider significance regarding the interpretatio...
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