News

06.03.2024 - UK Budget 2024: The non-dom tax status has been abolished

On 6 March 2024, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the UK Budget for 2024.

 

Budget 2024 – what changes in taxation are proposed and expected

Non-Dom Changes – FAQs

 

Here are the key points.

  1. On taxes

• National insurance contributions for employees are being cut from 10% to 8% from April - impacting about 27 million workers - with savings of up to £450 a year.

• National Insurance, a payroll tax, cut by 2p in the pound for employees and the self-employed.

• Self-employed NI rates will drop by two percentage points as well.

• Higher rate of property capital gains tax will be red...

27.02.2024 - Changes to the rules as regards providing tuberculosis test for UK immigration

In most cases for a first UK entry visa (there are exceptions, for example, a tourist visa for any period or Ukrainian visa schemes) you need to provide a test confirming the absence of tuberculosis. The test is taken in one of the approved medical clinics, located in various countries of the world.

A valid tuberculosis certificate is required if the applicant was in the country or countries listed below by the link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-tuberculosis-tb

Previously under the old immigration rules, the applicant was not required to pass the tub...

20.02.2024 - Hundreds of high-risk flights land in the UK unchecked

'High-risk' aircraft are landing in Britain without security checks in a major new immigration scandal.

The borders watchdog warned of 'dangerous' failings at a prominent London airport which potentially allowed thousands of passengers to evade passport controls.

Home Office data provided to Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, David Neal, showed the UK Border Force failed to check the occupants of hundreds of private jets arriving at just one airport last year.

Mr Neal voiced concerns the problem may be duplicated at other airports which handle private and chartered aircraf...

19.02.2024 - The statement of changes in immigration rules presented to parliament on 19 February 2024 (HC 556)

The changes being made primarily concern changes to the Ukraine Family Scheme, Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, Ukraine Extension Scheme and to provisions for care workers and senior care workers on the Skilled Worker visa route.

The changes will be implemented on various dates from 19 February 2024.

Changes to the Ukraine visa schemes

  1. Closing the Ukraine Family Scheme

The Government has decided to close the Ukraine Family Scheme (UFS) to new applications with immediate effect to rationalise the offers for Ukrainians coming to the UK and improve the sustainability of the schemes pro...

18.02.2024 - Ukraine visa schemes to be extended by 18 months

Ukrainians who came to the UK following the Russian invasion will be able to apply for 18-month extensions to their visas, the government has announced.

Since the invasion, the second anniversary of which is next week, some 200,200 Ukrainians and family members have come to the UK.

New arrivals were granted three years to remain, meaning the first visas were due to expire in March 2025.

It means those on the earliest visas can stay until at least September 2026.

The government said it would provide people with "certainty and stability".

The extension will apply to all three visa schemes set up...

15.02.2024 - Home Secretary confirms “pause” on processing asylum claims

Having presumably learned from their much criticised mishandling of certain trafficking cases, the government published a statement yesterday stating that they have paused consideration of asylum claims from a certain group. Those affected are people who arrived on or after 1 January 2022 and who received a notice of intent before 29 June 2023 which said that they may be removed to Rwanda. The government statement says:

On 15 November 2023, the Supreme Court found that removal of asylum seekers to Rwanda was, based on the evidence reviewed at that time, unlawful. However, the Court recognised ...

08.02.2024 - UK extends tariff-free trade with Ukraine until 2029

UK to support Ukrainian businesses by extending tariff-free trade until 2029.

  • UK and Ukraine extend tariff-free trade on majority of goods for an additional five years.
  • Move designed to help Ukrainian businesses impacted by the war and is the most generous tariff break offered by any country.
  • UK Trade Minister Greg Hands and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to sign extension in a virtual ceremony today.

Most UK-Ukraine trade will remain tariff-free until at least 2029, thanks to an extension agreed today to support Ukraine’s long-term economic recovery from...

01.02.2024 - Court of Appeal rejects Home Office attempt to exclude person on “public policy grounds”

The Court of Appeal has rejected the Home Office’s appeal in a case involving denial of entry to the UK to the family member of an EEA national on “public policy grounds”, where the person had a low risk of re-offending. The case is Secretary of State for the Home Department v Okafor [2024] EWCA Civ 23.

Background

Mr Okafor married a Swedish national in October 2019. She held indefinite leave to remain. On 30 July 2020 Mr Okafor was granted entry clearance under the EU Settlement Scheme and he arrived in the UK with an EUSS family permit in September 2020.

He was refused admission on public po...

31.01.2024 - New international arrangements expand opportunities for the Youth Mobility Visa Scheme

The UK’s Youth Mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea have been expanded, while new schemes with Uruguay and Andorra come into effect.

Young Brits will have more opportunities to live, work and study abroad, as changes to the UK’s international arrangements with 6 countries come into effect today (31 January).

Enhancements to the UK government’s successful existing Youth Mobility schemes with Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea have come into force, including expanding the age range so more young people can qualify and gain vital life experience overseas. 

New sche...

31.01.2024 - Important change to the company sponsor licence renewal process from 6 April 2024

From the 6th of April 2024, sponsors will no longer be required to renew their sponsor licences.   

Currently, licences must be renewed (and fees paid) every 4 years. If a licence was not renewed, the sponsor will not be able to employ any sponsored employees, and existing sponsored employees would have their visas cut short to 60 days.   

The renewal process is not particularly onerous, and it involves a Level 1 user logging into the system, making the renewal application and paying the renewal fee.  This is currently £536 for small or charitable organisations, and £1,476 for medium or large ...

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