New start-up visa route announced by the Home Secretary
People who want to start a business in the UK will be able to apply for a new “start-up” visa, the Home Secretary has announced. The new route, announced during London Tech Week, will widen the applicant pool of talented entrepreneurs and make the visa process faster and smoother for entrepreneurs coming to the UK. […]
Highly Skilled Migrants wrongly face deportation
Article by Ramzan Sharif of Fountain Solicitors At least 1,000 highly skilled migrants seeking indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the UK are wrongly facing deportation under section 322 (5) of the Immigration Act. Highly skilled workers – including teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers and IT professionals – are being refused ILR after being accused of […]
Home Office accept responsibility for asylum claim of deaf seven-year-old boy and concede that he should not be removed to Germany from the UK
Wednesday 4th April 2018 The Secretary of State for the Home Department, Amber Rudd, has accepted that the asylum claims of seven-year-old deaf boy and his family are the responsibility of the UK government and that the family should not be removed to Germany from the UK. The concession comes at the very last minute […]
UK eases rules, gives students more flexibility for work visas
Article by Abdul Zeb, Immigration Solicitor at Fountain Solicitors The new immigration rules are set to be introduced from 11 January 2018. International students in the UK will soon enjoy more flexibility in switching over to work visas, with new immigration rules set to be introduced from January 11. As per the new rules, foreign […]
TECHNICAL NOTE: EU CITIZENS’ RIGHTS – ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES IN THE UK
09.11.2017 1. The UK will be bound by the obligations set out in the Withdrawal Agreement as a matter of international law. The citizens’ rights chapter of this Agreement will be incorporated in UK law, which means that the UK authorities will be required to confer the status and rights defined in the Withdrawal Agreement […]
Home Office announces changes to Grenfell immigration policy
12 October 2017 Article by Abdul Zeb, Immigration Solicitor at Fountain Solicitors The Home Office announced changes to the immigration policy for survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy so it provides a route to settlement in the UK. Under the original policy, eligible foreign nationals directly affected by the fire with uncertain immigration status could […]
Waiting time in the immigration tribunal now 83 weeks for some appeals
The latest tribunal statistics, published show that the average waiting time for appeals to be heard in the immigration tribunal is now 48 weeks. This is the time between the appeal being lodged and the appeal being heard. The breakdown for different types of appeal reveals major disparities between different types of appeal, though, with […]
People outside the UK will be forced to pay £5.48 when they email the government agency UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
People outside the UK will be forced to pay £5.48 when they email the government agency UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) with an enquiry as of today. For customers applying from outside the UK, as well as having to pay £5.48 for an email, all phone numbers and opening hours will change. The number of […]
Supreme Court unanimously handed down its judgment on the legality of the minimum income requirement (MIR)
Article by Ramzan Sharif Solicitor at Fountain Solicitors Today the Supreme Court unanimously handed down its judgment on the legality of the minimum income requirement (MIR) of £18,600 for marriage visas. The Court found the challenge to the existence of a MIR in principle and the argument that there is no rational connection between the […]
Shortage of judges hits immigration tribunals
A significant decline in the number of immigration tribunal judges is seeing a growing backlog of appeals. Government figures show that in 2012 there were 347 fee-paid and 132 salaried judges in the first-tier tribunal. In 2016 there were only 242 fee-paid and 77 salaried. In the upper tribunal, a headcount of 40 fee-paid and […]