News

With permission Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on immigration detention. As the House knows, our immigration system is made up of many different and interconnected parts. Immigration detention is an important part of that system. It encourages compliance with our immigration rules, protects the public from the consequences of illegal migration […]

The announcement comes in response to Stephen Shaw’s second review of the government’s approach to vulnerable people in immigration detention which looks at progress the government has made since his first report in 2016. The measures announced include commitments to work with charities, faith groups, communities and other stakeholders to develop alternatives to detention, strengthening […]

On Tuesday 26 June 2018 Commonwealth Evaluators Ltd., and the leading members of the company were convicted at Croydon Crown Court on 12 counts comprising offences of fraud and the unlawful provision of immigration advice and services following a nine week trial brought by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC). Swaye Binns, 39, […]

The Temporary Enrolment Location (TEL) will operate on 7th and 8th August 2018 from 09.00 am to 05.30 pm from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maldives (1st Floor Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Male). Applicants wishing to use the temporary VAC will follow the normal application process by submitting their forms, paying for their visas and booking their […]

Revised policy guidance for Grenfell relatives published today states that people with core participant status or those called to be a witness at the Inquiry who are already in the country, will be able to extend their stay in the UK for a further 6 months. This is to provide certainty for relatives that they […]

The Home Office’s latest Statement of Changes issued earlier this month detailed several changes to the current immigration rules. As it has been widely reported in the press, doctors and nurses have now been removed from the annual cap on Tier 2 General visas for skilled non-EEA workers. Other amendments come into effect on 6 […]

The latest publication from the Office of National Statistics shows quarterly and annual data relating to those coming to the UK; extending their stay; obtaining nationality; and arriving to work, study or for family reasons. All statistics presented are taken for the year ending March 2018. Arrivals Based on information gained on airport passenger surveys, 137.9 […]

The government had announced the immigration health surcharge paid by temporary migrants to the UK is set to double, possibly by late 2018. Ministers have claimed the move would raise around £220m a year for the health service while ensuring that migrants made a “fair contribution” towards its costs. The increase to the immigration health […]

Employers wishing to sponsor non-EEA nationals under Tier 2 (General) should be aware that there is no guarantee that an application for a restricted Certificate of Sponsorship will be successful as there is a real risk that the cap will be reached again, particularly in February and March 2018. Restricted CoS allocations The final quarter […]

Historically, when considering applications for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) calculated absences from the UK for each 12-month period, prior to the date of application. Applications for settlement based on five years continuous stay in the UK previously needed to evidence fewer than 180 days’ absence in any of the […]