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Following our previous article on the rollout of eVisas in the UK, the UK Government has confirmed that all those who hold Biometric Residence Permits (“BRPs”), which are credit card sized identity documents which hold a migrant’s biographic data, biometric information and details of their UK immigration status, which expire on 31 December 2024, may now register for a UK Visas and Immigration (“UKVI”) account to access their eVisa. Previously, only those who had received an e-mail inviting them to register for a UKVI account were able to create one.Continue Reading UK Government continues rollout of eVisas to BRP holders

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New Immigration Rules came into force in the UK on 4 April 2024 which affect employers who sponsor workers under the Skilled worker or Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker routes. Continue Reading Raising The Bar: New UK Immigration Rules Increase Salary Thresholds For Sponsored Workers

The United Kingdom and India have announced a reciprocal Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) that will allow select nationals of each country to live, work, study, and travel in the other for up to twenty-four months. The visa program is open to Indian nationals between 18 and 30 years of age who hold at least a bachelor’s degree, have at least £2,530 in savings, and do not have any children. UK nationals seeking to travel to India are subject to similar requirements. Indian nationals will be required to enter their names in a ballot (lottery) system, with 2,400 applicants selected per ballot. UK nationals are not subject to a ballot system. The reciprocal program is intended to foster closer economic and cultural ties between the United Kingdom and India by opening binational opportunities to the countries’ young professionals.Continue Reading UK and India Announce Reciprocal Visa Program for Young Professionals

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Updated December 22, 2022: Effective December 20, 2022, the Indian government has resumed issuing e-Visas to Canadian nationals. Canadian nationals who wish to travel to India for tourism, business, medical, or conference reasons may once again apply for e-Visas online. The move follows the Indian government’s resumption of e-Visa services for UK nationals earlier this month, as explained in our original update below.  Continue Reading India Resumes Issuing e-Visas for UK & Canadian Nationals

With the regular changes to the UK Right to Work (“RTW”) checks over the last year or so, employers may be forgiven for having lost track of what the latest requirements are.

As mentioned in our last blog on RTW checks (You’re Joking – Not Another One! Further Changes to the Right to Work…

Note:  Originally published on March 4, 2022.  The number of people departing Ukraine has been updated from over 1.2 million to over 2 million.

Over two million people have departed Ukraine for neighboring European countries since the Russia-Ukraine military conflict escalated on February 24, 2022, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data portal. A spokesperson for the UNHCR reported that as many as 4 million Ukrainians—nearly 10 percent of the country’s population—are expected to flee to other countries if the fighting continues.Continue Reading Ukraine: Two Weeks Into the War with Russia, Over Two Million Displaced

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK Government has published details of how it is assisting Ukrainian nationals who find themselves in challenging UK immigration scenarios.

We set out below a summary of the current guidance which we will look to update on a regular basis.  The full guidance can be found here:

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The UK Government has announced the immediate closure of the Investor UK immigration route to new applicants.

This was the route that allowed individuals who had GBP£2 million available to invest in active and trading UK companies to come to the UK to live, work and / or study.  This route was particularly attractive to high net worth individuals as it was the only immigration route which allowed individuals to live in the UK on a self-sufficient basis.  In addition, it enabled them to bring their dependent family members to the UK, who were also permitted to live, work and / or study in the UK.  Furthermore, it was a route which led to indefinite leave to remain in the UK (also known as permanent residence or settlement) which, depending on the amount that the individual invested in the UK, could be achieved after spending five, three or two years in the UK under this category.Continue Reading Closure of the UK Investor Category

The official 30 June deadline to submit an initial application under the EU Settlement Scheme (“EUSS”) has now passed.  There were a flurry of last minute applications and reports of people being unable to submit their applications due to technical difficulties caused by the number of people logging onto the on-line form.  There is a significant backlog of applications and some applications have yet to arrive with the Home Office as they had to be submitted by post.  Fortunately, whilst an application is pending, an applicant continues to have the right to live and work in the UK.

Whilst the deadline for applications has come and gone, there may still be hope for some who may not have managed to submit an application in time.Continue Reading Closure Of The EU Settlement Scheme – Not Quite The End . . . Yet