Tier 1 Investor Visa Route Closed
The UK Government has permanently closed the Tier 1 (Investor) Visa route for foreign nationals. The closure took effect from 4pm 17 February 2022, and applies to all new investor visa applications from applicants of all nationalities. Statement of Changes In its statement, the Home Office advised that the visa route had been “under […]
MAC Publishes Review of ICT Route
The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its report on the UK’s Intra Company Transfer route. The MAC is an independent body that was commissioned by the UK Government in September 2020 to undertake a review of the ICT. The scope of the review was to assess: Whether the route complies with the UK’s commitments […]
Changes to Immigration Rules HC 617 October 2021
The government published a statement of changes to the UK Immigration Rules on 10 September 2021. At 183 pages, it is extensive and covers a broad range of areas. In this guide, we summarise the key points affecting employers, workers and business travellers to the UK. ID cards banned for entry purposes From 1 […]
UK Sponsorship Reforms: 2021, 2022 & Beyond
With the introduction of the new points-based immigration system, the UK government has pledged to make a number of improvements to the work visa sponsorship process for sponsors and workers. Given the new immigration rules require UK employers to have a sponsorship licence to hire most non-UK residents, the imperative for reform of the system […]
Home Office Challenging CoS Applications
Sponsor licence holders are being warned of increased Home Office scrutiny when processing CoS requests. Prior to the change in the CoS regime at the end of 2020, requests for CoS allocations were generally considered to be ‘rubber stamping’ exercises. However, we are noticing an increase in the number of requests for further information being […]
Changes to Immigration Rules 2021 (HC 1248)
The Home Office published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, HC 1248, on 4th March 2021. The majority of the amendments affect UK work and study visas under the points-based system, with most due to take effect on 6th April 2021, unless otherwise stated. Graduate route From 1 July 2021, student visa […]
Latest UK COVID Restrictions & Business Travel
New immigration COVID restrictions are now in effect in England as the Government moves to suppress transmission of the coronavirus. Travel corridors closed All quarantine-free travel corridors for people arriving into the UK have been closed indefinitely, and all arrivals from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man must now present […]
Tier 2 Cooling Off Period: New Rules 2021
With the Skilled Worker visa now open, replacing the Tier 2 (General) visa, a number of changes have taken effect impacting points-based skilled workers and their sponsors. One significant area of change is in relation to the Tier 2 cooling off period. Tier 2 cooling off period abolished for skilled workers Under the UK’s […]
Skilled Worker Visa Replaces Tier 2
The UK’s Tier 2 visa for skilled workers has been replaced by the Skilled Worker visa. With effect from 1 December 2020, visa applications from skilled workers are to be made under the new route which forms part of the UK’s new points-based immigration system. The new route goes live in advance of the end […]
Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules 2020
Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules 2020 – HC 813 In its Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 813, the UK Government has set out the legal framework for the country’s new immigration system. The document, at 514 pages, is far-reaching in its reform of the routes and regulations which allow individuals to […]