Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 259 July 2026
Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC 259 Published On 9 July 2026, the Home Office laid HC 259 before Parliament, making a series of amendments to the Immigration Rules that take effect on 30 July and 3 August 2026. The changes affect the Graduate route, family migration, asylum procedures, the EU […]
British Citizenship Application Priority Processing Launched
New Priority Processing for British Citizenship Applications The Home Office has introduced a new Priority Service for British citizenship applications, allowing applicants to pay an additional £500 for a faster decision. Until now, British citizenship applications have not been eligible for routine paid priority processing, unlike many UK visa applications. Applicants using the […]
UK Right to Work Changes 2026
UK Right to Work Changes from 1 October 2026 On 1 October 2026, the UK’s right to work regime undergoes its most significant expansion for many years. The new framework extends immigration compliance obligations beyond traditional employment relationships to encompass a wider range of modern labour arrangements, reflecting the way organisations increasingly source […]
UK Employers Sponsoring Refugees? What We Know So Far
New UK Employer Sponsorship Route for Refugees Alongside wider asylum and immigration reforms, the government has announced plans to introduce a new immigration route allowing recognised refugees to come to the UK through employer sponsorship. According to the Home Office, the proposed scheme will sit alongside new community and university sponsorship routes as […]
Shabana Mahmood Sets Out New UK Asylum Immigration Routes
Shabana Mahmood UK Immigration Routes: Reforms Announced Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has outlined a package of asylum and immigration reforms that will form the basis of the forthcoming Immigration and Asylum Bill, which is expected to be published next week. The measures would significantly reshape how the UK provides protection to refugees while […]
What Are Andy Burnham’s Views on Immigration?
UK Immigration Policy under a Burnham Government As Burnham has not yet published a detailed immigration programme, any assessment of his likely approach necessarily relies on his parliamentary record, public statements and recent interviews. His parliamentary record generally places him within Labour’s more liberal tradition on immigration and asylum matters. More recently, however, […]
New Form for Accompanying an eVisa Published by the Home Office
What is the New Form to Accompany eVisas? The Home Office describes the document as a form for accompanying an eVisa. The published form contains information relating to the holder and their immigration permission. Nothing in the accompanying guidance suggests the document creates a new type of immigration status or replaces an existing […]
Brexit 10 Years On: How UK Immigration Changed
End of Free Movement Before Brexit, the UK effectively operated two immigration systems. EU citizens could generally live and work in the UK under free movement rights derived from European law. Employers could recruit workers from across the European Union without sponsor licences, immigration permission or ongoing Home Office compliance obligations. Non-EU nationals, […]
UK Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale Ups Launched (‘VFRS4SU’)
Government Launches Visa Fee Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups The Government has launched a new funding scheme aimed at helping certain high-growth businesses reduce the cost of recruiting international talent. The Visa Fees Reimbursement Scheme for Scale-Ups (VFRS4SU) allows eligible employers operating in the Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Digital and Technologies sectors to […]
Home Office Tightens Student Sponsor Compliance Rules for Universities
Home Office Raises the Compliance Bar for Student Sponsors The Home Office has announced significant changes to the Student sponsor compliance framework, introducing tougher performance thresholds and a new rating system for universities and higher education providers sponsoring international students. The reforms increase compliance expectations for licensed Student sponsors and create a more […]