Youth Mobility Scheme Ballot: 2026 Dates
Who the February 2026 ballot applies to The February 2026 Youth Mobility ballot is open only to Hong Kong SAR Chinese passport holders and Taiwanese nationals aged between 18 and 30. Age is assessed at the date you submit your visa application, not the date you enter the ballot. Applicants who turn 31 […]
Trade Union Law Changes from 18 February 2026
Changes to trade union rules under the Employment Rights Act 2025 The Employment Rights Act 2025 removes a number of statutory constraints that previously limited lawful industrial action. Most significantly, it repeals the minimum service level regime introduced under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023. From 18 February 2026, employers in affected […]
Home Office Warning to EU Settlement Scheme Status Holders
Home Office warning The Home Office is advising all EU Settlement Scheme status holders to ensure that their UKVI account details are accurate and up to date. This includes checking that the passport or identity document linked to their digital status is the same document they intend to use for travel. The warning […]
UK Entry Requirements for British Citizens 2026
Section A: UK entry requirements for British citizens in 2026 British citizens continue to have an automatic right to enter the UK, but the way that right operates in practice has changed. UK border controls are now far more proof-driven and are increasingly applied before travel takes place, rather than on arrival. From […]
Home Office to Reform UK Immigration & Asylum Appeals
Proposals to reform UK immigration & asylum appeals system The proposal is to abolish the current First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) as the primary forum for asylum and immigration appeals and to replace it with a new appeals body. The new body would hear asylum appeals and, according to the Home Secretary’s […]
UK Digital ID Card: Not Compulsary for Right to Work Checks
Digital ID plans revised – what has changed The government has now stepped back from its earlier position that workers would be required to sign up to a mandatory digital ID in order to work in the UK. While ministers initially framed digital ID as a hard requirement for employment, the revised position […]
Immigration Enforcement Activity at Record Levels: Employer Impact
Home Office Boasts of Record Enforcement Activity The Home Office has published a press release, reporting immigration enforcement activity to be at record levels in the UK. Between July 2024 and the end of December 2025, raids increased by 77 percent and arrests rose by 83 percent. More than 17,400 enforcement visits were […]
Migrants’ English Language Requirement Raised for UK Work Visas
Changes to Migrants’ English Language Requirement Under revised Immigration Rules, applicants seeking an initial grant of permission under the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual (HPI) and Scale-up visa routes on or after 8 January 2026 are required to meet a higher English language standard of B2 under the Common European Framework of Reference […]
UK Immigration Changes 2026: Employer Guide
8 January 2026: Higher English Language Threshold From 8 January 2026, the English language threshold for first time applicants under Skilled Worker, Scale up and High Potential Individual is expected to increase from B1 to B2. Transitional treatment generally turns on the date the application is submitted, so late submission can shift a […]
Increase in Immigration Skills Charge from 16 Dec 2025
Immigration Skills Charge Increase from 16 December 2025 The Immigration Skills Charge is a mandatory fee paid by most UK employers when sponsoring overseas workers under either the Skilled Worker or the Global Business Mobility Senior or Specialist Worker visa routes. The charge is paid up front when a Certificate of Sponsorship is […]