BRPs No Longer Issued from 31 October 2024
The UK Home Office has confirmed that Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) will no longer be issued after 31 October 2024. This confirmation comes as the BRP replacement service also ceased operations last month. Visa holders now need to switch to an electronic visa (eVisa) by creating a UKVI account, which will store their immigration status […]
Surge in Sponsor Licence Suspensions & Revocations
Sponsor licence suspensions and revocations have this year reached an unprecedented high compared to figures from previous years. According to recent Home Office data, there has been a 109% increase in suspensions and a 51% rise in revocations since 2023. Beyond sponsor-specific obligations, the Home Office is also clamping down on wider immigration and employment law […]
Immigration Implications of Employment Rights Bill
The newly-published Employment Rights Bill is set to bring significant reform of UK workplace rights. The details of the changes will start to emerge as the Bill passes through the legislative process. For employers, this insight cannot come soon enough, as efforts will need to be made to review the new rules, assess current organisational […]
BRP Replacement Service Now Closed as eVisas Roll Out
The Home Office has confirmed that the BRP replacement service is now closed to new applications, and no new physical BRPs will be issued after 31 October 2024. Closure of BRP Replacement Services as eVisas Roll Out The Home Office has amended various guidance documents to reflect the withdrawal of the replacement Biometric […]
Refused Tier 1 Entrepreneur Extension Overturned: Home Office Error
In R (on the application of Ghadam) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, the Home Office was found to have followed an incorrect procedure in refusing an extension of a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur visa). Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa Refusal Successfully Challenged The applicant, an Iranian citizen, arrived in the UK in July […]
Jordan Nationals No Longer Eligible for UK ETA
As of 15:00 BST on 10 September 2024, nationals of Jordan are now required to obtain a visa before visiting or transiting through the UK. The change, outlined in the Home Office’s Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules (HC 217), adds Jordan to the visa national list and removes it from the Electronic Travel […]
Home Office Clarifies Discrepancy in Going Rate Guidance
The Home Office has addressed a discrepancy between the salary rates for certain roles listed in the “Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes” guidance and the rates in the Immigration Rules. In July 2024, the Home Office updated its guidance on salary rates for roles eligible under the Skilled Worker visa route, […]
Home Office Latest Illegal Working Clampdown
The UK government has unveiled new measures aimed at enhancing border security, focusing largely on employers hiring illegal workers and disrupting organised immigration crime. Illegal Working Under the Spotlight In a statement published on 21 August 2024, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced the immediate recruitment of up to 100 specialist intelligence and investigation […]
Transitioning to an eVisa for UK BRP Holders
Currently, the UK visa system relies mostly on physical documents such as the Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) to manage and prove immigration status for large numbers of migrants. The BRP card holds visa details and acts as proof of the holder’s immigration status and rights when in the UK. However, as part of a wider Home Office […]
King’s Speech 2024: Immigration Reforms
At the State Opening of Parliament on 17 July 2024, marking the first session since the most recent UK general election, King Charles presented the new Government’s upcoming legislative agenda. In this update, we set out the main provisions relating to UK immigration. Section A: Business Immigration The speech referred to the introduction […]