The UK Home Office published the dates that the United Kingdom’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme will be rolled out to all applicable countries....more
Having run on a manifesto promising to “reform the points-based immigration system so that it is fair and properly managed,” the United Kingdom’s incoming Labour government is expected to implement several changes to the...more
The UK government published a Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules, providing details for the much-anticipated changes to sponsored worker salary thresholds, the new Immigration Salary List, and increased income...more
The UK government has announced key dates for changes regarding civil penalties for illegal working, the increase to minimum salary requirements, and sponsor licence renewals....more
The UK government ended 2023 by announcing further immigration updates effective 31 January 2024, including changes to the Visitor Rules and an expansion of the Youth Mobility Scheme....more
Following a recent publication from the Office for National Statistics, which highlighted a net legal migration figure of 745,000 in 2022, the UK government has faced increasing pressure to implement an emergency plan to...more
The UK government’s increase to the immigration health surcharge is expected to come into force in January 2024. Following on from our recent LawFlash outlining increases to UK visa and nationality fees, which came into...more
The UK Home Office announced that immigration and nationality application fee increases will commence on 4 October. Having announced its intentions to increase the fees for immigration and nationality applications in July,...more
The UK government recently announced plans to triple the civil penalties for employers that are found to be employing workers illegally. While the penalties will not come into force until 2024, employers should review their...more
The UK government has announced significant upcoming changes to the cost of applications for UK visas, affecting visa applicants and their employers, with the aim of raising £1 billion to fund public sector pay increases....more
In a recently published statement of changes, the UK government announced restrictions on student visas and access to the EU Settlement Scheme as well as updates to the Shortage Occupation List. The key changes impacting...more
The UK Home Office has announced changes to the way certain details on the Sponsor Management System (SMS) can now be changed by sponsors. The new process should streamline requests and potentially reduce costs for employers...more
The UK Home Office published a new Statement of Changes setting out changes to the immigration rules coming into force on 12 and 13 April 2023. The changes include increases to the minimum salary requirements for sponsored...more
In recent European immigration updates, the UK Home Office revised the exemptions to Immigration Skills Charge, while the European Union is introducing a new automated information technology Entry/Exit System....more
The UK Home Office has updated its guidance with a few notable changes for employers regarding start dates, sponsor reporting, the immigration skills charge, and the non-visa national list. New COVID-19 testing requirements...more
The United Kingdom launched a new visa route on 22 August that allows businesses that have demonstrated a sustained period of growth to recruit highly skilled individuals to support them in their continued growth....more
The UK Home Office announced the removal of the police registration requirement for relevant nationals. It has also reinstated priority processing services for overseas work and study visa applicants....more
The UK Home Office has updated its guidance regarding visa processing times for UK visa applications submitted outside of the United Kingdom. Delays are due to the UK government’s prioritisation of Ukraine scheme...more
In a recently published statement of changes, the UK government announced wide-ranging changes to the UK Immigration Rules, including the launch of new Global Mobility routes, a High Potential Individual route, and a Scale-up...more
The UK government has announced a number of changes to the UK immigration rules applicable to Ukrainian nationals in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Ukrainian nationals remain visa nationals, which means that...more
The UK Home Office has announced new identification document validation technology for right-to-work checks due to take effect from April 6, together with an extension of the COVID-19 temporary right-to-work check measures....more