The loss of a partner is a traumatic experience. This can be compounded by fears of how a bereavement will affect your immigration status. Fortunately, the UK immigration rules contain provisions to settle in the UK following a bereavement in certain circumstances. This article explores the rules for bereaved partners, found in the new Appendix Bereaved Partners.
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When the relevant rules changed on 11 April 2024, this caused a lot of confusion because the drafting of the rules was ambiguous but the guidance suggested that the 548 day limit no longer applied in post-April 2024 cases. The guidance has now been updated with greater clarity.
The way that individuals prove their immigration status in the UK is changing. The Home Office is transitioning from physical documents to a digital status called an eVisa. Those with a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) expiring on 31 December 2024 will need to set up a UKVI account and apply for an eVisa before this date. Those with a paper immigration status document or endorsement in their passport will need to take additional steps.
Turpin Miller represented AB, a destitute Romanian national, in her challenge to the failure of the Secretary of State for the Home Department (‘SSHD’) to provide her with suitable accommodation to protect and assist her as a victim of trafficking. The Administrative Court made an interim relief order mandating the SSHD to accommodate AB in London and she was subsequently provided with accommodation.
We are delighted to announce that Laura Coyle, Partner and Head of Housing Team at Turpin Miller, has been appointed co-chair of the Housing Law Practitioners Association (HLPA) Executive Committee alongside Tim Baldwin of Garden Court Chambers and Dianne Cowie of Duncan Lewis.
Turpin Miller act for VLT, a highly vulnerable Vietnamese national trafficked into the UK on three separate occasions over 15 years, who the Home Office refused permission to stay as a victim of trafficking in July 2023 on the basis of historic criminality that the Home Office accepted was the product of his past exploitation.
Hidden amongst a host of other changes to the immigration rules on 11 April 2024, there have been significant changes to the 10-year route to settlement known as ‘Long Residence’.
As many of you are probably aware, the UK border and immigration system is becoming digital. As of 1 January 2025, BRP cards will no longer be issued, and your immigration status record will be held digitally.
A new German citizenship law will come into force on 26 June 2024 allowing dual citizenship. Until now, Germany has only allowed dual citizenship in exceptional circumstances.
The Government has confirmed that the spouse/partner visa minimum income will initially increase to £29,000 on 11 April 2024 and incrementally thereafter to £38,700 ‘by early 2025’. Here we answer your Frequently Asked Questions.
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