Defined Certificate of Sponsorship made by sponsors from the care sector and the Hospitality sectors are now subject to close scrutiny. Yukino Posthuma de Boer from the Business and Skilled Immigration team explores this topic her Q&A below.
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New Sponsor Guidance updates have been published on 31 December 2024 on recouping fees and Level 1 user requirements. How will this affect sponsors? Eliana Barrera from the Business and Skilled Immigration team explores this topic.
The Immigration Rules allow some people to apply to stay in the UK based on long residence. Under the 20-year rule, you need to have lived in the UK continuously – not necessarily lawfully – for 20 years.
By April 2025, all non-visa nationals will need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to travel to the UK. The scheme is part of the UK government’s plans to digitise the border and immigration system. This is a significant change for non-visa nationals including European and US nationals who do not currently need advance permission to travel to the UK.
The UK government is digitising the immigration system. Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) and Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) are no longer being issued. Anyone granted a visa will now receive instructions from UKVI confirming how to access or set up an eVisa account. Anyone with an existing visa or Indefinite Leave to Remain should apply for an eVisa before 31 December 2024.
The Home Office has announced that as of 18 December 2024, time spent in the UK under one of the Ukraine Schemes will no longer be permission that can be counted towards the 10 years of continuous residence necessary to settle on the basis of long residence.
In the recent Statement of Changes, the government has added Colombians to the list of nationalities who require a visit visa when visiting the UK. This change is effective from 26 November 2024.
The Immigration Health Surcharge (“IHS”) is a fee which most visa applicants will need to pay when apply for a UK visa. The healthcare charge has been controversial since it was first introduced in 2015 as many argue that it is a form of double taxation since migrants already contribute to the NHS through taxes in the same way as British citizens do. Alongside other immigration costs, IHS has risen steeply over the years from £200 per year of visa in 2015 to £1,035 per year today. Application fees and IHS are paid upfront for the duration of a visa which means that a large sum has to be paid regardless of the visa outcome – so what happens when an application is refused or withdrawn, or an applicant leaves the UK early or switches visa category?
Following the recent election, there has been a sharp uptick in queries from US citizens about their options for immigrating to the UK. Although there are no US-specific immigration categories, there are a number of options that American citizens can use to move to the UK.
The Home Office second quarterly statistics of 2024 reveal that 524 Skilled Worker sponsors received suspension letters and 499 sponsors have had their licences revoked since the first quarter. This marks a significant rise in both suspensions and revocations. The Home Office has also announced an intention to conduct more investigation visits. Visits will normally be unannounced and will include interviews with key personnel, sponsored workers and requests for documents.
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