Archive for 'immigration rules'

B1 Test Preparation Centre

Tuesday, June 17th, 2014 at 9:32 pm  
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B1 Test Preparation Centre

Our ESOL/English Language  B1 / A1 English / Life in the UK Preparation course centre in the North of England welcomes people from all over the world who wish to become British citizens.  For UK citizenship you must pass the “Life in the UK Test” and the “English Speaking and Listening B1 Test” .

We have an English Laguage, B1 test prepartation centre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. This is convenient for people from South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire including Leeds and Bradford, East Yorkshire including Hull, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

We teach people English as a matter of course at our centre so we are very experienced in looking after people from overseas. We can provide you with help and preparation. You can relax and know you will have the best chance of passing your exam in our exam preparation centre.

The test itself consists of a ten minute one-to-one interview with an official Trinity College Examiner. For the speaking part of the B1 test, you should prepare your own topic and be prepared to discuss it with the examiner for five minutes in English.

In addition to the candidate’s chosen discussion, the examiner also has another five minutes to talk about two chosen topics with you. The examiner can choose topics including events, festivals, means of transportation, entertainment, music or personal experiences.

At our A1, A2 and B1 test preparation centre we will go through with you how the examiner will want to make sure you can respond appropriately to questions, can clarify your statements and perform the required language functions. This means you must be able to talk in future tenses, provide opinions, discusses UK events and also state the reasons for your preferences. You must also show that you can use correct grammar and express yourself well through use of vocabulary.

You will find the examiner friendly and helpful however you still need to prepare for your test. We can give you assistance in this before your exam so please ask for details. In addition you can have your own practice with friends or family. there are also some useful publications and guides to assist you.

You will find more information about the B1 test here.Also watch this video of a B1 test.

You will find details of our B1 test preparation centre here to book your test and  preparation if you require it.

‘Knowledge of Language and Life’ requirements

Monday, September 23rd, 2013 at 4:33 pm  
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Changes to ‘knowledge of language and life’ requirements and application details

A reminder that from 28th October 2013, unless they are exempt, all applicants for settlement or naturalisation as a British citizen will need to meet the knowledge of language and life requirement by:
• passing the life in the UK test; and
• having a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, or its equivalent.

Trinity College GESE grade 5 exam is the equivalent to this English language B1 test.

For an application for British citizenship to be considered under the pre 28th October government requirements, the application will need to be received by UK Visas & Immigration by Friday 25th October 2013 (the last working day before the change). Please note they do not receive a postal delivery on Saturday or Sunday so be sure to allow plenty of time to get your application in.

There is more information on the gov.uk website – see announcements about Borders and immigration by UK Visas and Immigration

 

Changes to Immigration Rules

Saturday, September 7th, 2013 at 2:07 pm  
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More Changes to the Immigration Rules

There are important changes afoot for immigration rules. Yesterday, Friday 6th September 2013, a written ministerial statement was laid in Parliament outlining a number of changes to those Immigration Rules.

The changes, which are planned to come into effect on 1st October 2013, will mean greater flexibility for businesses and workers and include:

  • removing the English language requirement for intra-company transferees;
  • making it easier for graduate entrepreneurs to switch into Tier 2;
  • waiving share ownership restrictions for some senior staff; and
  • allowing some students to work as interns under the Tier 5 government authorised exchange scheme.

Tourist and business visitors will benefit from the following changes:

  • Allowing tourists and business visitors to do some study where it is not the main purpose of their visit.
  • Expanding the activities a business visitor can do in the UK.
  • Removing the prospective student route.

Further changes include:

  • expanding checks to ensure applicants for work and student visas are genuine, and that they intend to meet the conditions of leave they apply for;
  • introducing powers to refuse Tier 4 extension applications where the applicant cannot speak English;
  • introducing a scheme which allows some locally engaged staff in Afghanistan to relocate to the UK;
  • setting new youth mobility scheme quotas for 2014;
  • enabling those who demonstrate exceptional promise in the arts to apply under Tier 1;
  • changes to the way we handle settlement applications for refugees who have committed crimes, and adding the power to curtail leave for persistent or serious offenders;
  • introducing temporary Immigration Rules so participants and personnel can come to the UK during the 2014 Commonwealth Games;
  • minor changes and clarifications to the Immigration Rules, including those relating to family life.

From 28 October there will also be changes to the way applicants for indefinite leave to remain are required to demonstrate their knowledge of the English language and of life in the UK. Applicants will need to pass the Life in the UK test and also an English Language Test  at an exam centre. The Trinity college speaking and listening B1 test, GESE grade 5 is an approved exam for this purpose.

You can prepare for ESOL exams with us by taking our ESOL courses.

Immigration Rules New Changes

Monday, November 26th, 2012 at 12:34 pm  
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Changes to the Immigration Rules

 

On Thursday 22nd November 2012, a written ministerial statement was laid in Parliament outlining a number of changes to the Immigration Rules which will come in to force on  December 13th 2012.

These include non substantive changes for sponsors and migrants coming to the UK under the following routes of the points-based system:

  • Tier 1 – entrepreneurs and investors.
  • Tier 2 – skilled workers, including changes for senior intra-company transfers.
  • Tier 4 – students, including extending the interim limit.
  • Tier 5 – temporary workers including the requirements for the government authorised exchange category and private servants in a diplomatic household.
  • Sponsorship – revised sponsorship guidance will be published in December.

In addition, there are changes to the Rules affecting:

Criminality

  • Establishing a more robust and clear criminality framework to assess immigration applications against which immigration applications will be assessed.
  • Recalculating the length of time, based on the length of sentence, before we will revoke a deportation order.
  • Introduction of a re-entry ban, for some foreign national offenders who have been removed from the UK as part of a conditional caution and additional powers to end (curtail) a migrant’s visa or leave.
  • Creation of a ‘route’ for ex-Armed Forces to remain in the UK.

Settlement

  • Amendments to clarify the absences from the UK that are allowed during the continuous residence period for Tier 1 (General), Tier 2 and pre-points based system work routes (for example work permits, self-employment and business person).

Family and private life

  • Minor changes to the child and parent routes to make them as clear and comprehensive as possible.

There will also be some changes to the Youth Mobility Scheme quotas and Tier 4 loan letters in early 2013.

You will find latest details on the Home Office website

New FLR (M) and FLR (O) application forms

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012 at 2:38 pm  
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New  versions of FLR (M) and FLR (O) application forms

The new versions of the FLR(M) and FLR(O) application forms were published yesterday on 9th July.

If you are applying as a partner for leave to remain (permission to stay) on or after 9 July 2012, you must use the new version of the FLR(M) form dated 07/2012. Any applications received after 9 July 2012, which are not on the new form will not be accepted. The postmarked date will be considered to be the date of application for postal applications.

The new rules state that if you are applying as a parent of a child in the UK for leave to remain (permission to stay) on or after 9 July 2012, you must use the new version of the FLR(O) form dated 07/2012. Applications received after 9 July 2012, which are not on the new form will not be accepted. The postmarked date will be considered to be the date of application for postal applications.

There is more information about the various changes to immigration rules brought in on the 9th of July on the UKBA website.

Changes to Family Migration Rules

Sunday, July 8th, 2012 at 3:32 am  
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Immigration Rules Update

A number of changes to the Immigration Rules came into effect tomorrow 9th July 2012. These changes will affect non-European Economic Area (non-EEA) nationals applying to enter or remain in the UK under the family migration route.

These changes will define the basis on which a person can enter or remain in the UK on the basis of their family or private life, unifying consideration under the rules and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

However if you already have leave to enter or remain in the UK, on the basis of being the spouse or partner of a settled person, you will need to meet the rules which were in force before 9th July 2012 if you apply for settlement.