Archive for 'visa'

Home Office immigration and nationality fees

Tuesday, February 25th, 2014 at 3:09 pm  
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New Home Office immigration and nationality fees from April 2014

The Home Office has published a document listing new nationality fees from April 2014. These are the latest Immigration and nationality fees for all applications made from outside and within the UK. This document tells you how much it costs to apply for a UK visa from 6 April 2014. It includes fees for all visas including:

visitor
work
student
settlement
naturalisation

This updates the fee change proposals made on the 3rd of February 2014 by the then Minister of State for Immigration (Mark Harper) for immigration and nationality applications made to the Home Office and for services provided by the department.

You can work out the cost of your UK visa application by using the visa fees tool on the Home Office website. There is a useful page there with links to lots of information about Visas and immigration.

New visa application forms in the UK

Sunday, December 1st, 2013 at 11:32 am  
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Forms for applicants for visas in the UK

New visa application forms have been published for use from 1st December 2013 by applicants who are already in the UK:

  • FLR (FP) – for use in place of the FLR(O), if you are applying for limited leave to remain in the UK on the basis of:
  • Family life as a partner on the 10-year route to settlement;
  • Family Life as a parent of a child in the UK (5-year and 10-year routes to settlement);
  • Private life in the UK;
  • Family or private life where you know you do not meet the requirements of the rules, but would like to apply anyway
  • FLR (AF) – leave to remain (Armed Forces)
  • SET (AF) – settlement (Armed Forces)

New versions of the following visa application forms have also been published:

  • FLR(O) – the revised form will not include categories now covered by the FLR(FP) and FLR(AF)
  • FLR(M) – leave to remain (partner)
  • SET(DV) – settlement (victim of domestic violence)

‘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

 

Leave to Remain – Family and Private Life Basis

Friday, September 14th, 2012 at 4:44 pm  
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Extending Visas

Apply for leave to remain under one of the family of partner routes on the basis of family or private life

The UKBA states that since 9th July 2012 if you wish to remain in the UK on the basis of your family or private life you must apply under one of the family or partner routes. We will not consider any application made on the basis

of your family or private life under any other categories, including:

  • Tier 1 (Exceptional talent);
  • Tier 1 (Entrepreneur);
  • Tier 1 (Investor);
  • Tier 1 (General);
  • Tier 1 (Graduate entrepreneur);
  • Ter 2 (General);
  • Tier 2 (Minister of religion);
  • Tier 2 (Sportsperson);
  • Tier 2 (Intra company transfer);
  • Tier 4 (General);
  • Tier 4 (Child);
  • Tier 5 (Temporary worker – creative and sporting);
  • Tier 5 (Temporary worker – charity workers);
  • Tier 5 (Temporary worker – religious workers);
  • Tier 5 (Temporary worker – government authorised exchange);
  • Tier 5 (Temporary worker – international agreement); or
  • Tier 5 (Youth mobility scheme).

If you wish UKBA to consider an application on this basis you must apply under the correct route, using the appropriate application form:

  • FLR(M) for the 5-year partner or parent route;
  • FLR(O) for the 10-year partner or parent route; and
  • FLR(O) for the 10-year private life route.

A request for leave to remain on the basis of family or private life will be considered under Appendix FM and paragraph 276ADE of the Immigration Rules.

Family Visit Visa Appeals Change

Monday, July 9th, 2012 at 4:22 pm  
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Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor) Regulations

Regulations 2012 come into force today (9th July 2012). The regulations set out who qualifies for a full right of appeal against a visa refusal to visit family in the UK.

This change was originally announced by the government on 18th June 2012, the Immigration Appeals (Family Visitor)

These regulations change the appeal rights of family visit visa applicants. If you are applying to visit your uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, first cousin, or a relative who does not have settled, refugee or humanitarian protection status in the UK, and your visa application is refused, you will not have a full right of appeal. A limited right of appeal will remain on human rights and race discrimination grounds.

Applications from Overstayers UKBA Update

Thursday, June 28th, 2012 at 10:32 pm  
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Changes to applications from over-stayers

This UK Home Office warning to overstayers, includes students.

From 1st October 2012 if you have overstayed your leave by more than 28 days any application for further leave will be refused. This change in the Immigration Rules will affect applicants applying for further leave under:

  • the points-based system;
  • all working and student routes;
  • visiting routes;
  • long residency routes;
  • discharged HM Forces; or
  • UK ancestry routes.

If you have obtained limited leave to remain you must ensure you apply to extend your leave, if needed, in good time. If you wish to remain in the UK after the 28 day period you should therefore leave the UK and reapply for a visa. This change is in line with the new immigration rules coming into effect for the family migration route from 9th July 2012.