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UK Visas and Immigration plans to go paperless in 2018. If it works, family visas – for spouses, partners, children etc – will be submitted online instead of the current paper forms and supporting documents.

By 1st 4Immigration - #1 UK Immigration Experts -
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How do we know? We, 1 st 4Immigration Ltd,   were chosen by the UKVI to take part in a survey to provide a feedback on the upcoming system. We are very honoured! As can be seen on the Home Office letter (pictured), we were selected as one of only approximately 50 firms in the whole country, following the request of the Home Office to the OISC. We had a visit from 2 Home Office officials in November 2017. What a great day and what a productive visit! The officials informed us they had been trying hard to promote the online application process for in-country applications, such as FLR(M) for spouses and partners of UK citizens. The online applications have existed for entry clearance (when applying outside the UK) for many years now. Yet the in-country online application process has so far been relatively unknown and unused. It can be found here: https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/family-routes At the moment most FLR(M) and FLR(FP) applications ar...
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How long can a visitor stay in the UK? 6 months from each entry? In a year? In a calendar year?

By 1st 4Immigration - #1 UK Immigration Experts -
Visitors can come to the UK for purposes of tourism, visiting friends, business visits and similar. Visitors can stay for maximum 6 months in each 12 months . Not 6 months from each entry to the UK. Even if your visitor visa is for 5 or 10 years you can still stay for maximum 180 days in each of those years. How to count ‘6 months in 12 months’? A 12 months period starts from ‘now’, date in question or date of entry etc and you need to count backwards (not a calendar year). If you stayed in the UK for the whole 6 months then you have to stay away for the whole 6 months. If you come and go several times during a year then the total must be 180 days cumulatively in the last 12 months. Visitor rules are the same for all. Visitor visa rules aren’t. Visitor rules include: purpose of visits, no right to work, no right to use the NHS, no right to use the public funds (benefits), no right to switch to more serious visas inside the UK, ie no right to switc...
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English language for spouses of UK citizens: A1, A2 or B1?

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When you are applying for your 1 st  Spouse visa, you need the most basic A1 level. This is true whether you are applying outside the UK or switching from another category inside the UK.  After the 1 st  Spouse visa you will need an extension. At this stage, after 2.5 years in the UK, you will need A2 level.  After that you could normally apply for a permanent visa, known as Indefinite Leave to Remain. This is where an even higher B1 level would be needed.  If you chose to have a Fiancée visa first, you need A1 level for this and then again A1 level when you get married and apply for your 1 st Spouse visa. In this case you meet the A1 rule automatically. Then you need A2 at extension and B1 at the permanent visa stage. The rules for Unmarried Partners are the same as for spouses.  We also have a very good post earlier on the confusion between A1 and B1 level when applying for “settlement” , as many spouses applying outside the UK are...
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