UK Visas and British Citizenship

Having finished filming the BBC documentary Who Should Get to Stay in the UK?, we are excited to offer our OISC Level 1 courses during autumn 2019! As the subject of UK immigration is becoming even more exciting, you can keep up-to-date with our classroom and online training – and claim CPD hours. 2-day weekend course is conducted at our office in the City of London and presented by our Level 3 accredited Senior Immigration Lawyer, Jules Motcho. That’s him on the far right on the photo! Classroom and livestream training: 2 – 3 November 2019, Saturday/Sunday 10am-5pm, CPD 10 hours, £250+VAT.  Book now! Online self-study course: If you prefer studying in your own time, we have a more detailed  Online OISC Level 1 courses here . CPD 16 hours, £199+VAT. 1st 4 Immigration  is one of the most experienced and prominent UK immigration law companies, accredited by the OISC at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in w...

NHS doctor is threatened with deportation over basic visa mistake. How a basic, non-common-sense rule can stop from securing a UK visa. And why you shouldn’t worry if your refusal letter says “You must now leave the UK”.   Was it correct under the law to deny a visa? Bizarrely, yes, it was.   In this article, a Taiwanese junior doctor was refused a work visa because of a small mistake, a technicality. She applied under the sponsorship of the NHS (no less), to work as a much-needed junior doctor.   The problem:   It was Maintenance requirement. She must have had £945 held continuously for 90 days. She had it but the balance fell below £945 for a few days. A small mistake, a technicality, yet the outcome was a visa refusal and what newspapers called a ‘deportation letter’.   The rule of “held for X days” means the balance must not have fallen below the minimum amount even for 1 day even by £1. Although this situation is about a T...

School sends home a teacher because she has no right to work – her Indefinite Leave is in the old passport. If your passport expired, do you need to transfer your UK visa? Yes and No, there is no short answer.   Was the school correct in applying the law? Bizarrely, yes, they were.   If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP), a visa card that looks like a bank card, you don’t have to do anything until this visa expires. If, however, you have an old Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) sticker in your passport, then the answer becomes more complex.   In this article, a Trinidadian deputy headteacher (no less) has had her ILR since 1989, is married to a UK citizen and has British children. The immigration law does not require her to transfer ILR to a new passport, she can travel with both passports. It is employment law that was ‘the problem’ here.   Some relatively recent changes in employment law made it compulsory for non-EU citizens to h...

#1 How long can I be out of the UK?  #2 Difference between 5 and 10-year route?  #3 Does having a British child exempt from the Financial Requirement £18,600?  #4 English language: A1, A2 or B1?  #5 When to apply for British Citizenship: 3 or 5 years?  #1 How long can I be out of the UK? By far, most common question ever! You might have heard 6 month or 90 days or 6 months per year.  The ruth is: there is no rule. Each case is considered individually. The only rule is “you live permanently with your partner in the UK”.  In practice, with the new online application forms, you will be asked about your trips abroad and reasons, such as holiday or work.  It will attract attention if you spend more than 50% of your '‘visa time” outside the UK.  We recommend to go by the same rule as for work visas: 6 months per year and your main home has to remain in the UK.  If this affects you - please contact us for an...