🇬🇧 Immigration updates last 12 months

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While updating our training courses (we offer them to our colleagues in immigration law), we decided to summarise the main changes over the last 12 months:


1. Youth Mobility Scheme visa (working holiday) for New Zealand nationals is available to people aged 18-35 and is issued for 3 years. If you already have a visa for 2 years, you can extend it. For other eligible citizens (Australia etc) the rules remain the same: age 18-30 and duration for 2 years. 


2. UK Ancestry visa is available not just to Commonwealth citizens but also to British Overseas Citizens, British Overseas Territories Citizens, British Nationals Overseas (BNO) and citizens of Zimbabwe. The main rule (for all) remains having a grandparent who was born in the UK. 


3. Hong Kong BNO visa: adult children of BNO status holders, who were born after 1 July 1997, can come or remain in the UK in their own right, meaning the BNO status holders don't have to accompany them.  


4. Work visa salaries went up to £26,200. Salaries for new entrants, such as young people, those switching from Student or Graduate visa, or those working towards a professional qualification, is up to £20,960. 


5. Immigration through business ceased to exist in all but name. Start-up visa was closed. Innovator was changed to Innovator Founder. Although no minimum investment amount is required, the endorsement process has been made so limited that it’s almost impossible to secure this visa in practice unless you are an Elon Musk with a really innovative idea. Those who received business visas before the closure can continue under the old rules, such as Tier 1 Entrepreneurs can still apply for settlement. 


Upcoming changes :

Only students coming for PhD courses will be able to bring dependants from 1 January 2024. Currently , it’s Master course. So, if you are planning to relocate to the U.K. with your family through the Student visa , you have time until end of 2023. After the course you and your family could have a Graduate visa, then Skilled Worker visa, then settlement/Citizenship. 


To discuss your situation with an Immigration Lawyer, please book a consultation here. Our guidance and experience is going to increase your chances! As always, a consultation fee counts towards our full service! 


1st 4Immigration is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC - accredited at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 15 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year accreditation. Office: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HN

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