UK Visas and British Citizenship

  The UK Government has been using similar thresholds for different categories because they (deliberately) mix the term “dependants”. The overall “look” now is that it is harder to come to work or join a partner in the UK. Details, however, are different.  Salary £38,700 per year:  Applies to those sponsored on a work visa, called Skilled Worker, from 4 April 2024. Even then there are concessions on a lower salary, such as for health and care workers, or Students switching after completing a degree; or to under 26yo.  Dependants of workers do not need any minimum salary or income (only the main worker doesn’t,a s above). Instead, they need savings of  £1,270, plus about £285 per dependant,  held for 28 days.  Hardly a bank-breaking amount!    Even that can be certified by the Sponsor. Dependants include a spouse, partner of 2 years and children under 18yo.  Salary £29,000 per year:  Applies to those on a Skilled Worker who started in this category before 4 April 2024. They can continue

  Enquire now! We have sooner Schengen appointments as an agency. You can apply now with the travel dates during next 6 months. It covers summer 2024, August bank holiday, October half-term and even Christmas 2024!  The time to apply is now - please contact us  by phone  0871 472 1468 or email:  info@multitravelvisas.co.uk .  Website:   https://www.multitravelvisas.co.uk/contact-us If you need a UK visa advice, we have a temporarily discounted fee for an initial consult with a lawyer. You can find our more here:  https://www.1st4immigration.com/  OISC-accredited at the highest Level 3, specialising in immigration law as the only area allowed by this specialist immigration accreditation. Our ref F200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year of accreditation. 

It is a holiday time and the subject of UK immigration law may not be on everyone’s mind. Yet it is a perfect time to benefit from the deal that we currently offer:  Promotion:  Online consultation with a lawyer only £100, over email. A Level 3 adviser (highest OISC rating) would respond to your questions by the next working day. £100 fee counts towards our services if you hire us for a case afterwards. We offer fixed fees, so the final amount is the same, just split into 2 stages.  Our fees are very affordable!  You can purchase here (choose email £100 option):  https://www.1st4immigration.com/book-a-consultation/ If you prefer to talk to a lawyer over Zoom or WhatsApp video, we offer our standard advice sessions at £150, which can be booked on the same link. As above, this counts towards our final fee for a case.    1st  4 Immigration  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

  We have already covered when to use the old and new salaries for a Skilled Worker visa in a  post here . Then we covered how to use a blanker minimum (such as £38,700) and the going rate together  here . Now we consider when a lower salary can be offered.  Firstly, you can use the same logic to determine whether to use the old or new rules, before or after 4 April 2024. Once you know, you can look at the table in  Appendix Skilled Worker  , under Eligibility. Options A to E cover the new rules. The main salary is under Option A and is £38,700 - unless a concession applies.  Options B and C require only £30,960 salary if a migrant has a PhD relevant to the job. Option D allows a salary £30,960 for a migrant sponsored for a job in the Immigration Salary List (formerly Shortage Occupation List), such as care workers.  Option E allows a salary £30,960 for new entrants. That's workers under 26 years of age; those switching from a Student or Graduate visa and some others.   If a migran

In the earlier  post here , we covered how to determine a salary for a Skilled Worker visa, using the blanket minimum (like £38,700) and the going rate. However, you also need to use what blanket minimum applies, £38,700 or £29,000. In other words, should you use the Rules before or after 4 April 2024?  The short answer: those who already had a Skilled Worker visa under the Rules in place before 4 April 2024, can continue under the old rules. They continue for a Skilled Worker extension, change of Sponsor and even for ILR. They don't need to be paid £38,700. Assuming they had this category continuously and apply before 4 April 2030. Where do we find this? In the Rules: in  Appendix Skilled Worker here  , under Eligibility, we have  SW 4.2. (shortened version):  (b) An applicant can only be awarded points from  options   F to J  if: (ii) the date of application is before 4 April 2030, they were granted permission as a Skilled Worker under the rules in place before 4 April 2024, … Fu

From 4 April 2024, the minimum salary is £38,700. It is, still, however, subject to the going rate. What is a going rate and how to use it together with the blanket minimum of £38,700?   The going rates can be found in the Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-skilled-occupations  .    You’ll see each code has a going rate. The figure you need is “per hour”. The annual figure is based on X number of hours, in this case 37.5 per week, but you need to be careful because it used to be based on 39-hour week while your job may be 40 hours per week. However, if you use the hourly rate, you won’t get it wrong. Then the Sponsor needs enough hours to get the minimum £38,700.     Example: £38,700 is higher than the going rate   On the above link, a code 5434 Chefs needs £15.88 per hour, so the Sponsor needs enough hours to achieve £38,700 per year. It would be £38,700 / 52 weeks per year / £15.88 per hour = 46 ho

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) It is going to be for nationals who usually do not need a Visitor/tourist visa to come to the UK. We call them non-visa nationals, such as Europeans, Americans, Malaysians etc. It will be a similar thing to US ESTA.  ETA is an electronic form with some questions, submitted to the UK authorities prior to travel. It is not the same as a Visitor visa application, there is still no need to provide bank statements, evidence of income or invitation from the receiving party. This process has already started for some nationals and will gradually be introduced for all non-visa nationals.  You can follow here on the official portal:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta#who-can-apply  . Online consultation with a lawyer – book here   WhatsApp, Zoom or email. As always, a consultation fee counts towards our future services! 1st  4 Immigration  is one of the most experienced UK immigration law companies, OISC – accredite

The answer is Yes or No, depending on when the main visa was issued. If the main care worker migrant's visa was issued under the Rules in place before 11 March 2024, they can still bring dependants now.   If the main migrant's work visa was issued under the Rules in place from 11 March 2024 onwards, they cannot bring dependants. The date, before or after 11 March 2024, is not the date when the visa was issued. But the date when the main migrant applied under the Health and Care Worker visa. For example, if one applied as a care worker on 10 March 2024 but was given a visa on 20 March 2024, they can still bring dependants because they applied before 11 March 2024.   These restrictions on dependants only apply to the care workers, who are sponsored under the codes 6135 Carer Workers and Home Carers and 6136 Senior Care Workers under the new 2020 SOC codes. Under the old 2010 table, it would be 6145 and 6146 respectively. Anyone else sponsored under the Health and Care Worker visa

Who is exempt from the £29,000 threshold? If the British/settled partner is receiving some specified disability benefits, then the couple need to meet the lower threshold of Adequate Maintenance. For this purpose, we can use the amount of benefits, employment income and savings. If you are not exempt and cannot meet the threshold:   In either a Partner or a Parent category, there is a 10-year route. It is an alternative to the standard 5-year route. It takes twice longer to Settlement (permanent residency) because it means 10 years instead of 5 years. It means 4 applications x 2.5 years with a full Government fee every time. It is, however, useful if you genuinely cannot meet the threshold, such as due to an illness or a family emergency etc. If a British partner starts receiving disability benefits, you would be exempt, as above. However, the first point is to try and meet the Financial Requirement, even if means applying for a visa later and there is time for that. If you have to sub

All official Government fees for UK visas can be found on the Home Office official gov . uk portal, under UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Fees and Forms. From the main page  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration   go to Visas and immigration operational guidance, then to Fees and Forms, then to   UK Visa Fees and you’ll be here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table   It is a long list for all categories and all extras like fast-track Priority services.   Online consultation with a lawyer – book here  WhatsApp, Zoom or email. As always, a consultation fee counts towards our future services! 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. Website  1st4immigration.com