UK Visas and British Citizenship

It is a common scenario in our practice: a British/foreign couple returning together to the UK (often with children) after living /working abroad. Most commonly from the USA, Australia/NZ or Asia. Although most our clients have been working there for years, they often find it challenging to find a job offer in the UK before coming back, meaning their non-British spouse/partner would find it difficult to secure a UK visa.  Here are top 5 solutions from our experience:  Option 1: Savings. This is most common. The couple needs savings of £62,500 held for 6 months. Can be in any currency or country. If your family want to help, they have to deposit money on your and/or your partner’s account. You have to wait for 6 months.  Option 2: British partner coming to the UK alone and working for 6 months.   This may not sound like a god option at first glance, being apart for 6 months, but it is a realistic option and it often ends up being the only optio...

It is a common scenario in our practice: a British/foreign couple returning together to the UK (often with children) after living /working abroad. Most commonly from the USA, Australia/NZ or Asia. Although most our clients have been working there for years, they often find it challenging to find a job offer in the UK before coming back, meaning their non-British spouse/partner would find it difficult to secure a UK visa.  Here are top 5 solutions from our experience:  Option 1: Savings. This is most common. The couple needs savings of £62,500 held for 6 months. Can be in any currency or country. If your family want to help, they have to deposit money on your and/or your partner’s account. You have to wait for 6 months.  Option 2: British partner coming to the UK alone and working for 6 months.   This may not sound like a god option at first glance, being apart for 6 months, but it is a realistic option and it often ends up being the only option. 6...

With every day bringing more uncertainty to the UK immigration rules, Brexit, economy and politics, we have decided to offer a free consultation on UK visas and British Citizenship rules – on Wednesday 28 th  JUNE 2017! We have freed our schedule and our advisers will be waiting for you! Small print but important:  1. You can visit our office in the City of London anytime between 10am and 3.30pm only on 28th June 2017.  2. If you would rather have a phone consultation, you can call us on 07984 782330. 3. Each person will have 30 minutes free one-to-one advice session within one of our  immigration advisers, who are OISC-accredited at the highest Level 3. Alternatively, it would be possible to have a 30 minutes phone conversation. 4. Please have your questions ready and bring your passport and UK visa/BRP card with you. 5. We will work on first come, first serve basis, so there may be a waiting time to be seen - please be patient. 6. This offer is only valid for one ...

With every day bringing more uncertainty to the UK immigration rules, Brexit, economy and politics, we have decided to offer a free consultation on UK visas and British Citizenship rules – on Wednesday 28 th JUNE 2017! We have freed our schedule and our advisers will be waiting for you! Small print but important: 1. You can visit our office in the City of London anytime between 10am and 3.30pm only on 28th June 2017. 2. If you would rather have a phone consultation, you can call us on 07984 782330. 3. Each person will have 30 minutes free one-to-one advice session within one of our  immigration advisers, who are OISC-accredited at the highest Level 3. Alternatively, it would be possible to have a 30 minutes phone conversation. 4. Please have your questions ready and bring your passport and UK visa/BRP card with you. 5. We will work on first come, first serve basis, so there may be a waiting time to be seen - please be patient. 6. This offer is only valid for on...

These are the questions from the recent interviews of our clients. A Home Office employee, who is conducting an interview, will only be there "to write your answers down", they won't be looking at your documents, won't most likely have your case at all with him/her and probably won't be even familiar with your case. It is very likely that the person who is interviewing you was just sent to ask you question and write your answers down. This case was based on switching from Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) to Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) visa, so there was a requirement to already run a business in the UK. Where did you complete your studies, what did you study? What have you been doing since then? (Here anything  related to your business idea helps). Did you have any other work or business experience before that? (Here anything  related to your business idea helps.) What is your business name, what is your business activities? (Here you need to...

2-day weekend courses, every month, at our office in the City of London. Multi Travel Visas Ltd and a sister company, 1st 4Immigration Ltd, are both accredited by The OISC, ref F201100418 and F200800152 respectively. After many years of experience – and hundreds of successful cases – we are offering to share our experience with you to help you prepare for your OISC Level 1 assessment and accreditation. You can read Testimonials on our immigration cases here. TRAINING DATES (we have a class every month): Weekend 6 - 7 December 2014 – book now! Weekend 31 January - 1 February 2015 Weekend 28 February - 1 March 2015 Weekend 21 - 22 March 2015 Weekend 11 - 12 April 2015 Weekend 16 - 17 May 2015 Weekend 27 - 28 June 2015 Our tutors are our very own OISC-accredited practicing immigration advisers who handle the real cases during the week and teach on weekends. You can read about them on the Tutors page. Unlike most traditional courses, ours is condu...

This was a very interesting case! This couple came to us for a advice, following a refusal of an application for an EEA Residence Card. The applicant is from New Zealand and the Sponsor is a dual British/Irish national. The application was made in early 2014, ie after the changes in the EEA Regulations for dual UK/EU nationals (which happened on 16 July 2012). Before 16 July 2012 dual UK/EU nationals could simply choose whether to use their British nationality to bring their non-EU spouses to the UK and apply under the Immigration Rules. Or to use EEA nationality (non-UK) and apply under the EEA Regulations. Before 9 July 2012, when Appendix FM came in force, it did make sense to use the Immigration Rules because a foreign spouse could have an ILR just after 2 years. From 9 July 2012 there is a strict Financial Requirement as well as a qualifying period for an ILR now being 5 years. So, the Immigration Rules were changed on 9 July 2012 while EEA Regulations were changed shortly ...

This is a 2-day weekend course at our office in the City of London. Multi Travel Visas Ltd and a sister company, 1st 4Immigration Ltd, are both accredited by The OISC, ref F201100418 and F200800152 respectively. After many years of experience – and hundreds of successful cases – we are offering to share our experience with you to help you prepare for your OISC Level 1 assessment and accreditation. You can read Testimonials on our immigration cases here. Our tutors are our very own OISC-accredited practicing immigration advisers who handle the real cases during the week and teach on weekends. You can read about them on the Tutors page.   Unlike most traditional courses, ours is conducted using plain language and does not simply contain quotes from the Immigration Rules. We include cases studies from our practice, answers to most common questions, a Questions&Answers session and a mock Level 1 assessment, which is given to the candidates at the end to complete in ...

Multi Travel Visas is a practicing OISC-accredited immigration company in the City of London. Our next   OISC Level 1 course will be held on weekend 29-30 November at our office in the City of London (Monument area). We are offering 10% off the course fee if you book within 1 week, that’s booking by end of Wednesday 5 November. To book online now please visit our website: http://www.mtv-training.co.uk/ Multi Travel Visas Ltd and its sister company, 1st 4Immigration Ltd, are both accredited by The OISC, ref F201100418 and F200800152 respectively.   You can read   Testimonials on our immigration cases here.   Our tutors are our very own OISC-accredited practicing immigration advisers who handle the real cases during the week and teach on weekends. You can read about them on the   Tutors page. Unlike most traditional courses, ours is conducted using plain language and does not simply contain quotes from the Immigration Rules. We include cases studies...

That is indeed the question of the moment. The last Tier 1 General extensions will be in April 2015, so we are often asked about dependants, ie partners and children of those holding a Tier 1 General visa. So, what are the Rules for dependants after 5 April 2015? And what if they won’t qualify for an ILR in April 2018 when the ILR applications based on Tier 1 General will be stopped? The answer is: “Don’t panic!” The dates of April 2015 for extensions and 2018 for an ILR is only for the main Tier 1 General migrants and NOT for Dependants. A ‘main’ visa is a main visa and a ‘dependent’ visa is a dependent visa and they are actually completely different things, issued under the different parts of the Immigration Rules! They don’t mix for an ILR (you can’t count 5 years for an ILR partly on main and partly on dependent visas) and they have very different requirements. So, to be clear: the announced restrictions apply only to the Tier 1 General migrants and not to their depen...

It is with the tears in our eyes that we are seeing off the Tier 1 (General) category, also known as HSMP. Farewell! This category was already closed to the new applicants in April 2011, so until now only extensions were allowed. And until the announcement earlier this year there was no limit on how many extensions a Tier 1 (General) migrant can have. So, it was OK to go and work abroad then come back and extend this visa and then do it again and again – until the time comes to stay for a few years within the limits on absences and get an ILR one day.   Unfortunately, it has been announced earlier this year than last Tier 1 (General) extensions will be accepted on 5 April 2015. So, those who do need an extension should apply before that. And preferably not at the last moment! (OK, OK, we all know it will happen exactly like that). There will be another inevitable rush for same-day service appointments. Our advice is to plan in advance: we offer advice sessions now, over email ...

We are often asked about this and generally about the Surinder Singh route. It is used by British citizens and their family members to secure a UK visa for a non-EU family member in the UK – but under the EU law. Normally, spouses (and civil partners) of EEA citizens, such as Irish or French or Polish, are applying using the European law. This is where they get an EEA Family Permit for 6 months outside the UK or a Residence Card for 5 years if applying inside the UK.   However, very often British citizens, or rather their non-EU family members, are trying to apply for a visa using the same route. After all, the UK is in the EU and British citizens are the EU citizens, aren’t they? Those who do try to apply often get a shock of being told that this routes does not apply to family members of UK citizens, only to those of EU (non-UK) citizens. Why? Because there has to be ‘movement’ between the EU member states and ‘British in Britain’ represents no movement!  ...

" 11 months of support ! Natalia and the great team of 1st 4immigration helped me from the beginning, before 8 months of the expiry date of my postgraduate student work visa. They have shown me all of the available options to start my business and get the visa. I faced many difficulties while I was preparing my documents for the entrepreneur visa (HMRC, Bank,etc..) , they were always available for advice. After I submitted my application to the UKBA, I assumed 1st 4immigration role has finished, however, the UKBA asked for an interview with me to give more explaining about my business, I was surprised by 1st 4immigration support and advices at this point since they received the whole fees, they suggested to provide extra documents and even helped me to find an adequate accountant and tax advisor ! After the interview , the decision on my application was late and I was in need for the passport in order to renew my visa in another country, as usual, Natalia shows the avail...