UK Visas and British Citizenship

  Whether your next visa is coming soon or next year, it is never too soon to start planning! Coming to the UK, extending your stay, applying for Settlement or British Citizenship, sponsoring foreigner workers - we cover it all!  You can book a consultation with our lawyers now, over WhatsApp, Zoom or email: https://www.1st4immigration.com/book-a-consultation/  As always, our advice fee £150 will be counted towards our professional fees for your case in the future.  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 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stands for the year accreditation. Office: Tower 42, 25 Old Broad Street, London, EC2N 1HN.  www.1st4immigration.com     

  We are often asked: after I submit my visa application, can I travel while waiting for the decision?  Applying inside the UK:  The current process allows you to keep your passport but you cannot travel abroad. If you do, the law says your application will be cancelled.  The actual rule is you cannot travel outside the Common Travel Area, which is the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man. If you travel to any other country, your case will be cancelled (withdrawn).  The only exception is application for British Citizenship - you can travel.  Applying outside the UK:  You can usually purchase a Keep My Passport service and keep your passport while waiting for the decision. You can travel but not to the UK.  Full GOV.UK guidance can be found here . To discuss your options, please book an online or in-person consultation with a lawyer here . We offer advice over WhatsApp, Zoom, Skype, phone or email. 1st 4Immigration  is...

For UK visas and also for other business needs, such as a bank loan. At 1st 4Immigration we have our own business plan service - for all businesses, whether you need it for a UK visa or for general business panning (including unrelated to visas). Start-ups and growing companies, trying to secure a loan from the bank or from investors.   How can we help? For UK visas : we are a one-stop shop, immigration lawyers and business plan writers under one roof! Advice + Endorsement + Business visa application.   For the funding from lenders (doesn't need to be focused on visa purpose): we help to put together a set of data, including a market research, a financial plan and forecast, and a marketing plan. We create made-to-order plans and adapt for a specific lender’s requirements.  Business plan for a fixed fee in 2 - 3 weeks!  We have successfully worked with businesses in IT and digital technology, engineering, manufacturing, food, health & beauty, nanotechn...

  5-year route is a standard one. You can qualify for permanent residency after 5 years in the UK. The 1st visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) if you apply inside the UK, such as when switching from a Student, Graduate, Youth Mobility or a work visa. Or for 33 months (2.5 years + 3 months) if you apply outside the UK. Then extension for further 2.5 years, then settlement after 5 years.  10-year route is used when you have serious, exceptional circumstances why you cannot meet the requirements of the standard route. For example, a serious illness or similar family circumstances are preventing you or your partner from meeting the Financial Requirement £18,600. Here the 1st visa is again for 30 months (2.5 years), but you need further 3 extensions until you can settle in the UK after 10 years. There may be better solutions, however, such as switching from the 10 to 5-year route or settling after 10 years on any visas. Can you combine them when counting to settlement? In the 5-ye...

  Why choose 1st 4Immigration? - 12 years of experience, 1000s of successful cases - Specialist in Financial Requirement £18,600 - We work with standard and fast Priority services - We reply emails on same business day and assist clients worldwide via WhatsApp & Zoom Options for my partner's UK visa: Spouse, Partner, Fiancee - Fiancé/Fiancée visa is for 6 months with no right to work. You have to get married within 6 months and apply for a Spouse visa, which ca an be on 24-hour service. Spouse visa allows work.  - Spouse visa allows working in the UK immediately. This is for married couples and also for civil partners who registered their relationship with the Register Office. If you/your partner are outside the UK, you can also use the Fiancee option to get married in the UK. A visa is for 30 months (2.5 years) but you get extra 3 months when applying outside the UK to give you more flexibility to plan the move to the UK. - Unmarried Partner visa is similar to Spouse v...

Get a faster decision on your UK visa or settlement application. Can be as fast as in 5 working days or even 24 hours, for an additional Government fee. We at 1st 4Immigration don't charge extra fees for this because the documents and the visa rules remain the same - and we always work as fast as possible! The difference is the processing time by the UK authorities. Eligible in-UK visa categories: Spouse, Partner or a Parent of a UK citizen: switching from another visa (such as Student or Youth Mobility Scheme), extension, settlement Indefinite Leave to Remain. Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker and most other work visas: switching from another visa, extension, settlement. Student visa. Start-up, Innovator, Global Talent, Tier 1 Investor. Ancestral visa. Indefinite Leave on the basis of 10 years. Categories only available on the Standard (slow) service: British Citizenship Hong Kong BNO visa Complex cases How does it work? Decision in 24 hours. We advise on the visa requirement...

Here we have rounded up the updated information on the most commonly asked questions about UK visas that are related to Covid disruption, which can also be found here . #1 I had to stay outside the UK during the pandemic, will my (longer than planned) absences affect my next application?  If you left and returned on the same visa, and had to stay abroad because of Covid, your absences wouldn't normally affect your next application. If your visa expired while you were abroad, and you are wondering whether a break between visas will affect your 'continuous residence’. Such as when counting ‘your’ 5 years for Settlement (Indefinite Leave). The answer is: if your visa expired between 1 March 2020 and 19 July 2021, a break of up to 6 months will be accepted.  #2 My income was reduced and/or I was on furlough, how can I meet the Financial Requirement for a Spouse/Partner or family visa in my next application? If your salary has reduced because you were furloughed, you can use income...

  #1 Priority visa services are up and running, and are very popular!  Priority and Super Priority services allow to obtain a visa decision within 5 working days or on the next working day respectively, for an additional Government fee. These are for in-UK applications. Eligible categories are visas for spouses/partners of UK citizens, workers including Skilled Worker and Health and Care Worker visa, Ancestral visa, Long residence 10 years and some business/investment categories. Available when you are switching from another category (Student to Spouse; Student to a Skilled Worker etc), extension in the same category and settlement / Indefinite Leave. More can be found here on the Government website.       #2 Graduate visa started on 1 July 2021. Great for international students, UK employers looking for graduates. And also for … unmarried partners of UK citizens who cannot (yet) prove 'living together for 2 years’. So, graduates from UK universities can now sta...

  If you happened to be on a Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) visa in the UK, we have great news for you! The new Points-Based Immigration System, in force from 1 December 2020, allows switching from a Tier 2 ICT to the new Skilled Worker visa . We can truly call it ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ for ICT migrants, desperately trying to switch to a visa that offers settlement in the UK.  The old, strict Tier 2 General visa under the old pre-Brexit Points-Based System is replaced with a new Skilled Worker visa under the new, post-Brexit, Points-Based Immigration System. (It does require focus to keep up!). There are many positive changes for both migrant workers and UK employers but the ICT change deserves a separation mention. For years, the ICT category was easier and quicker for UK businesses but very unfavourable for the migrants - it didn’t lead to settlement. And if you wanted to switch to the main Tier 2 General visa, that does lead to settlement, you had to leave th...

  #1 More jobs (occupations) can be sponsored for a UK work visa.  Old rule: only degree-level jobs were allowed for a Tier 2 General visa. New rule: jobs at A level (RQF Level 3) are allowed for sponsorship under the new Skilled Worker visa.   #2 Switching from another visa category (without leaving the UK) has been made easier!  For example, you can now switch from a Tier 5 YMS visa to a Skilled Worker visa while in the UK, without interrupting your work. You can also switch from a family visa such as from a Partner visa to a work visa if your relationship has broken down and your employer wishes to sponsor you. Switching from a Student visa remains as before.   #3 To continue on the above, this deserved a separate point - switching from Tier 2 Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) is allowed from December 2020!  This is fantastic news for all those long-suffering Tier 2 ICT migrants, desperate to switch to a visa that leads to settlement in the UK. The ICT catego...