UK Visas and British Citizenship

We are often asked about how time spent outside the UK affect a UK visa or eligibility for Settlement. The answer depends on your category.  If you have a work visa (Skilled worker, Ancestral etc):  There is a strict rule of maximum 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months, on a rolling basis. Similar to a Schengen rule of 90 days in 6 months. The same rule applies to dependent partners and spouses (but not to children).  If you have a visa as a Spouse/Partner of a UK citizen in the standard 5-year route:  This category doesn’t have a specific rule, other than the UK must remain your main home. As a rule of thumb, we use 6 months per year, but it is not the law. The Home Office tends to expect to see that 50% of the “visa time” has been spent in the UK. Unless there was a compassionate reason, like a medical emergency or having to care for a parent. If you spent too much time abroad during 5 years, you would have to apply for extension, rather than Indefinite Leave.  If you have a

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This is for nationals who don’t normally need a visa to come to the U.K. for holidays or short visits. Also known as non-visa nationals.  You could continue to visit “visa-free” but would have to get a pre-authorisation online under the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA). It’s the same principle as the USA has had for many years now. If the online system “approves”, you can head to the airport. If not, you would need to apply for a Visitor visa.  From 27 November 2024 ETA will become available to most non-visa nationals: Americans, Australians, Malaysians , Japanese, Brazilians etc.  You can check your nationality here:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-get-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta From 5 March 2025 it will become available to the European tourists.  The above is only re the Visitor visa. All other visas (Student, Work, Spouse) retain the same rules and procedures as now. Meaning a formal application, evidence (financial etc), waiting for decision. Th

  We are often asked what happens once a migrant is in the UK, how they could get a National Insurance number or how paying IHS affects using the NHS. Here is some useful info!  1. National Insurance number (NI number or NINO)  is like a social security number, used for taxes and many other things. You could usually apply for it when you have a job offer. If you are on a Skilled Worker visa, it would be issued automatically with the visa.    2. There is tax also called National Insurance.  It’s deducted from wages of workers and passed on to the tax authority. Not connected to any immigration fees paid for visas. It applies to all workers (migrant or not), will be deducted by the employer’s payroll system before they pay your money. It is also used to calculate your entitlement to UK state pension.    3. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS)  is what most migrants pay during the visa application. It’s supposed to be passed on to the National Health Service. It is a one-off payment and ref

Most UK visas say “No public funds”, but the National Health Service (NHS) is not public funds, and the migrants can use it. It is free at the point of use, such as when you come to a see a doctor. Of course, it is not really “free”, as most visa applicants pay Immigration Health Charge (IHS). Although not all have to pay IHS. Those applying for Indefinite Leave or to EU Settlement Scheme don't have to pay it.  So, most UK visas have the endorsement, what does it mean? There is a list of benefits that are included in the Public Funds list. Examples: Child benefit, Universal Credit, Council tax reduction, Carer’s allowance,  Housing benefit, Personal Independence Benefit (PIP) etc.  There are some contributory benefits that aren’t public funds. Examples: maternity allowance, statutory sick pay, unemployment benefits based on contributions from the previous work, state pension (but not Pension Credit).  Note on Child Benefit:  it is not uncommon for the Register Office to suggest a m

If you have a BRP visa card that expires on 31.12.2024, you can now create a UKVI account and transition to eVisa. From 2025 there will be no physical cards or visa stamps, only online status from Government system.  You can create a UKVI account here:  https://www.gov.uk/get-access-evisa If you need help, follow this video:  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-immigration-status-evisa-help-video/how-to-create-a-ukvi-account-and-access-your-evisa When you have your eVisa ready, you can prove your immigration status for work and renting, by creating and sharing a code from here:  https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status You can book online consultation with a lawyer here.  Over WhatsApp, Zoom or email. We currently have a discounted fee £100 for advice over email. Alternatively, a video call over Zoom or WhatsApp costs £150 if you prefer to talk to a lawyer. The consultation fee counts towards our future services with a visa application, so the final fee is the sam

  Here we cover the rules on combining various income sources when meeting the Financial Requirement for a UK Spouse, Partner and a Fiancee visa. There are rules on everything, so there are rules on that. For example, savings can be combined with the current employment (known as Category A) but not with the past employment (Category B). Self-employment can be combined with everything except savings. Property income can be combined with everything unless self-employment is involved.  Popular example #1: employment and savings. The current Financial Requirement for new applicants is £29,000. If one has a salary of £20,000, they could add savings. But it’s not £9,000 and not even £16,000, as the Government website appears to suggest (it doesn’t, it confusingly says “over £16,000, but not how much exactly). The shortfall of £9,000 can be made up with savings of £9,000x2.5+£16,000=£38,500. In this example, the current employment must have lasted for 6 months for the same employer, plus the