UK Visas and British Citizenship

While preparing this we have heard the latest Supreme Court judgement ruled that the minimum age for Fiancees, Spouses and Partners is to be lowered back to 18 yo instead of the current 21 yo. So, here are the proposals (not in force yet): 1) Main change is extending Spouse/Partner visas from 2 years to 5 years. That's 3 years longer to wait to qualify for an Indefinite Leave to Remain (permanent residency) and ultimately, a longer wait for a British passport. It is explained that a 5 year period would help combat sham marriages (and in some cases it probably would). But I believe it is simply an attempt to bring the rules in line with the Rules of European regulations. Under the EEA regulations spouses and all other family members of EU citizens get a 5 year visa first and only then apply for an ILR (permanent visas). I believe the UK Immigration Rules on Family Migration are going to be brought in line with the EEA rules, it was the same reason why Work/HSMP visas were extend

Following a judgement of Supreme Court it is now possible to apply for a Fiancee, Spouse or Partner visa even if one (or both) partners are aged 18-20 years old. Until now only those aged 21 or more could apply. The judge ruled, I'd say predictably, that such an age restriction contradics Artile 8 of the European Human Rights Convention. Good news for the genuine young couples! Such visas are one of our main speciailities (based on my own experience also)   http://www.1st4immigration.com/

Multi Travel Visas (our sister company dealing with Schengen, Russian, Indian and other foreign travel visas) has sponsored Diwali Party 2011, organised by London Business School last Saturday 5th November at Radisson Blue Hotel in Mayfair in Central London. Party poster with MTV logo Our Multi Travel Visas team managed to make their way onto the stage (probably interrupting the dancers) and gave a speech on visas and immigration advice. They were cheered and applauded! Well, it is a useful information after all, even for party-goers.   It was a fantastic evening and it was great to see many of our customers there! MTV partying Team      www.multitravelvisas.co.uk www.1st4immigration.com

"My Mum has been refused an entry clearance twice in recent years, although we thought it was a straightforward case. I am her only daughter and a settled UK citizen and my mum is an elderly widow living on her own in compassionate circumstances in Ukraine. But without a professional advice and qualified legal guidance  we have applied for wrong types of visa and the documents we have submitted proven to be insufficient. We were very sceptical and disillusioned when contacted 1st4Immigration advisors, as we had lost our hope, but were so lucky to have received a professional efficient service. Natalia Andrews proved to be a top class professional who guided us through the whole process of collecting documents, meticulously checking every word and has written an outstanding letter to the Immigration authorities. Without her help and guidance, I doubt that our visa application would have been successful, especially now with the more toughened immigration rules. My Mum has finally be

Until 1st November 2011 we do not have to charge VAT (government tax 20%) on our service fees. If you are thinking of applying for a visa or British Citizenship soon and would like to save money then you should apply now! Or at least to make a payment of our service fees before November and then submit documents later, when you are ready. Apply now to save 20% on VAT! This tax, VAT of 20% on top of our service fees, applies only when we receive payments of our service fees from the UK or the EU. If you are arranging a payment from outside the EU, such as from India or Canada, then this tax does not apply. Generally, businesses have to charge clients this tax when business turnover reaches a certain amount, ie when the business has grown substantially. For us it is a good news that business is growing, especially in this economic times. However, the sad fact is that we are obliged by law to add 20% to our fees and pass it on to the government. This is not an increase in our fees.  

Every day I am now asked by the concerned customers about the proposed 'new rules' on UK visas, especially settlement rights. I have spent a few hours carefully reading a 42-page consultation paper and here are the main points: 1) Main misunderstanding is that Tier 1 General (HSMP) visa holders will not be allowed to apply for an ILR (Permanent visa, Indefinite Leave to Remain). Wrong! All proposals are covering Tier 1 migrants who ENTERED Tier 1 since April 2011 (and does not cover those who entered it before that). This by definition excludes all Tier 1 General migrants because this category was closed altogether before April 2011 and no one entered it since then. Tier 1 General (HSMP) migrants should be able to apply for permanent residency (ILR) in the same as now (if proposals are not changed later). 2) Changes referring to 'Tier 1 migrants' cover those under the remaining sub-categories of Tier 1: Investor, Entrepreneur and Exceptional Talent. It does not refe

" This is great news indeed! Thank you for your great support and help. I should certainly recommend you to those seeking a visa or citizenship advice." This is from Vladimir, a national of Russia. Vladimir made an application through us for an Indefinite Leave to Remain in 2009, under HSMP Judicial Review category. This year the time came for him and his family to apply for British Citizenship, so he asked us to help once again. We handled his application and it was approved relatively soon just after 1 month. http://www.1st4immigration.com/

EEA2 or FLR(M)? Which form to use if you are a spouse/partner of an EU/EEA citizen? FLR(M) form is under British law and should be used by spouses/partners of British citizens; or by spouses/partners of UK permanent residents (ILR holders). It is quicker as Premium service available in Croydon and it leads to Settlement (permanent visa) just after 2 years. The downside is of course a massive UKBA fee of £850 (Premium service). However, 2 days or so and your FLR(M) visa is done. It's worth remembering that there are proposals to increase the 2 years to 5 years in this category, so spouses/partners of UK citizens and of UK permanent residents will be waiting for 5 years to be eligible for permanent status. Most of such drastic proposals come in force in April, so we suggest to apply now! EEA2 is for spouses/partners of European citizens (non-UK) and is under the European law. It is free of UK government fees but the downsides are 1) it takes up to 6 months to process it and yours

We have received a very nice feedback from a happy customer, Taressa, Australian lady who we helped with a Spouse visa: "Dealing with this sort of high level paperwork and strict guidelines to adhere to, can be stressful. After spending some time trying to do this ourselves we decided to leave it in the capable hands of someone who has a lot of experience and is accredited by the Home Office to be dealing with these sorts of applications. As soon as we were in contact with Natalia (at 1st 4Immigration), the stress levels dissolved. She and her assistant Harpreet were there every step of the way. They triple checked our paperwork, made sure we had all of the documentation needed, took us to our appointment at the Home Office and looked after collecting all of our paperwork when the visa was approved. I could not recommend their service more. My husband and I both work full time, so this sort of added stress to an already busy life was well worth paying 1st 4Immigration to take car

If I were Theresa May I would bring back highly-skilled Tier 1 General visa category tomorrow with immediate effect (well, maybe with some notice to allow for orderly queues at Embassies abroad). I would lower passmark back to 75 for initial entrants and make earnings points lower, like they were before April 2010. However, I would add something in my opinion useful, such as extra points for someone working in an occupation on UK Shortage Occupation List, I mean actually having worked and not 'having a qualification'. I am very concerned that we would not have enough people who have skills, ambition, hunger for money/success and are willing to work, such as Indian IT consultants or Chinese finance professionals, also teachers and doctors, where would we be now without them? Ms May, if you are reading this - please bring back Tier 1 General/HSMP!