UK Visas and British Citizenship

"Dear Natalia, we both owe you and your helpers a big thank you for all the work you put into our visa application.  Without your skilful arguments, I doubt if we would have made it, and then we would have problems.  Fortunately, it is all history now." This came from Charles, an American national who we helped to secure an ILR, together with his Brazilian wife as a dependant. In this case Charles, the main applicant, had a Tier 1 General visa, then an extension (extension was also through us in 2012). Normally, it would be the time to apply for an ILR – after 5 years. However, the main applicant had to work in the Middle East for most of the last 2 years, so there was a problem of absences, ie being over the 180 days limit (180 days per year). That limit has been exceeded by quite a lot. Our client’s wife had a Tier 1 Dependant visa. Normally, we would have said No. However, in this case we felt it was taking a risk and applied for an ILR. We ticked both boxes – ba

“I would like to thank you Lucy (at 1 st 4Immigration) for your efficiency, professionalism and dedication in dealing with my case and finally receiving my ILR. Your outstanding client assistance is one of the reasons I will happily recommend you to my friends.” This came from Aboud, a Syrian national who is married to a UK citizen and who was applying for an ILR after 2 years on a Spouse visa (which was issued under the old rules and therefore, 2 years were sufficient). This was a very interesting case because of our client’s chosen English language test. Mr Aboud passed an English test, which was acceptable at the time of application. However, when the case was submitted on same-day service in Croydon, we were told that the case would be held until further enquiries because of the English test. We were given a letter saying all cases with this type of a test would be put on hold until the investigation into the test provider has been completed. This was NOT a TOEFL or TOEI

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!     On the other

As many Entrepreneur visa applicants and advisers know, this category is more about ‘extras’ than about proving the funds of £50,000/£200,000 (depending on your category). ‘Extras’ are the documents, which are not included in the Rules, so you won’t find a business plan on the list of ‘Specified Evidence’ (documents required by the Rules). However, it is mentioned on the Genuine Entrepreneur Test, which is, or rather failing which, a most common reason of refusal. If the Home Office simply does not believe your intentions are genuine then they may refuse on the ‘balance of probabilities’ (those who had refusals may recognise this phrase). We usually advise to provide as many documents as possible, examples include business bank statements/insurance (if a business is already functioning in the UK), correspondence with accountants and tax advisers and various research and contacts with potential clients (if you are planning to establish a business after securing a visa). However, the

If you are holding a Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) or a Tier 1 (Investor) visa we are offering to help with compliance with the Immigration Rules for the duration of the visa and extensions.    For a yearly fee we help to comply with the Rules (and changes of the Rules). For example, during the 3 years of an initial Entrepreneur visa you have to register a business within specific time limit, create 2 jobs for certain types of people and for the duration of 12 months for each job. An Investor has 3 months to invest the equivalent of GBP 750 000 in the ways specified in the Immigration Rules and it does not include property. The remaining amount of GBP 250 000 does not have to be invested but still has to be maintained in the permitted ways. Investments have to be maintained for the duration of the visa, which includes compensating the value if the market changes. Our compliance service includes:   -  Unlimited number of questions re the Immigration Rules (related to this visa cate

This came from Peter, a British national applying for a Fiancée visa for his partner in the Philippines: “I made my daily phone call to Rowena (Peter’s fiancée) this morning. She wanted to let me know that a courier had just arrived with her passport……and Visa!!!! I am still shaking!!!!   Right now I am the happiest I have ever been. I am driving the people in here nuts (that’s not us, probably Peter’s work colleagues!). I keep pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming. I cannot wait to see the Visa for myself.   I can now book her flight (to come over to the UK). I am so happy. I may even get a good night’s sleep and stop with the stress medication. I may even have a pint lunchtime. Where would we be without you?” Peter then kindly sent us another message, once we explained that we asked clients for testimonials for our website: “We had been struggling to work our way through the Visa process and after running into a series of brick walls we retained 1 st 4 Immigrati

"Dear Lucy, My special thanks to you and your team for the wonderful job and co-operation you have done with my case to get spouse visa ." This came from Saif, national of Iraq, who switched from a Tier 4 Student visa to a Spouse visa using same-day service in Croydon. We used   a Category D, Savings, to meet the Financial Requirement. For an individual advice or to make your application as successful please contact us: info@1st4immigration.com or visit www.1st4immigration.com If you are an Immigration Adviser or a Solicitor please visit our immigration Training and CPD website: www.1st4immigration.com/training  

"Lucy, Thank you and 1st 4Immigration for your help in obtaining my wife's spouse visa. Gathering all the forms and evidence needed for the application was quite daunting, and would have been extremely difficult and stressful without your help. Also grateful for your prompt responses to my questions, and well ordered final set of documents for the application. I am sure this contributed to the speed of the application being granted." Many thanks, Alistair. Alistair, a British citizen, came to us for an advice on how to bring his Russian wife to the UK, following their marriage in Russia. We advised to meet the Financial Requirement using Alistair’s employment in the UK (Category A). Once Alistair’s wife has passed her English test in Russia, Entry Clearance application was submitted to the visa centre in Russia. Just days later it was already approved, a record! For an individual advice or to make your application as successful please contact us: info@1st4immigra

Our service fees will be changing from 1 September 2014. We do try to keep them as affordable as possible but many of the current fees remained at this level for almost 4 years. You can, however, start the application process now, in August, and avoid the increase! You don’t have to be eligible to apply now, we understand your application may not be due for some time. However, as long as we have a signed letter of engagement and a deposit in August 2014, we can keep your case until you are ready to make an application. This not only lets you save the money, it also allows to ask as many questions as you have from the point of paying a deposit in August and until your application is ready to be submitted to the Home Office. It means you may have several months, a year or even more of an unlimited advice regarding your case. If you paid an advice fee to us earlier (£70 or £100) and didn’t make an application yet - we would count it towards our service fees, as usual.   Here

This question usually comes from those who have a Tier 1 Post-Study Work visa or a Tier 4 Student visa, who have an employer who is willing to sponsor them for a work visa but usually are very short of time because the current visa expires soon. Common processing time is about 8 weeks. However, it can be sped up if your visa expires very soon, such as in the next 2 weeks or so. For example, we requested urgent consideration in May 2014, provided evidence why we were requesting it (visa was expiring very soon) and client’s Sponsor Licence was issued within a week. Record timing! For an individual advice or to make an application please contact us: info@1st4immigration.com or visit www.1st4immigration.com We hold our own Tier 2 Sponsor Licence and have experienced the same process as our clients who need a Tier 2 licence.  If you are an Immigration Adviser or a Solicitor please visit our immigration Training and CPD website: www.1st4immigration.com/training