UK Visas and British Citizenship

Having finished filming the BBC documentary Who Should Get to Stay in the UK?, we are excited to offer our OISC Level 1 courses during autumn 2019! As the subject of UK immigration is becoming even more exciting, you can keep up-to-date with our classroom and online training – and claim CPD hours. 2-day weekend course is conducted at our office in the City of London and presented by our Level 3 accredited Senior Immigration Lawyer, Jules Motcho. That’s him on the far right on the photo! Classroom and livestream training: 2 – 3 November 2019, Saturday/Sunday 10am-5pm, CPD 10 hours, £250+VAT.  Book now! Online self-study course: If you prefer studying in your own time, we have a more detailed  Online OISC Level 1 courses here . CPD 16 hours, £199+VAT. 1st 4 Immigration  is one of the most experienced and prominent UK immigration law companies, accredited by the OISC at the highest Level 3. We have been in business for over 10 years, our OISC reference is 200800152, in which 2008 stan

NHS doctor is threatened with deportation over basic visa mistake. How a basic, non-common-sense rule can stop from securing a UK visa. And why you shouldn’t worry if your refusal letter says “You must now leave the UK”.   Was it correct under the law to deny a visa? Bizarrely, yes, it was.   In this article, a Taiwanese junior doctor was refused a work visa because of a small mistake, a technicality. She applied under the sponsorship of the NHS (no less), to work as a much-needed junior doctor.   The problem:   It was Maintenance requirement. She must have had £945 held continuously for 90 days. She had it but the balance fell below £945 for a few days. A small mistake, a technicality, yet the outcome was a visa refusal and what newspapers called a ‘deportation letter’.   The rule of “held for X days” means the balance must not have fallen below the minimum amount even for 1 day even by £1. Although this situation is about a Tier 2 sponsored work vis

School sends home a teacher because she has no right to work – her Indefinite Leave is in the old passport. If your passport expired, do you need to transfer your UK visa? Yes and No, there is no short answer.   Was the school correct in applying the law? Bizarrely, yes, they were.   If you have a biometric residence permit (BRP), a visa card that looks like a bank card, you don’t have to do anything until this visa expires. If, however, you have an old Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) sticker in your passport, then the answer becomes more complex.   In this article, a Trinidadian deputy headteacher (no less) has had her ILR since 1989, is married to a UK citizen and has British children. The immigration law does not require her to transfer ILR to a new passport, she can travel with both passports. It is employment law that was ‘the problem’ here.   Some relatively recent changes in employment law made it compulsory for non-EU citizens to have either:   Val

#1 How long can I be out of the UK?  #2 Difference between 5 and 10-year route?  #3 Does having a British child exempt from the Financial Requirement £18,600?  #4 English language: A1, A2 or B1?  #5 When to apply for British Citizenship: 3 or 5 years?  #1 How long can I be out of the UK? By far, most common question ever! You might have heard 6 month or 90 days or 6 months per year.  The ruth is: there is no rule. Each case is considered individually. The only rule is “you live permanently with your partner in the UK”.  In practice, with the new online application forms, you will be asked about your trips abroad and reasons, such as holiday or work.  It will attract attention if you spend more than 50% of your '‘visa time” outside the UK.  We recommend to go by the same rule as for work visas: 6 months per year and your main home has to remain in the UK.  If this affects you - please contact us for an individual assessment.  #2 Difference be

Would you prefer to know a decision within 2 working days or wait (and worry) for several months? Most in-UK visa types are eligible: - Indefinite Leave 10 years residence - Spouse/Partner visa: switching, extension, Indefinite Leave - Tier 2 work visa: switching, extension, changing sponsor, Indefinite Leave - Tier 4 and 5 visas: switching, extension, changing sponsor - Ancestral visa: extension, Indefinite Leave - PBS Dependant: switching, extension, Indefinite Leave - Renewal of Indefinite Leave (new visa card) Categories that are not eligible: - Tier 1 - EEA applications, instead you can register under EU Settlement Scheme that often gives immediate decision - British Citizenship - All applications outside the UK, instead there is premium service. It’s not next-day but still faster than standard service Why choose 1st 4Immigration? - OISC-accredited company at the highest level 3, ref F200800152 - 10+ years of imm

Having finished filming the BBC documentary Who Should Get to Stay in the UK?, we are excited to offer our OISC Level 1 courses during autumn 2019! As the subject of UK immigration is becoming even more exciting, you can keep up-to-date with our classroom and online training – and claim CPD hours. 2-day weekend course is conducted at our office in the City of London and presented by our Level 3 accredited Senior Immigration Lawyer, Jules Motcho. That’s him on the far right on the photo! Classroom and livestream training: 12-13 October 2019, Saturday/Sunday 10am-5pm, CPD 10 hours, £250+VAT.  Book now! 2 – 4 November 2019, Saturday/Sunday 10am-5pm, CPD 10 hours, £250+VAT.  Book now! Online self-study course: If you prefer studying in your own time, we have a more detailed  Online OISC Level 1 courses here . CPD 16 hours, £199+VAT. 1st 4 Immigration  is one of the most experienced and prominent UK immigration law companies, accredited by the OISC at the highe

Our best guide to the minefield of Schengen!  Who issues longer visas? Who is fastest? Talk to us before making your travel plans! Each Schengen country is different but it works well by proper planning to comply with strict rules. Maybe you need fastest service, or maybe better to wait but secure a longer visa, apply once and travel during 6 - 12 months or even more. You can apply within 3 months before travelling – time to plan Christmas and New Year holidays now! France - Schengen visa    Sooner appointments than in the public system! We are one of just 9 accredited visa agencies in the whole of the UK, a highly-trusted company with 15 years of experience. French Consulate issues longer, multiple-entry visas.   Processing time: 1 week for most nationals, may be longer during busy travel times.   Spain - Schengen visa Soonest appointment: next working day. Processing time: 7 - 10 days for most nationals. Portugal - Schengen visa Soonest appointment

#1 Most common - submitting “everything I have’.  Some payslips, a tax return, some savings plus a property deed for good measure. Surely, should work? It may sound logical to provide as much as possible, this is often a nightmare scenario for immigration lawyers and often a direct path to a visa refusal. Financial Requirement is strictly based on the ‘rules’: what income can be used, how various sources can be combined and what documents are needed. We often say there is 75-page office guidance just on the finances: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/636618/Appendix_FM_1_7_Financial_Requirement_Final.pdf  #2 Savings - it’s not £18,600 and not £16,000.  The real amount (for this purpose) is calculated using this formula: threshold you need to meet (such as £18,600) x 2.5 plus £16,000. If you are using savings alone, it would be £18,600 x 2.5 + £16,000 = £62,500!  #3 Employment -  the minimum is 6 months for the sa