UK Visas and British Citizenship

UK immigration authorities continue to process visa applications, albeit still at a slower pace and without Priority services. However, the visa centres are beginning to reopen in the UK and abroad from 1 June 2020 for submission of biometrics (fingerprints). To start with, they are re-booking appointments for the applicants who had booked a slot prior to the lockdown and had them cancelled. Regardless of that, it is still possible to submit your application online. If your visa expires soon, you can apply for your next visa online and "on-time", i.e. before your current visa expires, and then waiting for further steps. This keeps you within the Rules and does not make you an overstayer.  Even better, the actual documents (supporting evidence) can be submitted later, thus giving you even more time to prepare them. Usually, within 45 days after the online "submission". It may be extended due to the Covid situation (but no dates confir

We have moved all our training online!  We now offer OISC Level 1 course livestream on Zoom and Skype 13-14 June, 1-2 July and 4-5 August 2020. It is a 2-day course, 10.00 - 16.00 with breaks. CPD 10 hours. Price £250+VAT.  It is live training (livestream), where you can interact with the tutor and ask your questions.   You can check the dates and book here. We also continue to run our best-selling Self-study OISC Level 1 course, based on an electronic textbook.  You can study in your own time, at your own pace, from any device at any place.  CPD 16 hours. Price £199+VAT.  You can find it here.    You can read the Description here (same for each course). Our courses are CPD-accredited by The CPD Standards Office, reference 80001. Extracts from How To Use the Immigration Rules: The ‘Other way around principle’: when trying to find out whether a migrant can switch from one visa category to another, most people would go to the section of the Rules t

Whilst we are pre-occupied with Coronavirus, there are other changes happening in the UK immigration field. Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) is expected to soar from the £400 to £624 per year from October 2020! The Government is known for confirming such changes at a short notice, sometimes earlier than expected - to prevent the rush of applications before the change. If you are eligible - apply now to save money!  For a typical 2.5-year Spouse visa, IHS would increase from £1,000 (£400 x 2.5) to £1,560! For a 3-year Tier 2 work visa, from £1,200 to £1,872! That’s in addition to the 'application fee' and it is per person, i.e. the same for a spouse and each child.  If you are planning your UK entry visa,  such as a Spouse/Partner visa or Tier 2 work visa, you can apply ’now’, pay the current IHS amount, and wait for the next steps. When visa centres re-open in your country, you will be able to submit biometrics (fingerprints) and provide supporting doc

If you are planning to make a new visa application in 2020, these are the steps you could take now: 1. Study for Life in the UK Test.  If you are planning to secure a permanent residency or British Citizenship in the future, you can start studying now.  Doesn’t matter if you are a good few years away from it - the test doesn't have an expiry date!   You cannot take the actual test until the test centres re-open but you can order a Book or study online.  2. Download bank statements.  Most applications ask for the bank statements for the last 6 - 12 months, so you could download them as soon as they are ready.  Same for payslips.  3. Prepare 2019-20 tax return if you are self-employed.  This applies if you are self-employed (a sole trader, without a company) and are likely to use such income for your next application.  Doesn't matter the HMRC gives you time until 31 January 2021 - the visa authorities expect to see the 2019-20 tax return if you make a visa

Dear friends! Our OISC Level 1 training is a bestseller! With the online version, you can download it on your computer and study in your own time. The course is great for you if: - you are preparing to take a Level 1 OISC exam and become an immigration adviser. - you are a practicing adviser or solicitor and wish to broaden your knowledge about other visa categories, such as to learn in detail about the Points-Based System. You will earn 16 CPD hours! - you work in HR; you are a business owner or a landlord and need to learn about how your employees or tenants can stay legally in the UK so that you don't face penalties. With over 10 years of experience, we designed this course to be of practical help! It's full of useful advice, explanation of how to understand Immigration Rules, where to find the information during a case and many case studies. Unlike most training other there, this is not boring coverage of the Immigration Rules, we tried t

UK immigration authorities continue to process visa applications, albeit not as fast as they normally would. The visa centres are beginning to gradually re-opening from 1 June 2020 in the UK and abroad. Regardless of when your particular centre re-opens, it is still possible to submit your application online. If your visa expires soon, you can apply for your next visa "on-time", i.e. before your current visa expires, by making such an application online and then waiting for the further steps. This keeps you within the Rules and does not make you an overstayer.  Even better, the actual documents (supporting evidence) can be submitted later, thus giving you even more time to prepare while remaining within the Rule on visa expiry dates. We usually have 45 days to provide the documents (ie upload them online to the Government portal) after the online "submission" mentioned above. This is extended for as long as it will take to clear up the backlog.  If you

This scheme is up and running now, you can start here:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme  Self-employed means a sole trader, ie someone who has a business and working for themselves- without forming a company. If you have a limited company, you won't be classed as self-employed for HMRC and this purpose. You will, however, be classed as self-employed if you are in a Partnership.  Under the scheme, the self-employed will be paid 80% of their income, up to £2,500 per month, initially a lump sum for 3 months. The actual amount will be calculated as average of your income during the last 3 tax years (last tax year being 2018-19). If you were self-employed for less than those 3 tax years, it will be average of the available tax years. If you only started self-employment during 2019-20 tax year, you won't qualify. Also, only those with income of £50,000 from self-employment will qualify and only if self-employment for

UK visas and your immigration status:  If your current visa expires before 31 July 2020 , and you are not planning to remain in the UK, you can request the above extension until 31 July 2020 (but you have to ask for it, ie it's not automatic).  If your current visa expires before 31 July 2020 , and you are planning to stay in the UK long-term , you can make an online application for that - by 31 July 2020. Even if you couldn't switch under the normal circumstances, you will be able to do so now. Examples: from a visitor status to a Spouse visa; from a visitor status to a Tier 4 student or Tier 2 work visa.  The latest extension, up to 31 July 2020, will be applied automatically to those who had already extended their stay until 31 May 2020 under the previous provision (in which case you don't have to ask for it, it will be done automatically).   Tier 2 migrants working for the NHS as a doctor, nurse and other eligible occupations:   if your visa expires b

Advice from Gov.UK for visa customers and applicants in the UK, visa customers outside of the UK and British nationals overseas who need to apply for a passport affected by travel restrictions associated with coronavirus. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

This post is referring to the UK Government's announcement here:  https://www.dailymail. co.uk/news/article-8122789/ Coronavirus-Rishi-Sunak- announces-three-month- mortgage-payment-holiday.html We are not mortgage advisers and this is not a financial or legal advice. This is a post from me, Natalia Andrews, a property investor as well as an immigration lawyer, and I am doing this in response to our immigration clients, asking for some advice during the uncertain times of COVID-19. For details, or if you are in financial difficulty, you need to seek a professional financial advice.  Mortgage Holiday - you will still owe this money!  My bank, Halifax, confirmed that they were offering a mortgage holiday for 3 months, same as other banks did. They warned, however, that you would still owe this money. They aren't cancelling these payments but adding them to the loan, so you will be paying it later. Most likely, in small instalments, so you probably won’t fe